Tama Lutsko is the sole designer and
weaver of the rugs sold under the name
Montana Loomworks. She weaves the
rugs out of recycled textiles using
hand-powered looms. Textile
remnants, t-shirts, sweaters and even
old socks get a new lease on life in
these rugs with sizes ranging from 2' x
3' to 8' x 10'. Color and texture
combinations are scrutinized to create a
useful, valued, artistic rug for today's
home. The sweaters and socks arrive
at the studio by the truckload. They
are sorted by color combinations (the
fabric is never redyed) and taken to a
commercial laundry for cleaning. The
materials are next cut into strips which
makes them ready for the weaving
process. The smaller rugs are machine
washable and all are made to stand up
to constant floor use (though some do
end up as wall art). Over a thousand
rugs have been woven since the
business came into being in 1998.
Coming from a long line of
craftswomen, Tama originally learned
to weave as a 12 year old girl. She
spent much time in her teen years
weaving rugs and selling them at local
craft shows dreaming of someday
making a living pursuing this passion.
Now that the dream has become a
reality, she still takes delight in the
beautiful colors and designs that
weaving involves--being drawn to
clean lines, smiling at the beauty of
simple stripes. The looms she uses
are over 80 years old and come from
the era when looms were owned by
communities and passed from farm to
farm. "Weaving is my connection to a
simpler time in the not so distant past",
reflects Tama. "If the power goes out, I
can still weave". Recently married to
an antiques dealer, Tama currently
lives and weaves at the base of the
Cabinet Mountains in Libby, Montana.
