Hi! I'm so glad you're here.

Hi! I'm Katie. I am a mom of four kids and two crazy pups and I live on the banks of the Parker River in Newbury, MA. After studying art history in college I went on to work in an auction house and art galleries. I now am home raising my brood, but in the Spring of 2023 I started this little business. Parker River Proper was born out of my love for weaving, art, history, and everything coastal New England. What started as just a business making and selling Nantucket Baskets has evolved into more of a lifestyle space where I share all the things.

My baskets are handmade using traditional materials and techniques with the intention of bringing beauty and FUN into our everyday lives with woven koozies, jewelry, headbands, keychains, and more. I geek out over the history of Nantucket baskets - I love how they are unique to the island but have earlier roots in Native American and New Hampshire farm baskets. I have some more nerdy academic research going on behind the scenes. If that's your thing - I'd LOVE to chat about it.

I love to make and collect baskets. For me, they serve as beautiful reminders not just of our trips to Nantucket over the years, but the joy of summer everywhere - slow, hot days, sharp grass and soft sand underfoot, jumping into the pool, getting tossed around in the waves, the smell of sunscreen, the gentle support of the sand during an afternoon rest and the golden warm quiet around dinnertime after everyone has packed up for the day. Going to get ice cream with sandy feet. A warm freshwater bath before falling asleep kissed by the sun, with the feeling we might still be bobbing on the water.

Thanks for checking out my page! My baskets are released in small batches. For first alert - subscribe to the newsletter and follow along on instagram - @parkerriverproper where I share all things baskets, home, family and travel.

If you don't see what you're looking for please drop me a line. I love working on larger pieces and in between mumming four kids and two dogs, I am happy to take on commissions or help source just what it is you're looking for. 

Katie