Trophy Case

Some of Portland’s Coolest Stuff Is Lady-Made

From erotic selfie quilts to colorful tote bags, women run this city's maker scene.

By Kelly Clarke April 24, 2018 Published in the May 2018 issue of Portland Monthly

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Eyeball

While many quilters stick to spiraling patterns or cutesy animals, Portland artist Amy Subach deploys the trad craft to create Erotic Selfie Quilts, her carefully stitched critiques of social media culture. With their bold colors and (sometimes literally) winking subjects, her quilts are the feminist living room conversation piece you never knew you needed. (She also makes “Mean Pillows.”) $50–500 at amysubach.com

Adorn

Upgrade any look with some sharp, chic Amaree & Reese earrings: swaying brass hoops bisected with geometric flourishes to one-of-a-kind copper and stainless steel work, each pair hand-hammered, textured, filed, and buffed at Risa Regory’s North Portland workshop. $16–52 at Adorn and etsy.com/shop/AmareeandReese

Haul

Mary Poppins’s bottomless bag has nothing on Finder Goods’ wide, deep, cheery-hued totes, which can haul most anything—farmers market finds, soggy beach towels, cases of La Croix—with ease. The brainchild of a mom with two active kiddos, the bags are lightweight, machine washable, and crafted in Beaverton from durable PVC-coated mesh. $59–79 at MadeHere PDX and findergoods.com

Guzzle

Raise a dirty martini to Freeland Spirits, the city’s first women-owned distillery. The small-batch outfit’s eye-catchingly flagon’ed Blue Bottle Gin leans on notes of cucumber, rosemary, and honey along with the usual juniper bite for a layered copper-still spirit you can also sip straight over a big cube. $35 at Pearl Spirits and freelandspirits.com

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