Down the Aisles

11 Portland Authors’ Favorite Indie Bookstores

Where do Renée Watson, Dane Liu, Erica Berry, and Jon Raymond shop for books? Hint: it’s not Amazon.

05/06/2024 By Matthew Trueherz

Subcultures

Portland's Knitters Are In Stitches and Having a Ball

This knitty-gritty town is hooked on fiber arts.

01/03/2024 By Katherine Chew Hamilton

A Stitch In Time

Portland Is Getting Its First Nonprofit Community Sewing Studio

Sincere Studio will offer classes and open studios at a space in East Portland.

09/06/2022 By Michelle Harris

Crafting

Macramé Is Having a Moment

Author and macramé artist Emily Katz’s N Williams shop offers classes and workshops to make your own granny square.

08/23/2022 By Julia Silverman

Long Story Short

This Portland Quilter Has Become a TikTok Sensation

Chris Marchini’s modern quilts and bright persona have made him a hit with online crafters.

05/13/2022 By Fiona McCann

Makers

How a Luthier from Uzbekistan Makes Some of Portland's Most Beloved Guitars

Luthier Peter Tsiorba on making music from trees, a 16th-century lute, and a Portland guitar that changed everything.

01/31/2022 By Gabriel Granillo

Outdoors

Why Not Pick Up a Hobby on Your Next Weekend Away in Oregon?

Forge a knife in Falls City, milk a cow in Sandy, learn archery in Ashland, and more

01/19/2022 By Gabriel Granillo

Shops

El Interior Honors and Shares Traditional Mexican Folk Art

From colorful ceramic skulls for Día de los Muertos to floral table runners, Laura Gutierrez wants to share the art of her people.

10/08/2021 By Gabriel Granillo

Footnotes

LISTEN: The Bearded Woodworker Dishes on Being a Contestant on NBC's Making It

Portland Monthly news editor Julia Silverman talks with Gary Herd about filming the show during COVID and how Oregon inspires his craft.

07/16/2021 By Gabriel Granillo With Julia Silverman

Reality TV

Meet the Waldport Contestant Shaking Things Up on NBC's Making It

Gary Herd, known as the Bearded Woodworker, is one of eight makers left in the crafting competition

07/15/2021 By Julia Silverman

Crafting

These Adult-Themed Cross-Stitch Kits Are Probably Not for Your Grandma

How Zoe Frost taught herself to cross-stich and started her business all within a month.

07/07/2021 By Cami Hughes

Books

This Portlander Can Teach You How to Make Your Own Stylish Shoes

Rachel Corry's new book The Sandalmaking Workshop lays out everything you need—from patterns to step-by-step instructions—to make your own shoes.

05/10/2021 By Eden Dawn

Style Spotlight

Studio Prismatic Wants to Change Your Ideas About Quilts

The new Portland studio makes bold, colorful quilts out of sustainable fabrics.

05/04/2021 By Reina Harwood

DIY

Designer Laurs Kemp Posts Free and Easy Fashion Projects to Try at Home

From jazzing up thrift store berets to turning old silk scarves into ruffly sleeves, this video series makes it easy to dip your toe into sewing projects.

02/26/2021 By Eden Dawn

Little Joys of Summer

Might As Well Pick Up a Hobby This Summer

From book binding to wood burning, put these stay-at-home hours to good use and learn something new.

08/01/2020 By Marty Patail

Keep Calm and Make Masks

To Combat Medical Gear Shortage, the Home Sewing Army Steps Up

DIY masks for patients and essential workers can help preserve medical-grade supplies for doctors and nurses.

03/25/2020 By Julia Silverman

Candy Coated

Katie Marks’s Ceramics Are Playful, Colorful, and (Often) Rimmed in 22-Karat Gold

From vases to bongs, the Portland ceramicist's wild creations sell out as fast as she can make them.

10/16/2019 By Rebecca Jacobson Photography by Christopher Dibble

Spotlight

How Shanalee Hampton's Embroidery Art Became a Platform for Gun Control

“It just became a really healthy outlet for my anger about what was happening in the world.”

09/19/2019 By Eden Dawn

Design

Lane Walkup Wants to Prove Blacksmithing Isn't Just for Medieval Men

The Portland metalworker creates magic with Solange's latest playing the background.

03/27/2019 By Shayla Norris-York

Arts and Crafts

5 Ways to Get Arty While You Drink

Bring home slick lil’ art project—not a hangover.

03/12/2019 By Shayla Norris-York