A Portland Ceramics Shop Takes On New Materials In Their Colorful Signature Look

Founded in 2009, Pigeon Toe Ceramics is the brainchild of sisters Samantha Sheeley and Lisa Jones. From the beginning, the small but mighty team has committed to making all their wares by hand in their home city of Portland, a collection that runs the gamut from everyday mugs, dishes and tableware to functional home decor like candleholders and bud vases. Now, Pigeon Toe’s signature punchy colors and modern shapes are taking form in a new textiles line. Sheeley gives us the scoop.

What made you want to venture into textiles? Our textiles collection has been in the works for three years and is a collaboration between me and Leah Bloom of North of West. I’m a ceramics expert, Leah is a textiles expert, and together we share a passion for playful design, color and well-made products. Our goal was a cohesive collection that populates the lives and homes of our customers.

Tell us about the textiles line. Like our ceramics, we make Pigeon Toe Textiles by hand in Portland. We source our natural fabrics in white and use an eco-friendly dyeing process for custom colors. We screenprint, pattern, cut and sew in-house, making an assortment of napkins, tea towels and placemats. Later this year, we’ll be expanding our collection with larger items like pillows, shower curtains and duvet covers.

What do you want people to experience with your brand? Simply put, we want our items to bring joy with every use. We all have that favorite mug, sweatshirt or hat that we reach for time and again. These objects possess something special that keeps us coming back, and we want our ceramics and textiles to evoke this same feeling.