I recently moved from NYC to Portland, ME and passed Portland Pottery studio a few times since I…read morelive in the neighborhood and decided to join an intro course. They don't make it very clear in the lottery system if the ceramic class is for hand building or on a pottery wheel. I was not looking to learn anything on the wheel. However, I discovered on the first day that the class was in fact making pottery on the wheel. I decided to give it a go since I had already paid upwards of $300 for the entire course. In my first class, the instructor told me that I was going too slow and that I needed to apply more pressure on the clay. I was even worse in my second class because I have early arthritis symptoms and had severe pain in my wrist during and after the class. I felt like my fingers were getting locked and I was not able to apply pressure on the clay. And for the next 2-3 days after the class I experienced pain in my wrist and fingers. I emailed them about my problem in detail and asked if I can switch to hand building which didn't require working on a wheel. They offered me two choices - one I switch to hand building from mid session, meaning I have already missed 2-3 intro classes. Or I continue working on the wheel. But they can't carry forward my credit to the next round of classes. Neither of these choices made sense as I had no prior experience with hand building and I already told them I couldn't work on the wheel. I wanted to support a small business, but they do not care about anything EXCEPT money. Ultimately, I told them they can keep my money and they did. And also never had the decency to reply to my email after that. FYI: anyone planning to join the pottery class, know that you will need to wait in the line to clean up and the whole process itself takes 30 mins or more, which eats into the time they've listed for the class.

I've been enjoying the visits to the cafe to get supplied for my wife who is a potter. But this…read morelocation is far easier to park. If you know what you want, call the friendly crew, place your order, then pay via credit card. They will stack the clay on a pallet just outside the entrance ready to load into your vehicle. We bought 150 pounds of clay recently and it was a lot less harrowing than backing your vehicle down that narrow alley beside the cafe.

Lovely town art store. Assistance was easy to come by. Friendly. Good selections of products.read more

Very friendly staff who go the extra mile to be helpful. I came in with a somewhat unusual question…read moreabout acrylic products, and the man at the counter (sorry, forgot his name!) called the manufacturer on the spot and got an answer, plus ordered the product I needed and called me when it came in. Nice selection of quality products, and the brush selection is really good. They carry professional level brands of brush that can't be purchased locally elsewhere, as well as some decent bargain lines. This is an artist's store that also has some kids' stuff, not vice versa.

I took a class series to learn how to spin, which was one of my dreams. Dream delivered! I learned…read moreso much in a super supportive environment! You can rent a wheel for the time you're in the class and even keep renting it for a little bit before you decide to take the plunge if you do. Fantastic experience! Casey knows so much about everything fiber, thanks, Casey!

I came here at the recommendation of the good folks at Handiwork in Deering Center. I had gone to a…read morefew places in search of some felting help and Handiwork suggested Portfiber. I immediately booked it over as I needed a very specific consultation -- felting with my doggo's fur. I had my samples and the needle I was using and although they didn't have experience with dog fur they immediately diagnosed the problem with my needle not being a true felting needle. I was able to test out their tools and was on my way to felting success. I came back for a few additional supplies and was overjoyed with the results. Their big giant of a sweet dog who runs the shop is also a plus for visiting.

If you are looking for a gift shop that truly supports local creators/artists this is your shop to…read morevisit. My wife and I have previously visited another location of Lisa-Marie's and enjoyed seeing the variety of local creations. The variety really was vast enough that everyone who steps in will find something that appeals to them! They do ask to have no photos be taken out of respect of the artists. A spot worth visiting for both tourists and locals alike. A better alternative than some of the more cheap rip off gift shops that feature nothing locally made. Can be that thing you bring home to remember your trip to Maine. While we did not buy anything during our visit in we enjoyed browsing seeing everything.

Such a great store in Portland they had so many things to look at I couldn't decide…read more... We loved the art and spent so much time looking around. We all ended up picking out a few things and some fun items/ art to take back home. The staff was super nice and made small talk and were very accommodating. They took extra care & packed up our items for traveling back home. We would recommend and definitely come back again on our next trip.

A variety of vintage goods, I find a treasure at each visit. Jewelry, records ceramics, linens and…read morewall art abound. Some prices seem high.

Lovely selection of vintage goods, vinyl, and a little section of cozy handmade baby clothes and…read moregoods. The wonderful owner invited my kid to pet her sweet little dog, chatted us up, recommended some good local things to do, and just generally made us feel like welcomed friends rather than out-of-towners dropping in for the holidays. 10/10 can't wait to go back here and shop some more for nieces and nephews and some vintage for myself the next time we are in the Portland area.

Love Ferdinand. Always surprised by something new. I especially love the birthday animals. Diane…read moreis wonderful!

Cutest store. Obsessed with my new hand dyed pillow!! There are a bunch of local gifts and knick…read moreknacks that make for the perfect gift. Will definitely have to visit when I'm back in Portland again!

Renys Department Store DowntownPortland This store is unique…read morein that I believe it has something for everyone. Sure it's in an old building but it's clean inside and everything is neatly arranged. I thought prices were very reasonable on most items. They have Mens, Womens, Kids Cloths, Shoes, Kitchen Accessories, Household Goods, Hardware, Carpets, Medicine, Cleaning Supplies, Maine Made products, Toys,Outdoor Camping Equipment, Souvenirs, Post Cards, Candy and some Food just to name a few. See something for everyone. The people that work there were friendly and courteous to boot.I loved this store and wished we had some back in Florida. I give this store 4 out of 5 stars. Follow Me For More Reviews & Fun

You can't come to Maine and not walk through a Reny's, A Maine Adventure. If you know, you know. So…read moreI did my walk around. And looked at the lobster bake supplies, and clothing, and shoes. All great items for camping or for your home at great prices. I had asked if they had a bathroom, and they said no. And later as I'm walking around, I notice all the business say no bathroom on the outside of their door. Not even if you're a customer. A lot of homelessness that has made it difficult for paying customers to use the bathrooms. It's sad, cause I had done hours of walking around Old Port and Portland area, and there's no place to go to the bathroom. Times have changed

Went to ZFabrics looking for some advice on a gift for my wife who crafts a lot. They were super…read morehelpful in pointing me in the right direction and are certainly my go-to for anything craft related.

I had an order already and went to the checkout page.They ask for a tip for their employees. This…read moreis in the order of charging guests to attend a wedding. Shipping is incredibly high already and you want us to pay your employees, too? Customers already do business's jobs by providing reviews for products the business has no idea of. You lost me as a customer.