The Portland Fiber Gallery and Weaving Studio was founded in the summer of 2000 by owner Melodi Hackett.  It was formerly located on Stevens Ave. in Deering Center.  Focusing mainly on weaving  to begin with, it began to extend to other areas of the fiber arts including felting, spinning, and dyeing.  The store moved to Congress Street in January 2005. In December 2011, we relocated again!  We're now located at 50 Cove Street!  Bigger space + parking = happy workers and happy customers!

Melodi Hackett entered the fiber scene at age 8 when she decided she would learn to knit a hat for her third grade teacher.  She did a bit more knitting in high school, but nothing too intense.  After graduating from UNH with a degree in Anthropology, she soon  married her husband, Rick.  While Rick was going through law school in Ithica, NY, Melodi got back into knitting.  They moved to Maine in 1978 and started a family.  It wasn't until her two daughters were old enough to stay home alone that Melodi began weaving, first taking a class at a shop in Scarborough.  During the early 90s, Melodi was seriously addicted to knitting and was working part time at Martha Hall, a knitting shop in Yarmouth.  In the late 90s she and some other artists opened  Central Square Studios on Stevens Ave., a multi-artist stuido and gallery.  After about a year and a half the name was changed to the Portland Fiber Gallery and Weaving Studio and history was made!

Casey Ryder learned how to knit when she was in middle school.  Her Meme taught her the two basic stitches, but nothing ever really came of it until college where she gave it another try.  She became more involved in the world of fiber arts when, after graduating and moving to Portland, she began interning at the Fiber Gallery.  It was here that she  learned how to spin, felt, and weave.  In addition to working at PFG, Casey also works at Sew Portland and does a bit of side-promotion for the New England Fiber Arts Retreat at the Medomak Retreat Center in Washington, Maine.  She is very grateful to be living the fibery life!