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Baker works at the store with her three sisters, Kathleen Oberschmidt, Colleen O'Gorman, Maureen O'Gorman, and their mother, Mary O'Gorman.
Baker's family moved around often since her father was in the U.S. Air Force, serving as a fighter pilot during the Vietnam War.
Mary, however, is a native of St. Louis, and after talking with her daughters, made the joint decision to locate their store in Washington.
"All of the girls were interested in art as kids," Mary said. "They took ceramics classes through the Girl Scouts and also took college courses."
Noreen said the idea to open the shop came from her sisters' shared interest in the arts.
"We grew up together and we liked going to galleries," Noreen said. "After seeing so many pieces, we thought we could do better than the things we've seen, so we thought we would try making and selling our own."
The timing and location were "perfect," she said about the decision to open the shop.
"All of our work is homemade and each piece is unique," Noreen said. "We try to keep the prices reasonable."
The pottery at the Pot Shop is created in two different kinds of kilns, electric and gas, and each kiln has different effects on the clay used.
"In the gas kiln, the fire gets to a higher temperature quicker. Then when the piece is in what is called reduction, where we place it inside a trash can, it is starved of oxygen," Noreen explained. "In the electric kiln, we don't starve the piece of oxygen and while the fire is hotter, it takes longer to heat, up to 33 hours."
Noreen said all of the pieces must be fired twice.
The fires can reach temperatures of up to 3,300 degrees Fahrenheit in the indoor electric kiln. With the outdoor gas kiln, the temperature of the fire can go up to 2,400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Each piece takes about an hour to complete on average.
Some of the pots are microwave and dishwasher safe, but buyers are advised to look over the directions as each pot is different.
The Pot Shop offers a range of pieces, including strainers, bowls and bread ovens, among other items. Local delivery of the pottery also is offered.
The business will offer free demonstrations to the public. The first demonstration on wheel and Raku pottery will be held Saturday, Sept. 26, starting around noon. Another demonstration is tentatively planned for Oct. 18 beginning around 1 p.m. The demonstrations will last all afternoon both days.
Owners noted that children must be accompanied by a parent during the demonstrations.
The Pot Shop also has plans to conduct demonstrations at local schools and Scout meetings.
In addition to pottery, Maureen makes and sells custom embroidery pieces, including monographed items. Customers also can browse her display of purses.
Kathleen plans to make handmade Christmas ornaments and jewelry to sell in the coming months.
The Pot Shop is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and closed Sundays and Mondays.
For more information, people may visit www.potshopgifts.com.
