Dixon’s Dog Trot Pottery brings handcrafted ceramics to West First Street

Shaw Local

For Vicki Sauter of Dixon, what started as a part-time hobby has taken on a life of its own.

Sauter owns Dog Trot Pottery at 308 W. First St. in Dixon. The shop offers unique, handcrafted pottery made by Sauter, including bowls, plates and dishes.

“My preference is to make things that people are going to use, not just dust,” Sauter said. “I have a tendency to make things that I would buy if I saw them in a pottery shop.”

Dog Trot Pottery grew out of a casual conversation – one Sauter never expected would turn into a full-time business.

It all started during a visit to a pottery shop in Moline, where Sauter, a former college pottery student, struck up a conversation with the owner.

“I’d gone there to buy some Christmas things, and we got to talking,” Sauter recalled. “I mentioned that I had taken a pottery class in college and really liked it. One thing led to another, and on my way home, I’m thinking, ‘Maybe I should see if I can find classes somewhere and get back into pottery.’”

When local classes were hard to find, Sauter traveled to Rockford to take lessons at a women’s center.

“I took two classes on the wheel, but that wasn’t going to happen. That’s not where my talent lies,” Sauter said. “Then I took two hand-building classes, and I liked it so much I decided to start doing some work at home.”

Her home setup grew when the center’s kiln broke down, prompting her to buy one for her garage. By summer, she was selling her pieces at the Twin City Farmers Market in Sterling, and the community response was overwhelmingly positive.

When the West First Street storefront unexpectedly became available, Sauter made a spur-of-the-moment decision to call and check it out.