A record

I’m planning on using this poor neglected blog as a record of my learning and experiments in clay starting today.  Today is glazing for handbuilt leggy pots intended for a cone 6 firing tomorrow.

In the first photo I’m part way though the process.

From left to right- BRT pot with black under glaze in the recessed dots before bisque.  It’s then been bisqued  and had polar glaze poured over then partially wiped back.  The legs have some glaze under a coat of red iron oxide wash.

No2 is a feeneys  fine blend pot with black underglaze added post bisque then wiped back leaving traces in dips.  

No 3 Is a FFB pot with a red iron oxide wash wiped back.

These were left to dry for a while to improve the glaze attachment.

Stage 2.  Ready for firing from left to right below. 

1.Black ug legs and rim before bisque then an upside down pour of polar glaze. This is a BRT pot. 

2. Polar glaze has now been applied by brush with a thicker coat on the legs. 

3. No more done. It’s the BRT above. 

4 polar white glaze painted on and cleaned off the rim. 

Reboot

What would possess someone to start a blog, particularly someone who finds it hard to fit everything in already? 

I have been giving that some thought today as I set up this new blog.  The idea came to me from a couple of different directions.  I have been home with a lurgy for a few days.  That's more time alone not attacking the big list of jobs than I have had in along time.  I've been reading Pip's beautiful book Craft for the Soul and it has got me thinking a lot about priorities. The other thing I read recently was the amazing Annabel Crabb's Lesson to my Daughter piece. They both call to us to think about what's important, and for me it doesn't need to be the multi-tasking queen of work and home but to spend more time on the things that ground me and are fun. 

The other thing that really got me thinking about getting back to blogging is that for months now have been trying to find cycle gear that fits my ample body. I am a big woman who rides a bike.  Astounding.

From what the local cycle shops carry it would seem I am alone in this. I want performance gear that I can feel good in and looks good, and I may spit if I get started on the amount pink in women's gear. I've tried the limited number of offshore options, with too many disappointing experiences to keep trying. And, well, pink.

So I have decided to take my useful sewing skills and make my own.  I know how to adjust a pattern, I know my way around an overlocker and stretch sewing and I even managed to find some performance fabric thanks to Sophie-Lee and Melissa with her list of sources on her Fehrtrade blog. It's taken a whole day but I now have fabric coming in from opposite sides of the world. I've even bought the Fehr trade Surf to Summit cycle top pattern.  It looks very fine even if I will have to upsize it a bit.

Now I am thinking I might have more to say about sewing for me.