Note:

Directions are written for those who have had previous experience in making pottery.
Instructions for preparing clay, drying, glazing and firing are not given.

Equipment:

Basic pottery studio equipment.
Wooden butter molds and cookie presses.

Materials:

Ceramic modeling clay: red, white or buff.
Stoneware clay for tiles.
Glazes, one-stroke ceramic colors, stains, cones as indicated in the individual instructions.

General directions:

Use well-wedged clay, free of air bubbles and pliable enough to bend without cracking.
Clean wooden molds and presses thoroughly;
they must be free of oil, wax and dust.
Pressing designs:

The size of wooden mold will determine the amount of clay needed.
Roll clay to thickness indicated in individual instructions.
Whenever possible, use the wooden mold as a pattern for cutting clay.
When mold has more than one design cavity, make individual paper patterns.
Place mold or paper pattern on rolled clay and cut clay by holding knife in vertical position (cut more pieces than required for project to make allowance for defects;
experiment with defects for decoration techniques of glazes and colors).
Place the cut clay piece loosely over the carved cavity design side of wooden mold.
To obtain clear impression of mold, press clay gently but firmly into mold cavity, starting at center and working to outer edges.
Trim excess clay away from outer edges.
Check thickness of clay and build up thin areas by moistening surface with a little water and adding small pieces of clay.
Be sure to press the additional clay firmly into place without locking in air bubbles.
Allow project to stand for about five minutes (if wooden press mold is a good antique, do not leave clay in too long as the dampness may cause mold to crack).

To release clay from mold, place hands in a cupped position around project;
gently lift the edge on far side, then continue to release edge completely around mold.
Slight tapping on the underside of mold will help release the clay, but too much agitation will cause the clay to become soft and will interfere with removal of clay from mold.
Place a piece of plaster wall board or plaster bat on clay and reverse bat, clay and mold in one action.
This will prevent the clay from twisting or bending, causing warping when fired.
Place project on table and carefully lift the mold off.
Study surface of clay for defects or desired corrections.
If clay is slightly out of shape, square straight sides with guide sticks or rulers pressed against opposite sides, or smooth round pieces with damp fingers.
If the background of design is too smooth, or you wish to create a wood-grained effect, it may be added at this time with a dull tool such as the handle of a fine paintbrush.
Make slight, smooth grooves rather than cuts for the texture (cuts could cause air pockets under the glaze creating pinholes or craters in the glaze during firing).
Leave the clay on plaster board to dry slowly, covered lightly with a loose piece of plastic or cloth to prevent warping.

Rectangular tiles

(opposite page, right top): Stoneware clay was used.
Clay was rolled to 1/4'' thickness.
Back of clay scored or roughened for proper gripping surface.
No bisque firing.
Glazed with two coats of Creek-Turn white stoneware glaze (no glaze on sides or bottom).
Decorated on unfired glaze with one coat of one-stroke ceramic colors;
raised details of designs were colored in shades of yellow-green, blue-green, brown and pink.
Tiles were fired once to cone 05.

Round plaque

(opposite page, bottom): White clay was used, rolled to 1/4'' thickness.
Bisque fired to cone 05.
Stained with Jacquelyn's ceramic unfired stain, polished, following manufacturer's directions.
Opaque cantaloupe and transparent wood brown were used.
No further firing.

Paperweight

(opposite page, top left): Red clay was used, rolled 1/2'' thick.
Mold was used as pattern and clay cut by holding knife at about 45-degree angle, to form an undercut, making base smaller than the pattern top.
While clay is still pressed in mold, press three equally spaced holes 1/4'' deep, using pencil eraser, in bottom of clay to allow for proper drying and firing.
Paperweight may be personalized on back while clay is leather hard.
Bisque fired to cone 05.
Unglazed.

Jars with lids

(opposite page, top left): Remove wooden design head from bowl of butter mold.
Fill small hole in bowl with clay.
Make paper patterns for sections of jar and lid (see Fig. 1, opposite page).
Measurements for rectangular pattern piece A are obtained by measuring inside circumference and depth of butter mold bowl.
Pattern for circular base piece B is diameter of Aj.
Use wooden design head of mold for pattern C;
pattern D for lid fits over top diameter of Aj.
Pattern for inner lid piece E fits inside Aj.
Jars are assembled in bowl of butter mold.

Use white or buff clay, rolled to 3/16'' thickness.
Place patterns on rolled clay and cut around them with knife in vertical position.
Place clay pieces on wall board.

To assemble jar, put paper pattern B for base in bottom of mold and clay disk B on top.
Line sides of mold with paper pattern Aj.
Bevel and score ends of clay piece A so that they overlap about 1/2'' and make even thickness.
Place clay piece A inside;
use slip to join overlapped ends together.
Join B to bottom of A, scoring and reinforcing with clay coil.
Trim excess clay from around lip of mold and set aside while assembling lid.

To assemble lid, press clay piece C in cavity of wooden design head.
Press clay into mold as instructed in General Directions.
Score plain side of C and leave in mold.
Score one side of disk D, join to C;
score other side of D and one side of disk E and join as before.
While assembled lid is still on design head, gently but firmly press it on plaster board.
If design head has a deep cavity, clay lid will be quite thick at this point;
press eraser of pencil gently 1/4'' deep into deep clay to allow vent for proper drying and firing.
Check fit of lid on jar;
if inner lid is too big, trim to fit, allowing room for thickness of glaze.
Remove lid from head of mold.
Remove jar from mold.
Place jar on plaster board with lid in place to dry slowly.
Bisque fire to cone 08 with lid on jar.

For an antique effect on jars, brush Creek-Turn brown toner on bisque ware and sponge it off.
Glaze with two coats of clear or transparent matt glaze.
The large jar was brushed with Creek-Turn green toner and sponged off.
Glaze with two coats of matt glazes in turquoise with touches of blossom pink on lid.
When dry they were fired to cone 06-05.

Little folks set:

(Made from modern wooden molds Af.
) Roll white clay to 3/16'' thickness.
Salt and pepper:

Use mold to cut four side pieces.
For top and bottom pieces, use short end of mold as measurement guide.
Press the side pieces of clay into cavity of mold.
Trim excess clay from rim of mold.
Cut beveled edge on the long sides of clay at a 45-degree angle to miter corners.
Score beveled edges and remove pieces from mold;
place design-side up on plaster board.
Make all four sides.
Cut clay top and base pieces;
place on plaster board.
Allow all pieces to become leather hard before constructing shaker.
To assemble:

Construct sides, bottom and top as for box, using slip on scored edges and coils of clay to reinforce seams.
Join the four sides together first, then add the base;
add top last.
Use water on finger to smooth seams and edges.
Turn shaker upside down.
Recess base slightly to allow room for stopper.
Cut hole in base for cork stopper.
Add holes in top, forming "S" for salt and "P" for pepper.
Set aside to dry thoroughly.
Sugar and creamer:

Cut a strip of clay for sides long enough and wide enough for three impressions of mold design.
Press clay into cavity of one mold three times;
bevel overlapping ends for splice joint, score beveled edges.
Form clay strip into a cylinder;
use slip to join scored ends.
Place cylinder on a disk of clay slightly larger than cylinder.
Score bottom edge of cylinder and join to disk with slip.
Trim away excess clay;
reinforce seam with a coil of clay.
This will form the sugar bowl.
Make creamer the same.

Handle for creamer is a strip of clay 1/2'' wide and 3-1/2'' long.
To add handle, place a wooden dowel against the inside wall of creamer.
Score outside of container where handle ends will be joined.
Bend handle;
press scored handle ends firmly in place using dowel to reinforce container while pressing;
use slip to join.
To form spout, between two designs, dampen area slightly and gently push clay outward.
Make lid for sugar bowl the same as jar lids, omitting design disk.
Cut a notch in lid for spoon handle if desired.
Set aside to dry with lid on sugar bowl.
Vases:

Make same as salt and pepper shakers, leaving off top pieces.
Vases may be made into candles by filling with melted wax and a wick.
Napkin holder:

Cut a piece of clay for base and two for sides each about Af (long enough for three impressions of mold).
Press the two sides into cavity of one mold three times.
Put cut pieces on plaster board to dry to firm leather-hard state.
Score side edges of base;
join sides and base with slip and reinforce with coil.
A cardboard pattern cut to fit inside holder will help to prevent warping.
Place pattern inside holder;
use three strips of clay to hold in place (see Fig. 2, page 71).
Do not use wood as it will not shrink with the clay and would cause breakage.

Let all projects dry slowly for several days.
Clean greenware.
Bisque fire to cone 08.
Inside of pieces was glazed with three coats of Creek-Turn bottle green antique glaze.
Outside was finished with Creek-Turn brown toner brushed on and sponged off to give antique finish.
Fired to cone 06-05.

Changing colors

to change from one color yarn to another:

When changing from one color to another, whether working on right or wrong side, pick up the new strand from underneath dropped strand.
Photograph shows the wrong side of work with light strand being picked up under dark strand in position to be purled.
To measure work:

Spread article on flat surface to required width before measuring length at center.

Measuring armhole

to measure armhole:

Mark row on which first stitches have been bound off for armhole by drawing a contrasting colored thread through it.
Place work on a flat surface and smooth out.
Measure straight up from marked row.
See illustration.
To insert markers:

When directions read "sl a marker on needle", put a small safety pin, paper clip, or commercial ring marker on needle.
In working, always slip marker from one needle to another.
To mark a row or stitch, tie contrasting thread around end of row or stitch to be marked.

Backstitching seam

to sew seams with backstitch:

Most seams are sewn with backstitch, especially on curved, slanted or loose edges.
Pin right sides of pieces together, keeping edges even and matching rows or patterns.
Thread matching yarn in tapestry needle.
Run end of yarn through several stitches along edge to secure;
backstitch pieces together close to edge.
Do not draw yarn too tight.
See illustration.
To sew in sleeves:
Place sleeve seam at center underarm and center of sleeve cap at shoulder seam.
Ease in any extra fullness evenly around.
Backstitch seam.

Weaving seam

to weave seams together:

Straight vertical edges, such as those at the back seam of a sock, can be woven together invisibly.
Thread matching yarn in tapestry needle.
Hold edges together, right side up.