My instructor was showing us her technique for making teapots. I
sure hope I’m still involved in ceramics at her age! Most of the components are made at the same time. Last Wednesday I threw the body
of the teapot, the lid, and the spout. Then when they are all dried to the right stage
("leather hard") they get put together in one shot. The trick is that the spout
and lid will dry faster than the body of the teapot. Yesterday I assembled the whole
piece, and then I made a handle. Because the weather was so dry, the handle was ready to
attach in just an hour. So I added the handle and covered the whole thing in plastic so
that all the components can settle in together slowly. They’re attached with very wet
clay at the joints, so that clay needs to really bond to the rest of the piece.
The handles are super delicate, so you never count your teapots till they’re fired
and finished.
