When It’s Time to Let Go
Summer is flying by, and I have some news to share… We will be saying goodbye to our mugs once the last of them, including our seconds, find their homes.
When I started this studio, I was not making mugs at all. My very first product was a fermentation jar, a niche item that people sought out, which was both intentional and a little lucky. Those jars shaped the way we work. They required large gas kilns and high firing temperatures, and those investments later allowed us to make dinnerware.
Many potters begin with mugs because everyone uses them every day. I adore a good mug, but my approach to making is careful and unhurried. That pace does not pair well with an item that is both time-intensive and surprisingly challenging to produce. A mug is really two pieces, the body and the handle, that have to be joined just right before going through all the steps of glazing, firing, sanding, sorting, and shipping.
We launched our first mugs in 2022 and discontinued that design in early 2023. We introduced the current version in 2024 with the hope of streamlining the process. Even with our small, hands-on team of five, we still see a high rate of “seconds,” and we cannot justify the time and resources it takes to make them. We have also reached the limit of the electrical power our studio is allowed by code, so adding new equipment is not an option.
This means that the mugs on our website right now are the last of their kind. I use mine every day and truly love them, but once they are gone, they are gone.
I have learned a lot. Our space, power, and time are finite, and focusing them wisely means we can create more of the pieces we do best. We have new work coming this fall, and I look forward to sharing it with you.
With gratitude,
Sarah