Makers live here

This was taken a couple weeks ago, when Tim was building the Thanksgiving table (more on that later). I was unloading and re-loading the kiln, drying yarn, and he was building a table and four benches. What to people who don’t have hobbies, or craft skills, DO with their time?

Speaking of kilns, and doing things with your time, a thought that’s been in the back of my head since I finished the almost-solid-year-of-custom-yarn-mug-orders, is that the reason I was firing the kiln at least once a week was to keep up with those orders. Since November of last year, I’ve had to complete a mug a week, and to keep on that schedule that meant pour it one week, clean and bisque fire it the next week, glaze and glaze fire it the third week. The kiln is 5 cubic feet; there’s no way I can justify the electricity for that with firing just one mug, so that meant pouring and cleaning or painting and glazing another 15-20 pieces every week to fire along with the mugs.

But I’m done with those now. I don’t have to go at that pace any more. I can step back, work at a pace that’s more comfortable to me rather than go-go-GO all the time. Except that I’m used to that now, it’s become a habit, and so what do I do with THAT? Right now I’ve been bisque firing every two weeks, and glaze firing once a week. I admit that I do like to have a schedule. I like to fire on the same day every week, I feel that doing so gives me a bit of routine to stick to (important, I think, when you work at home). Perhaps, rather than the two-week schedule I’ve been on, I could switch that to a three-week schedule. Always fire on Tuesday (or whatever day I choose to be THE DAY) but Week 1 is bisque, and Weeks 2 and 3 are glaze. That would stretch out the glaze firing so that I would have an extra week to paint (I’ve had these zombie gnomes on my desk for more than a year, waiting to have time to paint them, but it takes too long so I never get to it) in between. And I’d stretch out the bisque firing so that I wouldn’t have to pour twice a week – I could go back to only pouring once a week and still be making more than enough to fire the kiln every three weeks.

I like that idea; I should bring it up with my boss. Hey, y’all are great to talk to! HAHAHAH!