Those Little 'pillows'

[clay lover]

A much more experienced potter told me at a shjow recently that her little pillows of clay, actually started from an extrusion. I am just now starting to use my new extruder, and I'm facinated.

 

Please, some one, help me get my head around how they are made. What makes them look so puffed up?

[Chris Campbell]

Do you have an image to show what you mean?

There are tons of ways to make clay look puffed up but not all of them would look like your ideal.

One is to shape your pieces in a slump mold or fabric sling until firm, then join.

Another is to fill soft slabs with dryer lint, join and shape.

It takes time and patience to work with the outer surface to make it look like it is puffed and full.

[bciskepottery]

I make a "pillow vase" that might be similar to what you describe. It's a great item for flowers picked by young children and grandkids who tend to pick a flower just below the bloom and not leave enough stem for a vase. And, yes, it is made using the extruder. Picture below.

 

I extrude a cylinder, about 5 to 6 inches long. I let the cylinder set up if the clay is very moist. When the clay is really soft clay it is hard to maintain the shape. Once set up, I score the first edge of the cylinder, apply slip, and then pinch it closed to make a seam. For the second edge, I score, slip and then pinch -- however, when I get to to the last pinch, I gently blow some air into the cylinder to keep it puffy and then close the form. I usually hold the first edge/seam to make sure it does not blow out or tear. If you are squeemish about putting clay to your mouth, you can close the second edge around a basketball inflating pin and gently blow some air in through the needle, remove it, and close the hole. You can also help shape the closed form by gently squeezing the sides to make it puffier in the middle.

 

I decorate my vases with a porcelain slip colored with Mason stains. I generally apply the colored slip while the form is still soft leather hard. That allows the slip to dry with the form.

 

At this point, I put the pillow aside and let it dry to medium leather hard. At medium leatherhard I drill, using a cordless drill, the holes in the top for the stems of the flowers. Medium leather hard is enough for the form to keep its shape once you put in the air holes. Once you get the holes in, put it aside to dry to bone dry. At bone dry (or after bisque firing), you can shake out any bits from the hole drilling that may have fallen inside the form.

 

I fire to ^6 and place these on a circular cookie. That allows me to glaze nearly all of the form. For glazing, I load a snot-grabber (aspirator) with clear glaze and shoot it inside the pillow, cover the holes with my fingers, and shake it to coat the inside. I then dip the pillow in clear glaze to cover the outside.

 

I started making these after a potential customer asked if I had "pillow vases" for sale at a craft fair. She described them to me and based on that I figured out how to make the form. They tend to sell rather well, being a nice gift item for people to buy.

 

 

[Lucille Oka]

A much more experienced potter told me at a shjow recently that her little pillows of clay, actually started from an extrusion. I am just now starting to use my new extruder, and I'm facinated.

 

Please, some one, help me get my head around how they are made. What makes them look so puffed up?

 

 

 

Here is a little lesson for you, make a small pinch pot don't make it too thin. Slowly seal and close off the rim. Once you have closed it up the air that is trapped inside will allow you to play with shaping the pillow. Find the shape you like. Look at the profile and make or get an extruder die that can conform to the shape but it must be a die that makes a hollow form. Cylindrical and ovular shapes can make nice pillows. Play a little.

[clay lover]

A much more experienced potter told me at a shjow recently that her little pillows of clay, actually started from an extrusion. I am just now starting to use my new extruder, and I'm facinated.

 

Please, some one, help me get my head around how they are made. What makes them look so puffed up?

 

 

 

Here is a little lesson for you, make a small pinch pot don't make it too thin. Slowly seal and close off the rim. Once you have closed it up the air that is trapped inside will allow you to play with shaping the pillow. Find the shape you like. Look at the profile and make or get an extruder die that can conform to the shape but it must be a die that makes a hollow form. Cylindrical and ovular shapes can make nice pillows. Play a little.

 

 

 

 

 

THANK YOU BOTH!

 

The ones I saw were so smooth that there was no suggestion of a seam anywhere. Do you go back and rasp the pinched edge to erase the join?

 

This sounds like much fun.

[Lucille Oka]

A much more experienced potter told me at a shjow recently that her little pillows of clay, actually started from an extrusion. I am just now starting to use my new extruder, and I'm facinated.

 

Please, some one, help me get my head around how they are made. What makes them look so puffed up?

 

 

 

Here is a little lesson for you, make a small pinch pot don't make it too thin. Slowly seal and close off the rim. Once you have closed it up the air that is trapped inside will allow you to play with shaping the pillow. Find the shape you like. Look at the profile and make or get an extruder die that can conform to the shape but it must be a die that makes a hollow form. Cylindrical and ovular shapes can make nice pillows. Play a little.

 

 

 

 

 

THANK YOU BOTH!

 

The ones I saw were so smooth that there was no suggestion of a seam anywhere. Do you go back and rasp the pinched edge to erase the join?

 

This sounds like much fun.

 

 

Smooth it out with your fingers and/or tools while forming. And sometimes a seam may look authentic just like a real cloth pillow.

 

 

[admirable]

now when using this extruder u must be very careful and take your time or you will not be happy with your results and the puffiness