I find very interesting a factory tour of a working factory. Even though I’m not a huge fan of Emma’s designs, I feel they are a little too colourful for us, I find them very cute. So, a short trip to Stoke on Trent to see her factory was something I’ve wanted to do.
The guide was a retired employee and she was lovely. She told us so many things about the factory and she loved being there to show us everything.
We’ve started with the making of the moulds. She told us a lot of interesting facts, like the moulds have a limited lifespan and have to be replaced quite often.
Next stop was where they pour the clay into the moulds.
This is how the cups look like after they are removed from the moulds and left to dry.
There are a few ladies who wash the pieces from residue from the moulds. Although I hate washing dishes (we’ll order a dishwasher very soon, we have the place and the plumbing sorted), the process was quite interesting. They are making the cups and teapots look beautiful.
Some of the plates are made with moulds and the majority are made by hand.
Pottery wheel, it’s so fascinating how fast and perfect the plates looked like.
The last place we’ve visited was painting and the kiln. As you’d imagine, the kiln is not that interesting, just a huge oven. The painting is a different story, they are making foam stamps by hand and then use them to decorate the pieces.
Isn’t that sweet? The cups with harts and the teapot is very cute, but way too much for us.
