Side Trip To The Potteries

Last week I had to travel to Garner, NC and Kinston, NC and visit customers for my real job.  Took the scenic route through the hills and countryside of the Uwharrie Mountains of central North Carolina.  With most people using I-85 or I-40, these secondary highways have very little traffic and are much more picturesque meandering through the forests and over the creeks and rivers.  Listening to the "oldies" on the radio, I feel like I'm in another world.  With just one visit Friday morning, I decided to stop at a couple of my favorite potteries in the Seagrove area on my way back home in the afternoon.  I just happened to have some empty boxes so that I could purchase some more beautiful pieces of North Carolina pottery to sell.

My first stop was Fat Beagle Pottery.  I just love talking to Charles "Doc" Tostoe.  When I walked in, Doc was sitting at his potter's wheel making some vases.  As we talked, I walked around his store looking at all the beautiful pieces he had done.  Most are utilitarian - bowls, bakers, mugs and pitchers, but he also makes some beautiful pieces using the raku and pit-fired processes.  

Fat Beagle Pottery Blue Brown Planter Attached Saucer.  This beautiful planter is blue and brown, hand-turned and gas-fired.  It's that time of year for planting flowers and plants

    Fat Beagle Pottery Blue Brie Baking Stoneware Dish.  Another beautiful baking dish in the blue with yellow painted brush strokes on the bottom - looks like a summer flower.  Another hand-turned and gas-fired piece, Fat Beagle stoneware is oven proof.

  

And, here is a beautiful vase made in the "Raku" process - Fat Beagle Pottery Raku Brown Crackle Vase.  Raku is an ancient Japanese pottery process.  Pieces using this process are for decor only, you can not use these for food preparation or serving.

I bought many more pieces from Fat Beagle Pottery and Piney Woods Pottery.  It was a good thing that I had those empty boxes in my car.  Check out more beautiful pottery from the Seagrove, North Carolina area - CAROLINABLUELADY Vintage Collectibles on eCrater and CAROLINABLUELADY Vintage Collectibles on eBay.  And, check in later to see what I found at Piney Woods Pottery.

I Love That Pottery!

I'll have to be honest - there aren't too many pieces of pottery that I don't like. I'm not even sure that I could tell you the styles that I prefer. When I lived in Indiana, there were the potteries located in the Nashville (Brown County) area that we use to visit quite often. When my daughter lived in Tennessee, we visited the Sevierville and Pigeon Forge areas - great pottery places in the artisan areas. I was always fascinated watching the people spin the pottery using their hands to shape and mold the pieces. 

Now that I live in North Carolina, I find the Seagrove, NC area is one of the largest communities of potters consisting of over 100 potteries in a 20 miles radius. Having the longest continual history of pottery making in the United States, the Seagrove area was settled in the late 1700s of mostly English and German decent. The Seagrove Pottery area is located in central North Carolina and includes Randolph, Moore, Montgomery and Lee counties. Untouched by urban growth, the area is simple beautiful and is located just east of the Uwharrie National Forest. It is like going back in time driving along the back roads to reach the different pottery shops. In fact, a lot of the pottery shops have picnic tables for visitors to picnic and just enjoy the serenity of the area. 

While the tradition of Seagrove pottery began more than 200 years ago, there is a unique blend of potters - some are the eighth and ninth generations of potter families, some settled in the area from the 1960s and 1970s “hippie” generation and some are new potters. What brings them together is their love for making some of the most beautiful and unique pottery in the world. Here are two pieces of North Carolina pottery that I have for sale at Carolinabluelady Vintage Collectibles. These aren't vintage pieces. 

The Piney Woods Pottery Electric Candle Chip Warmer at the left hand side has beautiful applied pink roses. 

Piney Woods Electric Candle Holder 

And, an egg separator by Fat Beagle Pottery is just so cute. 

Fat Beagle Egg Separator

These two great NC pottery pieces are at my eCrater store.  I'm sure you will find something that will catch your eye.