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Shop Ceramic Pin Dishes, Thread Bins & More with Waffle Pottery!

Shop Ceramic Pin Dishes, Thread Bins & More with Waffle Pottery!

Shop Waffle Pottery | Pin Dishes, Thread Bins & Other handmade goods 

You can now purchase our gorgeous ceramic pin dishes (and more stunning handmade goodies!) direct from our local ceramicist, Waffle Pottery! Shipping promptly and all over the world, pop over here and support an indie maker! 

 

Meet Coady Brûlé of Waffle Pottery, the creator of the KATM Magnetic Pin Dishes that we all love so much! 

Coady was so kind as to share his process and let us get some behind the scenes snaps for you all to enjoy! Read on to learn about Coady and what goes into creating the Magnetic Pin Dishes... 

Hi Coady! You are the creator of the Magnetic Pin Dishes we all love so much, so we wanted our community to get to know you better; tell us a bit about yourself...

My name is Coady Brûlé, I was born just outside Toronto Canada in 1986. Growing up in a single parent household, my older sister and, of course, my mom shaped my path tremendously. I now live in Brisbane with my lovely wife Kylie, our three boys and the memory of our fourth as a constant companion.

In our household, I get the opportunity to be the family cook, preparing the lunches, and take the primary role with our children. Alongside my love for family, I really care about our environment, the social situation we all find ourselves in, and thinking about ways to improve it, not just for my family but for everyone else too.

I also LOVE yoga and playing music on my ukulele! 

What inspired the creation of the pin dishes and has this product evolved since you first started?

It all began in April 2020 with the original shapes being love hearts and flower petals, cut from slabs of clay. Now the pin dishes have a circular shape, are raised from the base upon which they sit, and are 'thrown' on the wheel, instead of cut from slabs. 

The idea of 'throwing' the dishes first occurred to me one day when I was dining out and noticed some Japanese side plates at my table. What really caught my attention was the way in which they appeared to float. This impression stuck with me influencing the eventual evolution from flat love-hearts and petal shapes, to the elusive silhouette of the floating bowl-like dishes you see today.

You deliver the pin dishes in monthly batches that people can buy from KATM; what is the process like to create a single batch?

It all starts with wedging which is a process whereby you knead the air out of the clay. This is a very important and sometimes arduous task!

I throw “off the hump” which basically means I wedge a large amount of clay and continue the process from there - centering and coning, shaping, and then refining. I then remove each formed dish carefully and place it on a wooden board.

Once the dishes are dry enough for me to trim the underside, which is a period of time depending on the weather, I can then refine the shape further whilst creating the cavity for the magnet to reside. With all this done, it's now time for the first firing.

The next day I can then glaze the dishes using a variety of methods, whether brushing two to four coats of glaze per dish or by dipping them in larger buckets. Once their glaze dressing has dried, they get cleaned up and placed gently in the kiln for the second firing. This time we go up to about 1200 degrees Celsius which, as a fun side note, is the same temp as magma!!

With the successful completion of being glazed fired, the pin dishes are at their halfway point of the overall journey.

Now it's time place the magnets in each cavity and secure in place with resin. I follow this step by grinding the surface until it is smooth and able to sit flush on a table. 

At this stage I attach a disk of cork to the base of each pin dish so as to protect any surface it sits on. This is that final little touch that elevates the whole product, much like adding a label to a new garment!  

Now each dish gets photographed uploaded to KATM online, and then is packaged safely ready to be sent to you!

Each batch of pin dishes goes through many little steps, all requiring a great level of care and attention, but I am always so proud, making the end result worth it. 

Your 'makers mark' looks like a waffle; tell us about that...

Oh, my makers mark!

Well, it takes a village to raise a child, which was true for my upbringing as my mom sought help from her parents. This was the foundation of an incredible relationship with my Nana and Papa. I loved them to bits and I know they did me… When my Papa passed, he left me a ring that his three children all bought him. It’s a nine-diamond ring in a three by three pattern, looking a little bit like a waffle! I cherished this ring, still do. And much like this entire journey with ceramics, the decision to use his, now my ring as my makers mark sort of evolved naturally. 

And then came the name... I was showing the dishes to a local ceramic teacher and he said “what’s that a waffle or something?”. I just pushed that in the back of my mind until Lisa, who works with us at KATM said a similar thing, even suggested that it should be the name! In that moment, it all made sense, and of course my wife then added “well you also like to waffle” which, if you’re still reading this, you probably understand! haha.

Is there anything you'd like to tell our community who love your pin dishes? 

Wow I am so grateful! Honestly. I love that you love them. Knowing that something I have created with my hands and energy is being used alongside people who are creating their own makes is incredibly humbling. 

Thank you! Xo

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Follow Coady on Instagram: @wafflepottery

NEXT PIN DISH DROP:

KATM Magnetic Pin Dishes
8pm AEST Saturday, 18th June 2022
(online only)

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