"Julie Ann" is resting quietly after giving birth to a raft of pottery pieces at the Quarry Craft Trust last weekend.
"Midwives" Sue Forward and Helen Hughes are exhausted but happy after a 35-hour labour, which saw them shovelling macrocarpa into wood-fired kiln Julie Ann, believed to be the biggest of its type in New Zealand.
They were not alone - musicians played and sang to cheer them on and other potters filled in when they snatched some sleep. Ms Hughes said they would have liked to have got the kiln a bit hotter (1200C, so they could use salt to get a deep brown treacly glaze) but had gone to the limits of their physical capability. They stopped at 4.15am on Saturday, exhausted and famished.
"The energy was wonderful with the music and roaring of the fire but we had ground ourselves to the bone. We just couldn't keep this hungry dragon of a kiln going any longer," said Ms Hughes.
The pieces being fired came from potters around Northland and many will be exhibited at the annual National Potters' Week Exhibition being held at the Whangarei District Council Conservatory, First Ave, running from October 4 to Labour Weekend. The council is hosting the event at the conservatory for the eighth consecutive year and sponsors the event through a commitment to buy a piece from the exhibition to place in the conservatory.
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