An interview with maker Ella Fletcher as part of our 'Get to Know...' series.
Tell us a little about yourself and your business…
Hello, I’m Ella Fletcher from Ella Fletcher Designs. I’m a potter running my own studio with over 30 wholesale clients.
My studio is in a converted hay barn within the Rosemains Steading in just outside of Edinburgh. Lots of exciting things take place around the steadings, and it’s an inspiring place to work and grow my business.
After moving back to Edinburgh in 2017 and starting pottery throwing lessons, I was hooked on ceramics and haven’t looked back since. My first studio was in a dingy basement, but not even that could hold me back. Since then, I’ve had to make a lot of brave leaps of faith to get to where I am today.
I make colourful, practical homeware pieces that aim to bring the joy to every day. I firmly believe that life is too short to drink your morning coffee out of a boring mug. For Prior I make mugs, trinket dishes, candle stick holders and soap dishes.
Where are you based?
Edinburgh
Tell us a secret about you?
I am obsessed with miniature things and like to collect tiny versions of everyday things. I'd love to get a tiny pottery wheel and start making miniature vases.
How do you make your work?
Handmade, wheel thrown ceramics is a slow process that requires patience and a lot of coffee. It starts with a ball of clay.
I use a white stoneware clay that I get from a local Edinburgh supplier. This ball of clay is wedged by hand (a process to loosen up the clay and remove any air bubbles) and then taken to the wheel to be thrown and formed into a cylindrical shape. Once shaped, the pot is left to dry to a leather-hard stage (firm but still slightly pliable) before trimming. This involves using tools to remove excess clay from the bottom and refine the shape, creating a foot or base if desired.
The trimmed piece is left to dry completely, which can take several days depending on the size and thickness of the clay. It is essential to dry the piece slowly and evenly to avoid cracking.
Bisque Firing: Once fully dry, the piece undergoes its first firing in a kiln, called bisque firing. This process hardens the clay and prepares it for glazing. The bisque-fired piece is porous and typically has a matte, white appearance.
After bisque firing, the piece is glazed. Glaze is a liquid mixture of minerals that, when fired, forms a glassy surface coating. This is hand painted onto my work making sure no two will be the same. The glazed piece is then fired again to 1260 degrees and the finished product comes out shiny and colourful.
Describe your studio…
I work in a converted hay barn on a farm steading outside of Edinburgh. There are other small businesses on the steading, including a coffee roastery next door, so it always smells lovely. My studio is light and bright, and surrounded by the beautiful Scottish countryside which inspires my work everyday.
Tell us about your materials - where do you source them from and are they important to you?
Everything is sourced as locally as possible. My clay and glaze supplier is based just down the road from my studio and I try to use only recycled packaging that my friends, families and customers donate to me.
Why is it important to you that your work is made as responsibly and sustainably as possible?
I think it is incredibly important that we all try to do as much as we can to reduce our impact on the planet. There's no excuse not to. At Ella Fletcher Designs we try to make every decision with this in mind.
How and why did you start your small business?
I have been making ceramics since 2018. I started from a little studio at home in Edinburgh, and is now working from a beautiful converted hay barn just outside Pathhead in Midlothian. Since then I've been growing and making more pieces and more colourways!
Any fun facts about your business, or achievements you want to shout about?
I used to run a cake business and I think that a lot of the skills I learned in that have moved over to my pottery business. I still use a lot of my sugar craft tools when working with my clay. I recently started working with the National Trust of Scotland. This was a very proud moment for my business.
What do you love most about your small business and do you have a favourite piece of work?
I love coming up with new colourways and designs. I'm very inspired by the countryside here. Currently my favourite piece is the blue speckle mug design, which you can find in Prior!
What do you think are the benefits of people supporting independent business?
When you support local, you are giving money back to your community. This supports the economy and growth of independents rather than the likes of Amazon. When you buy from an independent each purchase is so important to them and you get to know the stories behind the pieces and know that there are real people making them for you. Hopefully this also means your carbon footprint is smaller as you buy less stuff being flown in from across the world.
Tell us about your favourite purchase from a fellow maker. What is it and who made it?
One of my favourite fellow Scottish makers is Mairi Helena. I have table runners, cushions and lamp shades from her. I recently collaborated with her and made lamp bases to go with her lamp shades!
What are your favourite things about PRIOR - both as a customer and a supplier?
I love how important sustainability is for Prior and although I live in Scotland, I love Bristol and feel as if the cities of Bristol and Edinburgh are kindred spirits.
Do you have a goal for where you’d love your business to be in the future?
I'd love to grow the business and show that there is room for large independent ceramic businesses that focus on sustainability in the market.
View Ella Fletcher's handmade collection at Prior Shop here.
