Can’t make your own gifts for everyone on your holiday list? We’ve got the next best thing. Gifts from Atlanta and regional makers.
Pottery from East Fork
Atlanta has fallen in love with East Fork pottery. The Asheville-based potters opened their first store outside Asheville almost a year ago in Atlanta’s Westside Provisions district. Microwave safe, dishwasher safe, oven safe, sturdy enough to stand up to all kinds of abuse, these serving pieces, mugs, bowls and plates are even prized by restaurant owners like Tal Baum who uses them at Aziza, her new Israeli restaurant next door to the East Fork shop. The pieces are not just practical, they’re beautiful. The base is an iron-rich clay that adds tiny speckles to the body of the piece and then each is glazed in neutral tones such as Soapstone, Eggshell and Morel, or in a seasonal glaze such as Night Swim. The pieces range in sizes from tiny bowls to large mixing bowls, all available individually or in sets.
$10 - $120 per piece. Available at East Fork, 1170 Howell Mill Road, Atlanta or online at eastfork.com/.
Wooden spatulas from Miley Made
Decatur residents Josh and Rachel Miley are makers of many kinds of sustainable goods. Rachel uses Candler Park beeswax from Honey Next Door to produce reusable food wraps, and Josh works in wood. But not just any wood. It’s wood that’s come from trees that grew with 20 miles of Atlanta, and when you pick up a spatula, Josh can tell you the type of wood, the neighborhood the tree was found and why the tree had to be cut down. His most popular seller is the Nova handled cooking spatula, but our favorite was the Comet, a spatula without a handle. It fits our hand perfectly and wielded just the right amount of force for even tough jobs. You can feel comfortable using these wooden tools on any pot or skillet in your arsenal. And what fun if you can find one made from a tree in your neighborhood or that of your friend. In our photo, the wood for these spatulas came from Atlanta neighborhoods Toco Hills, Kirkwood, Cabbagetown and Reynoldstown.
$25-$45 per spatula. Purchase at the Indie Craft Experience Holiday Shopping Spectacular, November 23 and 24, Georgia World Congress Center, or online at mileymade.com/.
Handmade aprons from Lisa Rochon
New Orleans native Lisa Rochon is a woman of many talents. A private chef and caterer by day, she spends her off hours stitching up striking aprons, placemats, napkins and other items for home and entertaining. At age 7, she learned to sew from her mom and the skill has paid off handsomely. She started with aprons and tote/market bags and added more items as her customers requested them. The fabrics are sturdy and will stand up to repeated use. The aprons are a particular favorite of ours, long enough and wide enough to really protect your clothes, with pockets exactly where you need them. They're designed to wrap around you and each has an adjustable neck strap. You'll have a hard time choosing among her on-trend colors and designs.
Aprons start at $45. Rochon will be at the Saturday morning Peachtree Road Farmers Market November 30 or December 7 and 14, or you can order by emailing Rochon at rochonent@yahoo.com.
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