Red Hat Lady Tea Time

Bonnie Willey

Make these sassy little ladies.

Getting Started

Preheat oven to 275 °F. Test temperature with oven thermometer for perfectly cured clay. Condition all clay by kneading until it’s soft and smooth or running it through the Clay Conditioning Machine for several passes on the widest setting. Fold the clay in half after each pass and insert the fold side into the rollers first.

Step 1

The following image details out the various components you will be using to make this project. The individual steps used to make all of these components follows.

Step 1 Cup and Saucer

Saucer: 3/4" circle of Pearl clay rolled out on #1 Clay Conditioning Machine setting.

Step 2 Cup and Saucer

Cup: ½ ball of Pearl clay, taper and flatten bottom into a cup shape. Press on top of saucer. Using a rounded end tool hollow out the center of the cup. Roll a ¼” x 1/8” thick snake for the handle. Press onto the cup.

Step 3 Cup and Saucer

Rose: Mix a ½" ball of Red Hot Red and 1/8" ball of White to make a pale pink. Roll the pink clay in the Clay Conditioning Machine on the #3 setting. Using a 17/64 circle punch cut out 8 circles. Roll one circle into an open ended cone, this is the center of the rose. Press 3 circles around the center cone, over lapping them to make petals. Pinch off excess clay on the bottom. Make 2 roses. One rose is for the tea cup and one is for the collar. Roll the Emerald clay on the #3 setting of the Clay Conditioning Machine. Cut a leaf using the 17/64” teardrop punch. Press leaf on front of cup texture with Needle Tool, press pink rose on top of leaf. Bake for 10 minutes at 275 degrees F, set aside.

Step 1 Red Hat Lady

Heels: Roll two 5/8" balls of Red Hot Red clay. Shape into 3/4" flattened ovals. Using the Clay Extruder, extrude a ½" of clay Red Hot Red clay using the square disc. Cut square in half and press each piece on the bottom of the heel. Mix 1” ball of White and 3/8" ball of Purple to create a light purple. Roll a 13/32" thick snake. Cut two 1 ½" pieces for the legs. Roll out rest of light purple clay at the #3 setting on the Clay Conditioning Machine. Cut two 15/32" teardrops. Press on top of heels. Press legs on top of heels.

Step 2 Red Hat Lady

Body: Using a 1" ball of Purple clay shape it into a 1 ½" tall cone. Flatten the bottom of the cone, sitting it on top of the parchment paper covered block. Press legs on to the cone and crossing the legs.

Step 3 Red Hat Lady

Skirt: Cut a 2 ½" circle of Purple clay rolled out at #3 setting on the Clay Conditioning Machine. Punch out a 15/32” circle in the middle the circle with the 15/32" circle punch. Drape skirt circle over top of body cone. Arrange skirt around legs, and fold under the back. Smooth out seam.

Step 4 Red Hat Lady

Arms: Roll a snake of Purple clay 3/8" thick at 2" long. Cut in half. Taper one end, making a tapered snake 1 1/4" long. Press tapered ends on top of cone. Cut two petal pieces of Purple clay rolled out at #3 setting of the Clay Conditioning Machine for the sleeve ruffle, press on the ends of the arms. Cut a 1 1/4" square of Purple clay rolled out at #3 setting of the Clay Conditioning Machine, press over the arms . Cut 2 leaves from Emerald clay rolled out at #3 setting of the Clay Conditioning Machine. Using the Needle Tool add detail to the leaves. Press the leaves on first and then add the rose. Gloves are two 13/32” balls shaped into a flattened oval and two 13/64” balls shaped into ovals which make the thumbs. Press the thumbs on the larger ovals to make gloves. Press on the end of the arms. Press pre-baked cup & saucer into her hands and lap.

Step 5 Red Hat Lady

Head: 7/8" ball of Beige with 1/4" sliced off the top, to make a flat surface for the hat to sit on.

Step 6 Red Hat Lady

Hair: Extrude Tan clay using the 7 hole disc on the extruder. Make 6" ropes of extruded clay. Start at front of head and wrap around the head to opposite side. Do this three times until the head is covered with hair. Take two ½" single pieces of extruded clay to make loops for the bangs. Do not put any hair on the flat (top) part of head.

Step 7 Red Hat Lady

Hat: The brim is a 11/16" circle cut from Red Hot Red clay rolled out on the #2 setting of the Clay Conditioning Machine. The crown of the hat is a 3/4" ball flattened on the bottom. Press on top of the circle. Now press the hat on top of the head . Make 3 roses out of Purple clay. (Use the same directions as for the pink ones used on the cup and collar). Cut 2 leaves from Emerald clay rolled out at #3 setting of the Clay Conditioning Machine. Using the Needle Tool add detail to the leaves. Press the leaves on first and then add the roses.

Step 8 Red Hat Lady

Using the Needle Tool, press in 2 Blue E beads for the eyes. Add detail at the corners of each eye. Using one of the circle punches press ½ in to make mouth. With Needle Tool dot the corners of the mouth and center of the mouth. Add pink chalk to the cheek area. Add a 1/8" ball of Beige for the nose.

Finishing

Place block and finished Red Hat Lady in a 275 °F oven. Bake according to package directions. Let cool in oven.