Cut Down the Parts
that seem too thick, but at the same time beware of making them so thin as to weaken the walls of the saucer. It is better to fill out and make a piece rather heavy than to try at first to obtain the delicacy one naturally desires, for thin walls often collapse in unaccustomed hands. As you work, turn the board around and around to be sure the contour is symmetrical. It is often a good thing to raise the work to the level of the eye in order the better to detect inaccuracies of outline.
Fig. 570.—Stand the candle in the centre of the saucer.
When you have finished the underside and the clay seems firm enough to stand without support, turn it right side up on the board, always with the wet muslin between to keep it from sticking. Lift out the small saucer which is still in the clay saucer and proceed to remove all traces of the line in the clay made by the ridge on the bottom of the china saucer. This can be done by smoothing down and adding more clay to make a curve instead of an angle.
With the wooden skewer make a dot in the centre of the clay saucer, measuring the distance to be sure it is exact, then take
A Half Candle,
wrap it spirally and closely with a narrow strip of wet muslin ([Fig. 569]) and stand it directly over the mark ([Fig. 570]). Make little crossed lines with a sharp tool, or hat pin, around the candle like [Fig. 571]; then roll some clay for coiling the candle holder, flattening the roll as you did for the saucer.
| Fig. 571.—Make little crossed lines around the candle. | Fig. 572.—Press the sharpened end of the roll close to the candle. |