Old Town Farmers Market · Alexandria, VA · since 1992
handcrafted stoneware by Julia Colby,
made slowly, by hand,
for kitchen and garden, from clay.
a few pieces from the shelf
Next market
Old Town Farmers Market, Alexandria, VA — Saturdays.
See the full scheduleWhere to find me
At the market
My pieces are available at the historic Old Town Farmers Market in Alexandria, VA, where I have been a vendor since 1992. I rotate dates with two other potters, Sandra Dalal (sandra.dalal@gmail.com) and Eileen Egan (www.eileen-egan.com). See schedule:
Something in mind that isn't on the table? I take special orders at the market and by mail — request a piece.
- Saturday, August 8to be scheduled
- Saturday, August 15to be scheduled
- Saturday, August 22Julia
- Saturday, August 29Eileen
- Saturday, September 5Julia
- Saturday, September 12Sandra
- Saturday, September 19Julia
- Saturday, September 26Eileen
- Saturday, October 3Sandra
- Saturday, October 10Julia
- Saturday, October 17Sandra
- Saturday, October 24Julia
- Saturday, October 31to be scheduled
- Saturday, November 7Sandra
- Saturday, November 14Julia
- Saturday, November 21Julia
- Saturday, November 28Eileen
- Saturday, December 5to be scheduled
- Saturday, December 12Sandra
- Saturday, December 19Sandra
- Saturday, December 26to be scheduled
Every piece begins as a lump of wet clay and a little bit of patience. No two leave the studio exactly alike, and that's the whole point.
Fresh from the kiln
New This Week
Straight off the shelf — a different set each week, with the size and whether it's still available underneath.
From the shelf
A few favorites
from the studio
Clay, quiet, and time
claythings is two small rooms lined with shelves, with a table and a pottery wheel inside facing the windows so I can watch the seasons change. It's just me, throwing, trimming, decorating, glazing, and firing in small batches in my two kilns in the garage. I make the kind of pottery I want to live with—honest, warm, built to be used every day.
claythings began as a hobby to fill time while I was between jobs. My first classes were at a local recreation center. A year later, I was teaching, which lasted 4 years. Meantime, I applied to the Old Town Farmers Market, where I was told to expect to be on the waiting list for 2 years. Five years later, I was offered a slot, just as my mugs and bowls and baking dishes were starting to look good. Perfect timing! That was 1992.
I'm still potting after all these years because I enjoy it. There's something therapeutic about the feeling of soft clay in my hands.
Asked at the booth
Questions I get asked
Two things come up at almost every market, so here they are. Come by the booth and ask me the rest.
“How long did it take you to make this?”
30 years.
“Are you local?”
My home is about 4 miles from here.
Come find me at the market — or say hello
Browse what's come out of the kiln, or drop me a note about a piece you have your eye on.