Contact

If you have any questions about or comments for Material Good, please email us at contact(at)material-good(dot)com.

FAQs

1. What are the steps in making a Little Shirley?
We start with just less than a 1/2 pound of clay. Each Little Shirley is thrown by hand on a potter's wheel, which takes about 3-4 minutes per vase. Next, it must dry to a "leather hard" state and is polished on the bottom, then dried completely to be fired for the first time. In the first firing, the bisc fire, the clay is heated to 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit, then cooled, making the Little Shirley hard and sturdy. They are then glazed and left to dry completely. Once dry, they are glaze fired, where the kiln reaches 2,200 degrees Fahrenheit. After cooling they are removed from the kiln, sanded, and dressed with a tag.

2. How long does one Little Shirley take to make?
That's hard to answer! We make them in batches of about 80, and the whole process takes one week.

3. What can I do with my Little Shirleys?
Little Shirleys are multi-purpose. Use one as a vase for a single flower, add scented oil and bamboo sticks to another and use it as a diffuser, put one on your kitchen window and place in it a bouquet of freshly cut herbs from your garden... Be creative, use your imagination! Our favorite is when they are passed to others: They make perfect hostess gifts, small birthday presents, and "just because" gifts!

4. Material Good currently supports organizations working to cure cancer. Will you branch out to other causes?
Yes! We are currently going through a Strategic Giving Process where we are identifying causes that are important to our community, organizations that share our mission, and that we feel we can make the most positive impact if we partner with them. Areas of interest include education, basic needs, and environmental research and restoration.

5. Where can I buy a Little Shirley?
Little Shirleys are sold right here on our website, as well as in a few local Seattle stores. For a full list of brick-and-mortar stores, please e-mail us here.

6. What has been the best part of starting this business?
The genuine support from so many people has been truly humbling, invaluable, and incredibly exciting. What has been accomplished in the last few months has taken the minds of many, and we are excited to continue to collaborate in order to greater fullfill our mission. If you have ideas, expertise, or words of wisdom please let us know!