Mark Your Calendar: Open Studios at Heath Ceramics

I'm a huge fan of Heath Ceramics, the 60-year-old pottery that Catherine Bailey and Robin Petravic stumbled upon near their home in Sausalito, California five years ago and rescued from decline. (I'm also completely in awe of Catherine and Robin's amazing house.)

Believe it or not, though, I've never been to the Heath factory, despite the fact that it's only a few miles from where I live. (How lame is that? I'm embarrassed.) But that's going to change this weekend, when Heath holds its annual open studio and sale. Heath artisans will be manning their wheels and kilns during hourly factory tours, and everything in the Heath Factory Store will be 20 percent off -- including not just Heath's wonderful tableware and tile, but also gorgeous textiles and housewares from a small group of talented independent designers that Bailey and Petravic admire. There will be food from San Francisco's Green Chile Kitchen, and a hands-on tile glazing activity, too.

Below is a sneak peek of Heath's skilled craftsmen and -women at work (you can see the entire online tour here). I can't wait to watch them in action and to learn more about the process used to create this beautiful, timeless pottery

Heath's open studio and factory tours happen Saturday, November 22, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, November 23, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The annual sale starts Friday, November 21 in the Factory Store, and ends Sunday, November 30.

If you're not in the area, you can visit Heath online right here.