About Salley Mavor

I make 3-dimensional fabric relief pictures that are photographed and used to illustrate children’s books. I sew together different materials to create fanciful scenes in relief, much like a miniature stage set, with figures imposed on an embellished fabric background. My work is decorative and detailed, full of patterns from nature and found objects, all sewn together by hand with a needle and thread.

lace bombing

Posted on January 21, 2020 by Salley Mavor

It being near the end of my retrospective exhibition “Once Upon a Stitch” at the Cape Cod Museum of Art, I thought I’d squeeze in a post about how I “lace bombed” a pole in the gallery with doilies and other lacy items from my stash.
Carloads of visitors have been flocking to see the show before its last day on Sunday, Jan. 26th. If you’re thinking of making the trip, please note that the museum is open Thursday 10 am – 7 pm, Friday – Saturday 10 am – 4 pm, Sunday 12 noon – 4 pm.

When I first checked out the gallery and saw the plain white column in the middle of the room, I thought,”How unfortunate, but maybe this is an opportunity waiting to happen.” To me, displaying artwork and decorating a space for an exhibition is like a piece of art in itself. On the drive home, I came up with the idea of covering the pole with lace and doilies in the spirit of yarn bombing.

My collection of lace and linen was passed down in the family or was given to me by people who were trying to find homes for their relative’s stuff. As the pile grows, I keep thinking that I’ll use some of it my artwork, but lace rarely matches my vision. The exception is a doily that I dyed green for the “Ring Around the Rosie” illustration in Pocketful of Posies.

Doily used in a illustration from Pocketful of Posies

After finding out the pole’s height and circumference, I unpacked my stash of doilies, lace and antimacassars, and laid them out on my work table.

This project didn’t require any fussy hand-stitching, so I dusted off my sewing machine and plugged it in. I pinned together rows of doilies and sewed the overlapping edges with the zig-zag stitch.

I wanted the covering to be one piece that could be easily installed. A large piece of green felt left over from my fairy kit days seemed like a good background fabric, with just enough contrast to show off the delicate lace patterns. Then I pinned the rows of doilies and lace to the felt and sewed them in place. Since I don’t use a sewing machine very often, it was fun to push the peddle and go!

When it came time to install the exhibition in the gallery, I wrapped the column with the felt and lace cover and pinned it in place. Then I finished it of with a simple whip stitch along the seam, which was the only hand stitching on the whole project. I even remembered to bring my trusty thimble, which I feel naked without!

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scavenger hunt

Posted on January 18, 2020 by Salley Mavor

The scavenger hunt at my retrospective exhibition of original picture book art at the Cape Cod Museum of Art has been a hit! Not just with kids, but with all ages. Searching for the details is a fun way to engage with the artwork and helps you see things you might not otherwise notice.

I got the idea from my friend Deb Coulombe, who 10 years ago, put together cards for school groups who came to see the touring exhibition of original art from Pocketful of Posies. With the hunt, the kids experienced my artwork in a playful way that enhanced their museum experience.

So, I took the scavenger hunt concept and brought it to “Salley Mavor: Once Upon a Stitch”, which will be on display for only one more week, until Sunday, Jan. 26th. People are coming from far and wide to see the show, driving and even flying in from out of state. If you’re thinking of making the trip, please note that the Cape Cod Museum of Art is open Thursday 10 am – 7 pm, Friday – Saturday 10 am – 4 pm, Sunday 12 noon – 4 pm.

Rob and I spent last fall photographing closeup images of the artwork to use in the scavenger hunt. Because my pieces are sculptural, its a challenge to take pictures that bring out the detail and 3-dimensional quality of the real thing. We’ve tried different approaches, sometimes using a light box (above) to diffuse the light and soften the shadows. I’m constantly getting in the way, fussing and tweaking, which drives Rob crazy!

Rob printed the images on good quality paper on his super duper Epson printer and I cut them up. Even though they’re all square, it reminded me of playing with paper dolls.

Then I divided them up into groups of 4 that I knew would keep people moving around the gallery, like an aerobic activity.

Anyone can play the game and choose from about 20 different laminated cards in the gallery.

You can also do the scavenger hunt at home by searching for the following images in my books. Each group of 4 that you see below is labeled with a list of books where you can find the images. Have fun!

Details from “Hey, Diddle, Diddle!”, Pocketful of Posies and “In the Heart”

Details from Pocketful of Posies”, “The Way Home”, “Hey, Diddle, Diddle!” and “Wee Willie Winkie”

Details from “Pocketful of Posies, “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, You and Me” and “Come to My Party”

Details from Pocketful of Posies” and You and Me”

Details from “Pocketful of Posies” and “Jack and Jill”

SALLEY MAVOR: Once Upon a Stitch
Dec. 12, 2019 – Jan. 26, 2020
Cape Cod Museum of Art, Dennis, MA
Winter hours: Thursday 10am – 7pm,
Friday – Saturday 10 – 4, Sunday 12 – 4

just a few more weeks

Posted on January 8, 2020 by Salley Mavor

Once Upon a Stitch, my retrospective exhibition of original embroidered picture book art will be at the Cape Cod Museum of Art for a few more weeks, until Sunday, January 26th. So, if you’ve been thinking about going to see it, act quickly. It’s been wonderful to have a place to send people, although it is limited to those who can make it to our beautiful peninsula.

For those of you from far away, here’s a brief video tour of the gallery.

A brief tour of “Salley Mavor: Once Upon a Stitch” at Cape Cod Museum of Art in Dennis MA

There’s also a scavenger hunt with lots of cards made up of different close-up details to find in the framed artwork.

Last Saturday, I talked about my work to a very nice group who nestled themselves into the gallery. After being introduced by Benton Jones, the museum’s Director of Art, I shared stories about growing up in a household where making things was as routine as brushing one’s teeth.

This was different that my usual slide presentation, in that I just talked off the cuff, making it more like a Show & Tell. I brought some things to show like my first book (mixed media, of course) which I made at around age 8. People often ask when I started making the kind of art I do. I have to say that I’ve been on this path my whole life. Manipulating materials in my hands has always been more satisfying that just drawing or painting. As a child, I felt that crayons were not enough and that my pictures weren’t finished until something real was glued, stapled or sewn to it.

Most of the audience were women who share a love of stitching and sewing. There are a lot of us out there and we tend to gravitate toward each other. It was a pleasure to meet and share my work with such kindred spirits!

SALLEY MAVOR: Once Upon a Stitch
Dec. 12, 2019 – Jan. 26, 2020
Cape Cod Museum of Art, Dennis, MA
Winter hours: Thursday 10am – 7pm,
Friday – Saturday 10 – 4, Sunday 12 – 4

Moving forward, looking back

Posted on December 30, 2019 by Salley Mavor

Happy New Year! Thank you for coming along on my artistic journey. You come from all corners of the globe, from Croatia to Australia and from Brazil to South Africa, helping to link the wee folk world with the big wide world. It’s been such a pleasure doing “show and tell” with you for 10 years now! Choosing images and writing about different projects and goings-on not only connects my artwork with the world outside my studio, it’s helped me develop a clearer sense of purpose. Through this forum, I can share my own needle and thread universe in a free and independent way. When what you make doesn’t easily fit into any category, it’s nice to have a place to call home.

From time to time in this wee folk world, the not-so-docile fairies stir things up on Facebook, Instagram and this blog, delighting most of my followers, while upsetting a few who wag their fingers in disapproval. The feisty fairies have taught me so much. They’ve given me a voice that will not be scolded into silence. As Rep. John Lewis says, “Get into good trouble.” The images I share are precious and poignant for the most part, but sometimes they are provocative. I am aware that calling attention to the angst around us can be jarring to those who don’t expect it, but I don’t see mixing it up like this as incongruous. It reflects both the beauty and the struggle of life in these tumultuous times. And that is the story I wish to tell. Every now and then, when things get to the point when the fairies can’t hold back any longer, they’ll shake a little hot pepper into the sweet sauce. So, with that in mind, I invite you to join the fairies and me as we venture into a new decade. May we all face the New Year with brave hearts and undaunted spirits!

To help review the year, I’ve organized a list of posts published on this blog in 2019. They are grouped by topic, including a miscellaneous category at the end.
But first, I want to mention a special event that I will participate in very soon:

Film Screening and Presentations:
Thursday, Jan. 9th at 5:30 pm at the Cape Cod Museum of Art in Dennis, MA:
“Liberty and Justice” – Three presentations on the role of civil disobedience in a healthy democracy.
There will be a screening of my politically satirical animation, “Liberty and Justice: A Cautionary Tale in the Land of the Free” as well as a reading of Thoreau’s “Civil Disobedience” and A First Hand Account of the Hong Kong Protests by Cole Silva. Discussion to Follow. The event is not intended for young children.

Screen shot from “Liberty and Justice” animation

Links to blog posts from 2019:

Exhibitions:
More is More
Once Upon a Stitch
The Art of Cute
finding my voice
The stitching lady speaks!
Liberty and Justice exhibit in Cotuit
Migration exhibit
3 upcoming exhibits

“My Bed: Enchanting Ways to Fall Asleep around the World” will be published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in Sept. 2020. The following posts give behind the scenes peeks at the process of illustrating the book. For information about the upcoming touring exhibition of the original art from the book, please go to this page.

Bed book peek: Duck
Bed book peek: Camel
Bed book peek: Bunny
Bed book peek: North America part 1, part 2, part 3
Bed book peek: Scandinavia part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4
My Bed is made
bed book delivered

Wee Folk:
Euphoria Ltd. Edition Fairy
Judy Sue in miniature
Polly dresses for the seashore
Wee Folk playing cards

Miscellaneous:
shifting focus
Self Portrait poster is back
Studio goings-on
create your own wee world
Behind the Glass – part 1
Behind the Glass – part 2

Banners:
baby banner for Xavier
Wedding Banner: Shawn & Max

“More is more”

Posted on December 27, 2019 by Salley Mavor

My retrospective exhibition of original picture book art, Once Upon a Stitch has been at the Cape Cod Museum of Art in Dennis, MA. for 2 weeks now and I’m happy to hear that lots of visitors are specifically coming to see it. If you’re thinking of making the trip, please note that the museum’s winter hours are Thursday 10 am – 7 pm, Friday – Saturday 10 am – 4 pm, Sunday 12 noon – 4 pm. The show runs until January 26 and I’ll be giving a Family Gallery Talk on Saturday January 4th, 1:00 – 2:00 pm.

It took 2 trips in my Subaru Outback to transport the more than 50 bubble wrapped frames to the museum. That doesn’t count the dozens of wee folk characters I brought along to set up in a display case. At first, the curator was skeptical that everything would fit, but after explaining how I envisioned the layout, with clusters of double hung frames, he relaxed. The museum’s very able crew ended up filling the gallery walls with what could be a record number of pieces!. After everything was hung, my husband Rob looked around and said, “You must understand, with Salley’s art, more is more.”

The first thing you see when entering the gallery is a grid full of of prints showing enlarged animal faces and other characters staring at you. They are blown up details from pieces in the exhibition, which includes a wide selection of original hand-stitched children’s book illustrations I’ve made over the past 300 years. Oh, I mean 30 years!

I set up the figures from my how-to book, Felt Wee Folk: New Adventures on and around a Dala horse and cart elevated on top of 2 wooden cigar boxes.

Four original illustrations from Mary Had a Little Lamb are on loan from collectors. It’s the largest reunion they’ve had since the book was published in 1995.

Most of my books are represented in the show, with groupings of pieces from either my own collection or ones that are borrowed from their owners.

A rather plain concrete pole in the middle of the gallery called out for some kind of embellishment, so, I lace-bombed it with doilies. To make it, I cut a length of green felt to the right circumference and machine stitched lace and doilies to it. I pinned the seam and stitched it in place on site. Like a lot of textile geeks, I have a collection of misc. old lacy things and it feels good to finally use them for something.

The opening was well attended by many people who knew of my work, as well as others who were seeing it for the first time. I got to watch people’s reactions to seeing the originals, which is a totally different experience than looking at the pages of a printed book. I can honestly say that without exception, everyone was smiling. In the photo below, a man is telling me that he just came from visiting New York and that my show was more impressive than anything he saw at MoMA. As you can see, I was flabbergasted!

There’s a scavenger hunt with about 20 cards, each one showing 4 different close-up images that you can look for in the artwork. This game is certainly not just for children!

The exhibition is an opportunity to see the detail and 3-dimensional quality of my work.

I was happy that my friend and picture book collaborator, Judy Richardson came to the opening. Here we are in 1991, having our publicity photo taken with Bella the elephant at the Barnstable County Fair.

And that’s Judy and her husband Phil at the show, looking at the originals from “The Way Home“, which she wrote and I illustrated.

I hope that many of you can make the trip down the quaint and historic Old King’s Highway (Rt. 6A) to Dennis, Massachusetts to see the show!

Dec. 12, 2019 – Jan. 26, 2020
Cape Cod Museum of Art, Dennis, MA
Winter hours: Thursday 10am – 7pm,
Friday – Saturday 10 – 4, Sunday 12 – 4
Family Gallery Talk with Salley Mavor –
Saturday January 4th, 1:00 – 2:00 pm

Once Upon a Stitch exhibition

Video

You are invited to come see an exhibition of my artwork at the Cape Cod Museum of Art in Dennis, MA. This is a chance to take in the fine detail and 3-dimensional quality of my original sculptural embroideries that are reproduced in children’s books.

SALLEY MAVOR – Once Upon a Stitch
Cape Cod Museum of Art
December 12, 2019 – January 26, 2020

Winter hours: Thursday 10am – 7pm, Friday – Saturday 10 – 4, Sunday 12 – 4

Family Gallery Talk – Saturday, Jan. 4^th, 1:00 – 2:00 pm

A wide array of picture book illustrations spanning 2 decades of my career will be on display, including favorites from The Way Home (1991), Mary Had a Little Lamb (1995) and the award-winning, Pocketful of Posies(2010). Several pieces are on loan from private collections, making this an opportunity to see work that is rarely shown in public. The exhibition and accompanying scavenger hunt are sure to appeal to families and anyone with a penchant for miniatures and/or needlework.

I’ve been preparing for the show all Fall, gathering enough pieces to represent every book I’ve published from 1991. That meant contacting people who’ve bought original artwork, some as far back as the 90’s. I’m grateful for their willingness to loan their pieces for the duration of the show. While they were in my studio, I cleaned up the glass and frames, so they will be sparkling clean. Also, Rob took some digital photographs of the art, including detail shots really close-up.

scavenger_hunt-1 — Once Upon a Stitch Scavenger Hunt

I’m using the photos for the scavenger hunt and large printed images, which will be hung in the gallery along with my embroidered originals. I just love playing with scale!

blowups-1-2 — Large format prints of details from my books.

An advantage of taking high resolution close-ups is that the photo quality isn’t lost when they are blown up big. I’ve been asked if these large prints are for sale. Unfortunately because of contractual agreements with publishers, I cannot sell reproductions of these images. But, I can use them to compliment and expand exhibitions!

I hope that those of you in the area will make it down Old King’s Highway (route 6A) to the Cape Cod Museum of Art to see the show!

Cyber Week Sale!

Posted on December 2, 2019 by Salley Mavor

I am happy to announce
Wee Folk Studio’s CYBER WEEK SALE
(Monday, Dec. 2 – Sunday, Dec 8, 2019)!
20% off all note cards, posters and fairy making supplies.
Free Shipping in the USA on most items.
Enter ETSY Shop here.

20% Off fairy making supplies, note cards and posters.
Free Shipping in the USA. Enter ETSY Shop here.

My shop always offers free shipping on most items within the USA. Personally autographed books and Felt Wee Folk playing cards are eligible for free shipping on orders of $35.00 or more.

Judy Sue in miniature

Posted on November 24, 2019 by Salley Mavor

I don’t know why it’s taken so long, but I finally made a miniature version of my friend/teacher/agent Judy Sue Goodwin-Sturges. We met over 40 years ago at the Rhode Island School of Design, where she still teaches illustration. Judy Sue has guided countless art students, urging them to follow their own path. And I feel lucky to be one of them. All those years ago, when she saw me sitting in her class, stitching pea pod pins, she said, “For goodness sake, do this for your assignments!” Up until then, I’d been under the impression that illustration was only painting and drawing and had kept my interest in crafts separate. With her encouragement, I started incorporating 3-dimensional elements and sewing into my work. Instead of trying to keep in step using traditional mediums, I discovered that with stitching, I could dance the fandango! So, the least I can do is make her a little Judy Sue doll!

April Prince, Judy Sue Goodwin-Sturges and Salley Mavor

For doll-making inspiration, I found this photo from a few years a ago, when Judy Sue and April Prince, who work together in the boutique agency Studio Goodwin Sturges, came for a visit. Of course, the Judy Sue doll would have to be dressed in a huipil, which is the most distinguishing feature of her wardrobe.

(Huipil [ˈwipil] (from the Nahuatl word huīpīlli [wiːˈpiːlːi]) is the most common traditional garment worn by indigenous women from central Mexico to Central America.)

She has quite a collection of huipils, which all came from a friend who lives in Guatemala. She stores them folded up in shelves. It was surprising to see some of of my illustrations from the ’90’s hanging on the adjacent wall, because I’d forgotten that she had them!

I stopped by Judy Sue’s place last week to pick up a piece from “Mary Had a Little Lamb”, that she’s loaning for my upcoming retrospective exhibition, Once Upon a Thread, which will be at the Cape Cod Museum of Art, Dec. 12, 2019 – Jan. 26, 2020.

Now that you have some background information, let’s move on to making the doll. I made the pipe cleaner body the same as the 4″ sturdy doll in my how-to book, Felt Wee Folk: New Adventures. Then I painted her face on a wooden bead and glued on a felt wig.

I embroidered the felt huipil with flower thread, which is thicker than 1 strand of floss.

Toward the end, I outlined some shapes with 1 strand of violet colored floss.

Judy Sue also likes to wear bold and colorful jewelry, so I made her a seed bead necklace.

Her hair is made with hand-dyed fingering weight Merino wool that I recently bought from Flying Finn Yarns.

Here’s the real-life Judy Sue, with her wee folk replica. Thank you Judy Sue, for your generous spirit and for instilling a belief in the trans-formative power of art to so many!

To keep up with new posts, subscribe to this blog. Your contact info will not be shared. If you’d like to see more frequent photos tracking the projects in my studio, please follow me on Facebook and/or Instagram.

create your own wee world

Posted on November 17, 2019 by Salley Mavor

One of the most rewarding parts of writing my book, Felt Wee Folk is hearing from fans who’ve wholeheartedly thrown themselves into the wee world. They don’t just make dolls using the patterns and directions from the book. They lovingly create characters who act out narratives in a very personal way. When the first edition of the book came out almost 18 years ago, I hoped that once people became comfortable with the process, they would start incorporating their own ideas. And I’m happy to say that this has happened! Today, I will share words and photos from two people who’ve been inspired by the book. One is a college student and the other is recently retired.

Mary R. Black is an 18-year-old from Grand Rapids, Michigan who wrote to say how much enjoyment she has gotten out of making the dolls from the book. She and her sister have been immersed in the wee world for a long time and it was an important part of their childhood. I just love Mary’s unabashed enthusiasm! (At her age, I was still hiding my penchant for dolls and miniatures.) She says, “I also make fairies, but when I started to see how you made normal dolls, I made dolls for my dollhouse too! They are in some ways more fun to make than fairies because of their variety and accessories, don’t you think?”

Mary goes on to say, “I also have started a little fun project at my college by setting up a fairy house at the base of a tree. I have received so many comments on how it brightens up people’s day, which is exactly what I wanted! But one day, to my surprise and extreme pleasure, I found a little gnome store on the other side of the tree!! I was so excited that my project inspired others to be creative too.”

She wrote back to update me with the news that her little character, Aspen had gotten engaged and married to Cypress. By the way, it looks like the happy couple’s hats are acorn caps from a Burr Oak tree.

Thank you Mary Black, for bringing your delightful imaginings to life and sharing them with your friends and us!

I’d also like to show you what Jane Walster from Chehalis, Washington has been doing in her first year of retirement. She writes, “I have been combining your lovely wee folk designs with additional ideas from Karina Schaapman’s Mouse Mansions.” Look at this comfy rustic living room she’s created for her dolls!

If you haven’t seen Karina’s books, you should check them out. And if you’re in Amsterdam, go visit The Mouse Mansion shop and studio, where you can see all of her amazing scenes on display. Friends have told me that seeing them in person is a wonderful experience.

Jean also sent a photo of her version of the Harvest Folk scene in Felt Wee Folk.

I like how the sheep came out, which I assume are based on the one she saw in a post earlier this year (shown left). It’s an animal icon from my upcoming picture book, My Bed: Enchanting Ways to Fall Asleep around the World. You can see the post about making the sheep here.

She writes, “Liberty and Justice is such a brave and creative way to share your artistic talent. I love how you combined the personal and political with a big dose of humor. Your work fills me with hope that as I hone my skills, I will discover my own unique artistic style.”
Thank you for sharing your wee world, Jean!

Behind the Glass – part 2

Posted on November 8, 2019 by Salley Mavor

In this second post in the series Behind the Glass, I’ll show close-up photos of a double page spread reproduced in Hey Diddle, Diddle! (2005) and 2 illustrations from You and Me: Poems of Friendship (1997). You can see part 1 in the series here. These loaned pieces were temporarily removed from their frames in preparation for my upcoming exhibition, making it possible to get up close and take photos from different angles. I’m enjoying seeing the characters again and remembering making them all those years ago.

The retrospective exhibition, Salley Mavor: Once Upon a Thread will be at the Cape Cod Museum of Art Dec. 12, 2019 – Jan. 16, 2020. It will include original illustrations from my picture books, from the first (The Way Home,1991) to the latest (Pocketful of Posies 2010). Between the borrowed ones and others that I’ve kept, there will be lots of original pieces on display, with a dozen titles represented. This show will be an opportunity for visitors to see the detail and 3-dimensional quality of my artwork in person and also view pieces from private collections that are rarely shown in public.

Yes, that’s a real silver spoon, a tiny one meant to go with a salt seller. The plate was cut out of Fimo clay with a cookie cutter. After hardening it in the oven, I painted the face and dish pattern.

The next set of images show closeups of 2 spreads from You and Me: Poems of Friendship (1997). One illustrates the poem Sidewalks, which describes different ways of showing oneself and interacting on a public sidewalk.

Sidewalks, You and Me: Poems of Friendship 1997

The last piece in this post is from the poem Snow. I hadn’t seen it for over 20 years and was happy to take it out of its frame and get up close with a camera. The owner seemed reluctant to part with it for a few months, but the timing ended up being convenient for her, since she’s selling her house and moving into a new place. I told her that it would be returned in better shape with sparkling clean glass.