Petunia Ltd. Edition Fairy

Posted on November 27, 2018 by Salley Mavor

I’d like to introduce PETUNIA, the newest Ltd. Edition Fairy. The group of 25 dolls have been traveling around with me for about 6 months and finally they are all dressed, coiffed and winged! The fairies will be ready to fly off from my Etsy Shop to their new homes on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018 at 10 AM (Eastern US time). They will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Sorry, no reservations ahead of time. I realize that the hour of the day is in the middle of the night for those of you on the other side of the world, but I can’t figure out how to make it perfectly fair.

I started making this group while in Scotland last spring. Here I am in the Edinburgh Airport, sewing their felt tunics while waiting for my plane. As with all of the Ltd. Edition Fairies, I only work on them while traveling, when there are long stretches of time to fill going from one place to another. The photo reminds me of a drawing I made of my mother many years ago. She is knitting one of her signature hats featured in my sister Anne Mavor’s 2006 article, “My Mum’s Fair Isle Hat” which she wrote for Interweave Knits Magazine. I wrote about it in this Blog post. I suppose we are all destined to become our mothers in some way!

As you can see, I haven’t weened myself entirely from making fairies. It’s a nice relaxing, portable activity when traveling. I’ve had to put limits on myself at home or else I would make them all the time, instead of pushing myself to do new work. To see this and the other fairies in the archives, click here.

So, 1 or 2 times a year, I complete a group of 25 dolls and offer them in my Etsy Shop. They’re basically the same fairies from my how-to book of dolls, Felt Wee Folk – New Adventures.

The only potentially messy part is gluing on their hair and acorn caps, so I usually do that in my studio. The hair is wool fleece, which I’ve just added as a multi colored sampler to my Etsy Shop.

During a recent long car ride, I braided their hair and sewed on their wings while sitting in the passenger seat.

PETUNIA is 3 3/4″ tall, with braided chestnut hair, acorn cap hat, hand embroidered wool felt tunic and petal skirt. Each doll is one of a limited edition of 25 look-alike fairies. They each sell for $85.00 and come with a signed and numbered name tag.

To enter my shop, click here. PETUNIA will be added on Dec. 1 at 10 AM. Good Luck!

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

Honeydew – Ltd. Edition Fairy

Posted on June 14, 2018 by Salley Mavor

Please meet HONEYDEW, the newest Blossom Fairy! She is 3 3/4″ tall, with crimped blond hair, spiky acorn cap hat, embroidered wool felt tunic and petal skirt. I don’t sell one-of-a-kind dolls, but every once in a while I offer a ltd. edition of 25 dolls similar to the ones in my how-to book, Felt Wee Folk. You see, I only work on them outside of my studio, while traveling, so there’s no predicting when a set will be finished. This is my way of controlling the urge to make them all the time. As some of you’ve discovered, making wee folk can become addictive! That isn’t such a bad thing, but if I succumbed to the impulse, I would be less inclined to commit to long term projects like our animation Liberty and Justice or the children’s book I’m working on right now. To see previous ltd. editions in the archives, click here. Information about purchasing HONEYDEW is at the end of this post.

When painting their heads, I slide the wooden beads onto a pipe cleaner, so they won’t roll around.

Their felt tunics are small and portable, which makes them easy to work on while traveling. Airplane stewardesses are always curious about them!

Wrapping their pipe cleaner bodies is another portable activity.

I usually dress them in their petticoats at home because it requires room to spread out the petals.

Their wings are sewn onto the back.

HONEYDEW has a different variety of acorn cap than previous fairies. This collection of spiky burr oak caps were sent by a fan in Georgia. Of course, she will be getting a fairy as a thank you gift.

Each fairy will have a signed and numbered tag.

In an effort to be fair to everyone, the sale of 25 HONEYDEW dolls will be announced on this blog, Facebook and Instagram. They will be listed for $75.00 each in my Etsy Shop on Sunday, June 17th at 10 AM, eastern US time. That gives more of you a chance to read about it in advance, so you can plan on being ready to shop. I’m sorry if this hour isn’t convenient for other time zones around the globe, but I can’t figure out how to accommodate everyone. The last edition sold out very quickly, so if you really want one, act fast! Sorry, no reservations ahead of time. The dolls will be sold on a first come first served basis.

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

Honesty the fairy

Posted on August 27, 2017 by Salley Mavor

Honesty flower

Please meet HONESTY, the newest Blossom Fairy! She is 3 3/4″ tall, with long black tresses, acorn cap hat, embroidered wool felt tunic and petal skirt. I don’t sell one-of-a-kind dolls, but every once in a while I offer a ltd. edition of 25 dolls similar to the ones in my how-to book, Felt Wee Folk. You see, I only work on them outside of my studio, while traveling, so there’s no predicting when a set will be finished. This is my way of controlling the impulse to make them all the time. That isn’t such a bad thing, but then, I would be less inclined to make new, more involved pieces or get myself into the political fray! To see previous ltd. editions in the archives, click here. Information about purchasing HONESTY is at the end of this post.

Each doll has a signed and numbered name tag.

I put the finishing touches on the tunics in my studio, but most of the embroidery was done in airport waiting rooms, on board planes and in the car on long drives.

Mass production of heads.

Sometimes they look like a flock in uniform, preparing for a mass take off.

I make sure in advance that there are enough petals to make 25 petticoats.

Information about purchasing a fairy: In an effort to be fair to everyone, I am announcing on this blog, Facebook and Instagram that 25 “HONESTY” fairies will be listed for $75.00 each, in my Etsy Shop on Saturday, September 2 at 10 AM, eastern US time. That gives more of you a chance to read about it in advance, so you can plan on being ready to shop. I’m sorry if this hour isn’t convenient for other time zones around the globe, but I can’t figure out how to accommodate everyone. The last edition sold out very quickly, so if you really want one, act fast! Sorry, no reservations ahead of time. The dolls will be sold on a first come first served basis and can be shipped anywhere in the world.

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And don’t miss a chance to win the FAIRY FAMILY RAFFLE to benefit of Highfield Hall and Gardens. Tickets ($5.00) may be purchased online here. The winner will be picked on Sept. 4th and the Fairy family will fly to their new home!

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Nasty Fairy Force deployment

Posted on November 14, 2016 by Salley Mavor

The NASTY Fairy Force is eager to take flight and follow their important humanitarian mission. This special unit has been assigned to uplift the disheartened and guard against bullying and harassment in the homeland and overseas. NASTY may look cute, but can she sting! The swarm of 25 fairies will be deployed on Saturday, Nov. 19th at 10 AM EST, in my ETSY shop. First come, first served. Update: the dolls are all sold

Months of preparation have led up to their readiness, with an extra push at the end to help meet this week’s emergency call for action. May the Fairy Force be with you! The dolls are based on the designs in my how-to book, Felt Wee Folk: New Adventures.

Meet the Frost family!

Posted on October 16, 2016 by Salley Mavor

UPDATE: The Frost family was raffled to benefit the Waldorf School of Cape Cod in 2016.

I am very pleased to introduce the 5 members of the Frost Family. Mom, Dad, brother, sister and baby are all dressed warmly for the coming winter. They are doll-house sized, from 4.5” to 2.5”, with hand embroidered wool felt outfits and acorn capped painted wooden heads. Even though they are sturdy enough to be played with by children, they aren’t just for children and can be appreciated by all ages. Every once in a while I make a group of related wee folk dolls and offer them as a fundraiser for a local non-profit organization.

Previous raffles include the Fairy Family and the Oakleys. You can get a behind the scene glimpse at the process of making the Frost Family below…

I made the dolls and stitched their wool felt clothes over the summer.

I just loved picking out the felt colors for the Frost Family’s warm winter clothing. They are a variation of doll house sized dolls from my how-to book, Felt Wee Folk: New Adventures. The doll armatures are extra sturdy (as taught in the book), so as to hold up better to multiple posing and general play by children (or adults).

I added sparkling accents with metallic thread.

French knots make polka-dots on the baby’s jump suit.

Here’s the set-up for the Frost family’s photo shoot, before “snow” (kosher salt) was sprinkled around.

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.

Jade – Ltd. Edition Fairy

Posted on October 9, 2016 by Salley Mavor

Please meet JADE, the newest Blossom Fairy! She is 3 3/4″ tall, with long black braids, acorn cap hat, embroidered dark green wool felt tunic and petal skirt. Even though I’ve said that I don’t sell them, every once in a while I offer a ltd. edition of dolls similar to the ones in my how-to book, Felt Wee Folk. You see, I only work on them outside of my studio, while traveling, so there’s no predicting when a set will be finished. To see previous ltd. editions in the archives, click here.

In August, a ltd. edition of AZALEA Fairies that I’d gradually been making over the year were sold my Etsy Shop. They’re usually not finished so close together, but this past summer, I made a set of 25 look-alike JADE Fairies while on vacation. Luckily, a patch of white toad stools appeared along the road in front of my house about the time they were finished. So naturally, that’s where they had a photo shoot. Please see information about when and how to order JADE Fairies at the end of this post.

Each doll has a signed and numbered name tag.

Jade’s wool felt tunic is hand embroidered.

In an effort to be fair to everyone, I am announcing on this blog, Facebook and Instagram that 25 “JADE” fairies will be listed for $75.00 each, in my Etsy Shop on Saturday, Oct. 15th at 9 AM, eastern US time. That gives more of you a chance to read about it in advance, so you can plan on being ready to shop. I’m sorry if this hour isn’t convenient for other time zones around the globe, but I can’t figure out how to accommodate everyone. This sale will start an hour earlier than usual, so that customers in Australia don’t have to stay up into the wee hours, but it means that those of you on the US west coast will be setting your alarms earlier. The last edition sold out very quickly, so if you really want one, act fast! Sorry, no reservations ahead of time. The dolls will be sold on a first come first served basis.

Azalea – Ltd. Edition fairy

Posted on August 7, 2016 by Salley Mavor

Please meet AZALEA, the newest Blossom Fairy! She is 3 3/4″ tall, with long crimped auburn hair, acorn cap hat, embroidered wool felt tunic and petal skirt. Even though I’ve said that I don’t sell them, every once in a while I offer a ltd. edition of dolls similar to the ones in my how-to book, Felt Wee Folk. You see, I only work on them while traveling, so it’s an ongoing project that takes time. This year I made a set of 25 look-alike Azalea fairies while riding in cars and on vacation. I like to keep my hands busy, so this is a way of producing something, as well as keeping contented while sitting.

Some of the finish work that’s not as portable, I did while on vacation. I have to limit the time I spend working on these because otherwise I would spend every minute in fairy land, constructing dolls, night and day. That isn’t such a bad thing, but then, I would be less inclined to make new, more involved pieces.

In an effort to be fair to everyone, I am announcing on this blog, Facebook and Instgram that 25 “Azalea” fairies will be for sale in my Etsy Shop on Saturday, August 13th at 10 AM, eastern US time. That gives more of you a chance to read about it in advance, so you can plan on being ready to shop. I’m sorry if this hour isn’t convenient for other time zones around the globe, but I can’t figure out how to accommodate everyone. Last year’s dolls sold out very quickly, so if you really want one, act fast! Sorry, no reservations ahead of time. The dolls will be sold on a first come first served basis.

display at the Providence Children’s Museum

Posted on June 5, 2016 by Salley Mavor

I had the pleasure of going to the Providence Children’s Museum last week to set up some of my artwork in their Geometry Gallery display case. This section of the museum explores spatial thinking and has a number of hands-on play and learning experiences. The display case shows a changing exhibit of 3-dimensional creations loaned by different artists. The museum staff couldn’t have been more welcoming! We’re all anticipating that the glass will have to be cleaned frequently because of finger and nose prints left by inquiring little (and big) ones!

I brought 2 original fabric relief illustrations from Pocketful of Posies and a whole bunch of wee folk characters from Felt Wee Folk, as well as houses and other props from my collection that I talk about in still playing with dolls. The items will be there for 6 months, until January 8, 2017. I hope that some of you will have a chance to visit. FYI – An exhibit of new fabric relief pieces will also be shown nearby in Bristol, RI, Sept. 16 – Oct. 30, 2016 ~ Intertwined – Needle Art of Salley Mavor at the Bristol Art Museum.

still playing with dolls

Posted on May 29, 2016 by Salley Mavor

Some things never change. Like the urge to play with dolls. I’d venture to guess that there are a lot of grownups like me who still find themselves drawn to creating little worlds, just like they were in their youth. I feel honored to share my passion (perhaps even obsession?) for the wee world with you through my books and this blog.

I recently got out some props I’d made a few years ago for a video project that my husband Rob and I were planning, but didn’t undertake. It was pure play, as I set up one of the houses out in the yard and made this video with my phone camera.

Our original idea was to make a short stop motion animation of one of my favorite nursery rhymes, Wee Willie Winkie. The easy part was constructing the characters, houses, trees and a clock. Finding the time and space to work on the incredibly tedious task of animating the story turned out to be too much of a challenge. We figured that it would take several months of concentrated effort to make even a 5 min. video that we would be proud of. We’re still intrigued by the prospect of putting together a film and who knows, we may do it eventually. But for now, I will soon embark on a new project that will keep me busy for a few years. More about that later…

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Here’s the clock for the scene, “Are the children in their beds, for now it’s 8 o’clock?”

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In the meantime, the various props have not been hidden away. They’ve been used as backdrops for other photos, including shots of Polly and A Buggy Picnic, which is available as a card.

Fiona – new ltd. edition fairy

Posted on October 14, 2015 by Salley Mavor

Even though I’ve said that I don’t sell them, every once in a while I offer a ltd. edition of dolls similar to the ones in my how-to book, Felt Wee Folk. You see, I only work on them while traveling, so it’s an ongoing project that takes time. This year I made a set of 25 fairy dolls while waiting in airports, flying in planes and riding in trains. I like to keep my hands busy, so this is a way of producing something, as well as keeping contented while sitting.

Update 10/17/15 ~ The fairy dolls sold out very quickly. Thank you to all of you who were ready at 10 am, logged into my Etsy Shop. Will there be more opportunities to buy dolls in the future? Perhaps, but it depends on how much time I spend traveling.

Some of the finish work that’s not as portable, I do in my studio. I have to limit the time I spend working on these because otherwise I would spend all of my time in fairy land, constructing dolls, night and day. That isn’t such a bad thing, but then, I would never take on making new, more involved pieces.

In an effort to be fair to everyone, I am announcing on this blog and Facebook that 25 “Fiona” fairies will be for sale in my Etsy Shop on Saturday, Oct. 17th at 10am, eastern US time. That gives more people a chance to read about it in advance, so they can plan on being ready to shop. Last year’s dolls sold out very quickly, so if you really want one, act fast! Sorry, no reservations ahead of time. The dolls will be sold on a first come first served basis. Update 10/17/15 2:00pm ~ The Fiona fairies are all sold.