FAQ

salleyfairyhouse

This is a list of the most frequently asked questions about my artwork. Several subjects come up again and again in the comments on my posts, so I thought I’d devote a whole page to answering them as best I can.

When did you start making fabric reliefs?
I named my work “fabric relief” in about 1980, when people kept asking what it was called. Before that, I made free standing dolls that were photographed in 3-dimensional scenes. In an effort to have my work recognized as art, I converted to a relief format which is displayed under glass, in shadow-box frames. The Way Home, the first of my 11 children’s books illustrated in fabric relief, was published in 1991.

How did you learn this technique?
I am self-taught in embroidery and fiber art and have developed my style and working methods through over 40 years of experimentation and practice. I am inspired by 17th century English “stumpwork” or raised embroidery and have figured out my own way of achieving a 3-dimensional effect. I learned about visual communication, color and design as an illustration student at the Rhode Island School of Design (IL 1978).

Do you teach classes?
No, I do not teach classes or give workshops. My schedule is full of making art and organizing exhibitions. My how-to book Felt Wee Folk provides step-by-step instructions for making wee folk dolls, with many examples and patternsTo get an idea of my thoughts about sharing knowledge and artistic privacy, please read my post to teach or not to teach.

Are there videos of your stitching methods?
Yes, I’ve recently filmed Stitch Minutes (short demonstration videos) that show close up views of my hands stitching various parts of my artwork. You can view them on the Videos Page.

Do you give lectures about your work?
I give online presentations about my 40+ year career as an illustrator, entrepreneur, and stop-motion animator, showing how textile art can be used to communicate ideas, entertain, educate and inspire. My talk covers a range of creative endeavors, with a look behind the scenes at my unique working process. It is a story of transformation, showing the evolution of my work from precious to poignant to provocative. If your organization is interested in hosting a presentation, please contact me (Salley at weefolkstudio.com).

What kind of felt do you use?
Most of the felt in my recent fabric relief pieces is plant-dyed wool felt produced by a now defunct cottage business. A Child’s Dream sells a nice selection of wool felt. They also offer a craft supply basket, full of practically everything you need to make doll projects form my new how-to book, Felt Wee Folk – New Adventures. Find information about wool felt suppliers here.

Do you have a shop?
Yes, I have an online Etsy Shop which offers printed reproductions of my work on note cards, puzzles, posters and (autographed) children’s books and how-to books. My original pieces are currently not for sale.  

Do you sell your original fabric reliefs?
Until recently, I’ve offered original pieces for sale. Now, as the demand to show my work increases, I’m keeping everything I have so that they are available for exhibitions. I do not make commissioned artwork. Exhibitions and other events are listed here.

Will you write any more how-to books?
I will not be writing any more how-to books. A revised edition of Felt Wee Folk, which was first published in 2003 was published in 2015. The popular fairies and other dolls remain and the non-doll felt projects are replaced with new varieties of wee folk characters and more doll-making tips. This all-doll version has a new cover and more pages than the first edition. It  features many new projects for seasoned wee folk makers as well as new converts, who are just beginning to learn how to wrap pipe-cleaner limbs. The book is titled Felt Wee Folk – New Adventures: 120 Enchanting Dolls  (C&T Publishing). Copies ordered from my Etsy Shop have extra goodies; an autograph, faux flowers to make 2 fairies and a pack of wee folk playing cards. Update: To read my thoughts about artistic privacy, go to this blog post: To teach or not to teach.

May I make and sell dolls from your how-to book?
Many people make fairies and dolls based on my designs. I cannot give permission to use my designs for personal profit, but individuals may sell the dolls on a limited basis, if the profits go to charity. Please give me credit on a tag or in the online description of the dolls. 

A note about the new edition of Felt Wee Folk: New Adventures:
I aim to protect the copyright of new techniques and patterns that are included in this follow-up edition.

Do you sell your dolls?
I do not sell wee folk dolls. 

Will you exhibit your work in my area?
Viewing my embroidered pieces is a completely different experience than seeing them online or in printed form. Therefore, I would like to create more opportunities for the public to see them “in person”. This requires invitations directly from venues. You can help by encouraging your local museum to show my work. A national tour of the original illustrations from my new picture book, My Bed: Enchanting Ways to Fall Asleep around the World is underway. The exhibition, “Salley Mavor: Bedtime Stitches” is booked at 11 museums through 2024. Inquiries from museum directors and curators are welcome. Please contact me (Salley at weefolkstudio.com) for information about hosting the exhibit. See my exhibition schedule here.

Is your studio open to the public?
Not usually, but occasionally I host an Open Studio event. My studio is a private work space and an oasis where I spend most of my time working alone, surrounded by collections of treasures.

How long does it take to make a fabric relief piece?
It takes about a month to stitch the original fabric relief pictures for my children’s books, depending on the size and detail of the illustration. I construct one piece at a time, stitching until it is completed. The characters are made specifically for each scene and not reused multiple times. I spent 3 years making the illustrations for Pocketful of Posies and 2 years for my most recent book, My Bed. Larger pieces, such as Birds of Beebe Woods  and Displaced take several months to stitch.

How many hours a day do you work?
I don’t keep track of the hours, but I work in my studio as much as I can, just about every day. My husband Rob teases,”When Salley’s not sleeping or eating, she’s working in her studio.” Of course that’s not entirely true, I do get out to exercise, work in the garden, meet friends, cook dinner and pay attention to my family. 

Do you use a sewing machine?
I only use a sewing machine to make clothes, curtains or pot holders–that kind of thing. My fabric relief pieces are all hand stitched.

Do you have any Blossom fairy kits for sale?
No, I’m sold out of kits, which I made and sold for 10 years, from 1998 – 2008. However, I offer the how-to book Felt Wee Folk, wool fleece fairy hair and faux flower petals for making fairy skirts and wings in my Etsy Shop.

Why have you delved into making political satire? 
I am not by nature a political person, but I believe that bearing witness through art is important for the health of our democracy, especially since the 2016 presidential election. To read an interview about the Wee Folk Players (They’re a Stitch), go to this post. In this Interview on WGBH TV, I reflect on my foray into political satire, the abrupt cancellation of my exhibit, “Liberty and Justice” and describe how it has affected my work and life.

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

Recent Posts

Baltimore Oriole sneak peek

I’m right in the middle of making the summer scene in my series of seasonal landscapes. Normally, I wait until a piece is finished before writing blog posts about it, but I just have to give you a preview of what’s to come! This scene features a flashy male Baltimore Oriole, which I’m excited to show.

It’s been ten years since I made a bird this size, like the ones in Birds of Beebe Woods. Back then, I didn’t take many pictures while I worked. This time, I documented every stage of the process with photos and videos, which I’ve shared on Facebook and Instagram over the past month and now here in this post.

The Baltimore Oriole will be perched in the upper branches of a tree that has little huts nestled at the base. Like the other scenes in the series, Frosty Morning, Mossy Glen and Harvest Time, the summer landscape will be full of wee folk characters cavorting outside in nature. The first 3 seasons are available as Jigsaw Puzzles and Note Cards in my Etsy Shop. When its finished, the summer scene will also be reproduced as a card and puzzle.

I hope to finish the summer scene in a few months, so that all four seasons will be displayed together at my exhibition in Vermont this fall.

The Wee Worlds of Salley Mavor (includes Bedtime Stitches).
Southern Vermont Arts Center, Manchester, VT
Sept. 30, 2023 – Jan. 7, 2024
Opening – Sat., Sept 30, 2 to 4 pm. Galley tour with the artist at 3 pm.

When the piece is completed, I’ll write my usual series of detailed posts about different aspects of how I work, like I’ve done with Frosty Morning, Mossy Glen and am currently doing with Harvest Time.

For now, I hope that you enjoy looking over my shoulder, while I work. The following five videos are condensed versions of different steps I used in creating the bird’s breast, beak, wing, tail, and feet.

Making the Breast

The videos aren’t intended to be tutorials, but you can pick up a lot of my stitching techniques. If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ve probably heard my personal philosophy about sharing knowledge. Basically, I’m happy to give peeks at how I work, as long as the act of creating isn’t overly dissected, else it loses its magic.

This video shows how I created the beak.

Making the Beak

This video demonstrates how I stitched the wing.

Making the Wing

This video shows the process of making the tail.

Making the Wing

This video shows how I formed the feet.

Making the Feet

Now that the bird is finished, I’ve resumed working on other parts of the landscape. But, I have a feeling that this Baltimore Oriole, in all his orange glory will not want to share the stage with whatever and whomever shows up next!

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

  1. Harvest Time – part 6 (underground) 8 Replies
  2. Revisiting Mary and her lamb 3 Replies
  3. Harvest Time – part 5 (toadstool mushroom) 2 Replies
  4. Harvest Time – part 4 (embroidered plants) 5 Replies
  5. What’s NEW in my shop? 1 Reply
  6. Baby Banner for Elias 26 Replies
  7. Bedtime Stitches in Pacific Northwest 7 Replies
  8. Adaptive Sled for the snow scene 8 Replies
  9. Boston Children’s Hospital Installation 28 Replies