charming

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Salley Mavor

I found these charm bracelets while cleaning and organizing my studio. Some are passed down from my mother and grandmother and one is from my own childhood.

My idea of dressing up, was to wear a charm bracelet. For my 5th birthday party, I also wore turtles-in-a-row barretts.

I remember picking out these charms on our family’s trip to Europe in the summer of 1965. At ten years old, I was just old enough for our travels to make a lasting impression. We went to Greece, France and Switzerland.

The charms help me remember what we saw in Italy…

and Austria and Germany, too. Although my siblings and I spent hours in the back seat, cutting paper dolls from Archie comics, I remember the sights and experiences of this trip clearly. I think that I began to wake up to the world outside of my little village. I am thankful that my parents were willing to take us to Europe and caravan with another family for over a month. It made a difference in all of our lives.

Posies show coming to Fresno, CA

Posted on February 12, 2012 by Salley Mavor

I’m happy to announce that the Pocketful of Posies Traveling Exhibit is going coast to coast! 25 original fabric relief illustrations from Pocketful of Posies, plus some illustrations from my other books will be displayed at the Arne Nixon Center for the Study of Children’s Literature, Henry Madden Library, California State University, Fresno, CA, from March 18 – May 27, 2013.

This arrangement came about because a librarian at the Arne Nixon Center saw my illustration on the cover of the current issue of Horn Book Magazine. (See how I made the cover artwork here.) She found out about the touring exhibit and inquired about sending the artwork to Fresno. Luckily, half of the pieces in the show are available during the time slot she was interested in, so they’ll be shipped to California in a little over a year. The other half will be shown at Cedarhurst in Mt. Vernon, Illinios about the same time, from Feb. 23rd to May 5th, 2013.

Plans are in the works for the show to travel to some other locations, which I’ll announce when arrangements are confirmed. I’m so glad that people in different areas of the country will be able to see my work “up close and personal”. Inquiries from non-commercial, secure venues with museum lighting and a shipping budget are welcome. (weefolk@cape.com)

Turkey (store fronts)

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Salley Mavor

Here’s another bunch of photos from my trip to Turkey last fall. I took my camera when we walked around Istanbul and Bodrum. Shop doors were always open, overflowing with stuff to buy. Somehow, junk food looks more heathy and appealing in Turkish packaging.

I caught glimpses of people working inside their businesses, like this taylor.

And saw many places to sit and eat outside. Yes, those are carpets on the tables. Our hotel was on this street.

The markets were busy and inviting.

Cats were everywhere.

This bakery was just around the corner from our hotel.

There were numerous places to buy souvenirs.

The side walks were extensions of businesses, so covered with tables and racks, that people walked in the street.

black cat pin

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Salley Mavor

I gave a talk today at the First Congregational Church in my home town of Falmouth, MA. The audience included many needle workers who were very curious about how I made some of the pieces I showed in my slide presentation. Jo Ann Coleman brought a black velveteen cat pin to show. It’s one I had made over 30 years ago for her son, who was a classmate growing up in Falmouth. In the late 70’s, early 80’s, I made custom pins for customers who send photos of their cats. I remember seeing the picture of this big black one with a white beard. It’s wonderful that these pins I made decades ago keep coming back into my life! You can read more about the pins here.

Wee Yo Yo Ma

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Salley Mavor

My little friend Celeste has made several wee folk dolls and the latest is a miniature Yo Yo Ma. Celeste is studying cello and she had the opportunity to see him perform in Hyannis last week. The doll and a card were given to an assistant, who was to pass it on to Yo Yo himself. The doll is appropriately dressed in a black tuxedo, with wire rimmed glasses, holding a cut-out cello. Thank you, Celeste, for making such a nice gift and letting me share it. I’m sure that Yo Yo will be thrilled!

coming to Portland, OR

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Salley Mavor

I’ll be going out west to Portland, Oregon this spring to visit my sister Anne. She helped me set up an event at a wonderful fiber arts shop called Gossamer.

The owner, Rose used to sell my fairy kits when she ran the store at the Portland Waldorf School, so she is familiar with my work. Now, she is happy to have her own shop, which sells fiber arts materials and Waldorf supplies. On Sunday, April 1st at 3:00 pm, I’ll be there to give an illustrated talk, show the Rabbitat film, sign copies of Pocketful of Posies and meet people, including some blog followers from Portland. I’m thinking of bringing some original fabric reliefs to show, too.

Closer to home, my next presentation will be Wed., Feb. 8th at 12:30 pm at the Falmouth Congregational Church, on the village green, Falmouth, MA. The public is welcome to come hear me talk about my work and see some original fabric relief pieces.

Treasures – Shirley Temple doll

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Salley Mavor

my mom, Mary Louise Hartwell, about 1930

I saw the new movie, The Artist (see the trailer here) the other night and walked out of the theater thinking about tap dancing, which is featured at the very end. That got me thinking about my mother’s life as a girl during the movie’s time period (late 1920’s-early 30’s). She took tap dancing lessons and I still have her Bell Tone taps, which I sewed into this little hanging I made years ago. It’s a forerunner to the wedding banners I’ve been making lately, which you can see here.

My Mom was one of the lucky girls of her generation to have a Shirley Temple doll, which I now have. The doll has been stored in her original wardrobe trunk all these years.

Shirley Temple was discovered at the age of 3 and became a hugely popular movie star when “Talkies” began to replace silent films in Hollywood in the 1930’s.

It looks like my Mom peeled off most of the stickers, but here’s one that’s mostly left.

I found Shirley inside, along with a closet and card board drawers full of clothes.

She looks in pretty good shape. I remember seeing the doll as a child, but thankfully, she was kept away from our grubby fingers.

The pile of clothes includes some home-made ones as well as some outfits with “genuine” Shirley Temple tags.

This doll is a treasure to cherish. I’m glad to have this memory of my mother and times past.

Turkey (Bodrum)

Posted on January 26, 2012 by Salley Mavor

I’m still going through the 1000+ photos from our trip to Turkey last fall and have decided to post this group from Bodrum, which is located on the south-western coast. We had this hill-top view from our hotel, where we stayed before we met up with our chartered boat and started cruising around the area.

In the morning, we walked downhill into the town, past these white washed houses.

And walked over to see Bodrum Castle, which was built by Crusader Knights in 1402.

We saw suits of chain mail armor on display.

Inside the castle was a museum with ancient stone sculptures lying around the courtyard.

This statues looked better with a head (my husband Rob’s).

We saw amphoras stacked together, as if they were in the hull of a ship.

Then we walked along the pier, wondering which boat would take us out to sea. On top of this bright pink car, the sign says TAKSI. We learned that there is no X in their alphabet.

Fishmongers were set up on the docks.

The next day, we headed out on our cruise, which I wrote about here.

2 more weeks to see “Sewn Stories” in Brattleboro, VT

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Salley Mavor

Self Portrait detail

My show, Salley Mavor: Sewn Stories will be at the Brattleboro Museum in Vermont for just 2 more weeks. It’s a wonderful little museum in a great town! Many people have seen the exhibit since it opened last July , but I know there are others who have been thinking about going, so now is the time. The show will be there through Sunday, February 5th, 2012.

The show includes several originals from Pocketful of Posies as well as illustrations from some of my other books. My Self Portrait: A Personal History of Fashion and Rabbitat are on display, too. After the show ends, the self-portrait will be returning to its semi-permanent home at the Woods Hole Public Library.

I don’t usually toot my own horn so loudly, but I want to share a few sentences from this review of the show, which came out in Art New England:

“In astonishing detail, Mavor’s work above all conveys an artist who is entirely present. Beyond merely illustrating a story or poem, she brings us into it. Engaging with these works is like searching for stars in the night sky–at first we don’t recognize the extent of the delicate endless stitching, but as we keep our eyes focused, more and more appear. Surely her thread is gossamer, her fingers unimaginably nimble.”

Happy Hibernation

Posted on January 17, 2012 by Salley Mavor

I thought I’d come out of my blissful hibernation just long enough to show a few pictures of my studio in its current state of messiness (productivity). For some people, winter is to be endured, but I love this time of year, when I can spent hours working on projects, with less distractions. Last winter I spent 4 months working on the Rabbitat piece. See the short film and posts about it here. This winter, I’ve started constructing scenery and characters to use in stop-motion animation, which I’ve wanted to do for a long time. My husband, Rob and I are working together on the project and have started experimenting. We’re not ready to show anything or describe the story yet and are still in the early learning stages of the production. The process is incredibly time-consuming and we’ll be happy if we can put together a 2 minute film. I guess I wanted to show that I’m busy working!