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Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Pocketful of Posies, by Salley Mavor. Houghton, Thomas Allen & Son. 2010. $27.50 ages birth and up



"Elsie Marley has grown so fine,
She won't get up to serve the swine,
But lies in bed till eight or nine,
And surely she does take her time."


My word! That's my first reaction to this book of familiar and not so familiar nursery rhymes. What, I haven't seen a book of such rhymes before? Of course, I have! Have I seen such ubelievable needlework to accompany them? No, I have never!

If you don't spend hours poring over the incredibly detailed and beautiful work that Salley Mavor has done to bring focus to nursery rhymes, I'll be very surprised. She calls it 'fabric relief collage' and it will have you picking your jaw up off the floor as you wander through its pages.

She has chosen verses to take her intended audience from awakening to a new day all the way through to bedtime. The world she fashions is miniature and is created using wool felt, numerous precise stitches and  found materials...you must look closely to find where she has used them here. These old rhymes are given a new and glorious life. The detailed scenes include people, gardens, animals and houses. They each took almost a month of work, and we are blessed to be able to share them with the children we love.




There are not words to do it justice, and the photo included here cannot possibly give you a real feeling for this wondrous collection. Put it at the top of your list for that new baby, a favorite grandchild, an appreciative needleworker!

If you have not heard of Salley Mavor, artist extraordinaire, google her. You will be astounded!

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