Kim Stenehjem

Member of Fargo Moorhead Quilters Helps Bring National Fiber Show To Town

Fiber artist Salley Mavor is well known for her charming 3D fiber art pieces featured in children’s books like Pocketful of Posies and her newest publication My Bed. When FMQuilters member Sandra Gordon learned that Salley was looking for venues interested in displaying the touring exhibit of My Bed illustrations, she immediately emailed Maureen Kelly Jonason, Executive Director of the Historical and Cultural Society of Clay County, to see if they would be interested in hosting the show in their space at the Hjemkomst Center. Sandra included photos of some of Sally’s pieces in the email.

“I sent Maureen the email asking if she’d consider it, and decided to follow up soon after on the phone in case she had questions. Maureen had already reached out to Salley and was in the middle of scheduling dates,” Sandra said. “It just shows how quickly people fall in love with Salley’s work.” The show titled Bedtime Stitches will be on display through December 31, 2022 on the third floor of the Hjemkomst Center in Moorhead from 9:00 am – 5:00 pm. Mavor’s books are for sale in the gift shop.

Salley Mavor’s at work on My Bed illustration

Mavor is no stranger to the Fargo Moorhead area. Gordon was instrumental in bringing Mavor to Moorhead To teach a workshop with the local chapter of the Embroiderers Guild of America in September of 2001 and nearly had to cancel because of world events. She came to town on the first plane that landed in Fargo after the 9-11 lock down. The class was sold out so many FM needleworkers were able to learn from the master. But Mavor’s busy artistic and production schedule has made a return trip very difficult to arrange. With this show, Gordon wanted to expose even more people in the area to Sally’s intricately embroidered and shaped fiber scenes by bringing Mavor’s original art to town.

Members of the Fargo Moorhead Quilters Debbie Richman and Virginia Dambach are doing live demonstration sessions to show visitors the techniques Mavor uses.

“We hope people will get excited and unleash their creativity,” said Dambach “because even if you don’t have Sally’s years of experience you can make your own scenes and little people using her techniques.” Dambach and Richman will be presenting live demonstrations that are open to the public in November and December.

Dambach’s Sherwood Forest will become home to Little John, Maid Marion, Robin Hood and Friar Tuck

Dambach brought a piece in progress she is making for her grandchildren to play with. A shadow box diorama of Sherwood Forest will be a creative space for them to make up stories and move their characters around in a kind of puppet show.

“Once the figures are done, I’ll add magnets to them and to the background so they can move and reposition them any way they want,” said Dambach. It’s great creative play and they’ve been helping me with design decisions as well. They were appalled that I didn’t put underwear on Friar Tuck under his robe so I had to add that.”

Fellow demonstrator Debbie Richman is new to Mavor’s techniques and has fallen in love with fairy figure. She’s learned you don’t need a huge fabric stash or bins of supplies to make all kinds of characters but it helps. “You need beads for the heads and pipe cleaners/chenille stems to shape the arms and legs. Acorn caps make little hats. Artificial flowers make skirts. It’s just so fun!” Dambach and Richman will schedule demonstrations in November and December.