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Rating: 
Summary: Not what I expected.
Review: Given Sally Mavor's fame as a 3-D storyboard artist, this one is a disappointment. There's nothing in it on making the type of wood and fabric storyboards seen in books she illustrates. Just endless tiny fairies which, basically, all look alike. Cute, but without the lush outdoor backgrounds against which they were photographed, they're uninspiring.
Rating: 
Summary: A wonderful instruction for even the most hopeless.
Review: I am very craft impaired.
My sewing machine and I are ships sinking in the night. It is hardly portable and the kids grow faster than I can sew an outfit for them.
Knitting takes too long and I'm not anal enough to count stitches.
Needle point and its ilk, too tedious and lacks sarcastic messages that I'd rather impart than the usual spiritual/homey themes.
I only need so many crocheted pot holders.
And I have not, and will not give into the addiction that is Scrapbooking. ( let the kids rummage through shoe boxes filled with unmarked,unnamed pictures. It was good enough for me! Gah, what crack do they filter in those scrapbook stores, huh?)
I had figured I would never find a little project to keep myself off the streets ( or off Ebay) when I spied this instruction book at the store I was cautiously optimistic. Frankly, until I found this book, I was pretty sure that I did not have the craft-gene inside of me, therefore making me feel exceptionally defective in the girly department.
I fell in love instantly with the fairies and the little people, yet I remained hesitant because following directions ( unless complete with pictures) is problematic for a doofus like myself.
I sat down in the store and read every thing first. Realized that I already posessed nearly all of the material needed to create a fairy in my own home: pipe cleaners, embroidery floss, needle, felt, glue, acrylic paint and silk flowers. All I needed were little wooden balls. (and an acorn to use as a hat, but that is minor.) All things left over from failed projects. Mocking me of my failure everytime I looked at them in their respective craft drawer.
The start up cost to make a couple of fairies is probably under $10-15 if you don't have everything. Everything is very cheap. When you get more proficient in it, a better grade and selection of wool felt colors can be had through specialty places like Magic Cabin (dot) com. ( Lovely people there.)
I bit the cost of the book and went home all giddy. Following the step by step instructions, in under an hour, I made my first fairy.
I am making them as stocking stuffers and Xmas ornaments for the kid in my life and adults too. And I am contemplating making a Nativity Scene for Christmas. Its going to be a Very Fairy Christmas around these parts this year.
The book is filled with gorgeous photography and easy to follow instructions and plenty of project ideas to kick start something of your own.
My only beef with it, and it is minor, is there is no instruction on how to apply hair. Yes, it should be moron proof with : cut yarn to desired length, apply glue to wooden head, attach yarn, then put on acorn hat. But, there isn't. There is no suggested yarn type listed that works best for hair. Fortunately, I have Boucle yarn, which is rather hard to find and used in waldorf doll making. ( another project that I've failed at....I made the neck to thin and my dolls come out needed a neck brace. GAH!)
Also, FYI, if you buy this book in the spring/summer, and need acorns, there are none left over from the previous fall. You will have to wait until October, when the acorns start dropping off the trees. I am making all my dolls now (july) and putting on their acorn caps when my 3 oak trees in my yard produce this fall.
This book is pricey for an instruction book, but the low start up cost for trying a new project and all its sundry is worth it as it is something than can be completed in about an hour or so, be done while watching TV and is fairly portable makes it probably the equivalent or superior to another craft start up, as the pay off is much faster and it doesn't cause aggrevation like everything else I've tried. YMMV.
I am very, very pleased with this book. (Can you tell?)
Rating: 
Summary: Great for all ages; could use some reorganization
Review: I received this book for my birthday, and one of the first things that struck me was the universality of the projects. I immediately found myself showing others the book! There are projects specifically for children, and a child I know who usually rushes through projects wanted to make more and more and more "little people"...she just couldn't get enough, and my almost-60 mom has become obsessed with looking for "silk" flowers for fairy projects! For anyone interested in miniatures, the book is excellent. The dolls do seem a bit fragile, but I think the ones wrapped in embroidery thread could be "reinforced" with glue if meant for children.The bad news about the book is its disorganization. The author admits she has a hard time putting concepts into directions for others, and this is noticeable within the book. There is a lot of page turning which must take place, and sometimes you will forget where you read certain instructions and where you must turn to get them. In making one project (I'll randomly choose a 3 1/2" fairy), you must find instructions on pages 29-30, 25, 34, and 36. Not necessarily in that order, and often needing to turn to these pages more than once! There is a lot of flipping around involved, which can be frustrating when the instructions aren't all in one spot and you have your hands full of craft materials that you're afraid to set down lest the embroidery thread unravel or the glue come unfixed. Also, the instructions about how to do certain stitches (basically one illustration each, with no accompanying text) are confusing and really not helpful. In other places there is also not enough textual instruction on how to connect certain things; the jester's hat and clothing (two pieces of felt, without instructions on how to connect them) is one that comes to mind offhand. I'd give it five stars if not for the disorganization and lack of instructions, but I think most people would find these both frustrating. Nevertheless, no one should pass this book up just because of these problems. Just go into it knowing they are things you might encounter. Once you figure out how to do the projects you won't need to flip around for instructions, and can probably overlook the author's instruction oversights and disorganization. After all, most of us artists/crafters can identify with that! It's definitely a great book, and loads of fun. After already completing three projects, I nevertheless can't wait to try many more.
Rating:
Summary: Not what I expected.
Review: This book is bursting with detailed photos of projects that are sure to inspire the creation of your own wee folk dolls and crafts. Mavor's clear instructions show you how to create blossom fairies, wee folk village themed dolls, and other needlecraft projects. The best part is you don't have to be an expert seamstress to create these little treasures, and a wee folk doll can be completed in just a few hours. If you love arts and crafts this book will awake a new creative outlet.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Arts and Crafts Book
Review: This book is bursting with detailed photos of projects that are sure to inspire the creation of your own wee folk dolls and crafts. Mavor's clear instructions show you how to create blossom fairies, wee folk village themed dolls, and other needlecraft projects. The best part is you don't have to be an expert seamstress to create these little treasures, and a wee folk doll can be completed in just a few hours. If you love arts and crafts this book will awake a new creative outlet.
Rating:
Summary: An Inspiring Little Treat
Review: This is a treat of a book to the craft inclined! Just looking through it will inspire you to get out some embroidery floss. The projects are creative and the details are unique. I have loved making the wee folks, but the sections on purses, pins and collages after the fairies were actually my favorites! The embroidery is quite simple to do, but Salley Mavor's details make the results so charming.
I also want to mention the organization. I thought it was quite creative and useful. I read it straight through, wanting to know how to do everything. It gave me ideas of how to make several folks at once, to do the basic body construction efficiently, and then choose the details and finish the dolls as fun little families. I must admit, though, I'm very good at reading the instructions once through and then just making the project on my own.
Hopefully you join me in buying this book, making some of the projects shown and then getting creative with felt and embroidery. You'll really enjoy it!
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