Folkling Brick & Mortar Shop Opening

It feels surreal to be announcing this at all, let alone at the end of this particular year.
This contemplation, of having a shop, was long held as a “oh wouldn’t that be fun…” kind of dream.
A hypothetical dream. A dream where you think about your life and all of the things you would do if you could, in an alternate universe, do everything you wanted to do.

And then, this year, things shifted.

Photo work was placed on hold during the pandemic and my side business, Folkling, where I curate beautiful old things from my travels around the country and share their stories, became all I had in the way of making a living.
So I put my all into it.
I worked from sun up to sundown every day on this dream.

This dream to continue to be able to provide for myself a life of independence shaped by my artistry and sharing the beauty that I see in the world.

It took off. Turns out when you can’t go anywhere for months and you have limited options in the way of artistic output, focus and motivation pushed into one direction can do pretty amazing things. The reluctance and reticence I felt at the beginning of the year at the requirement to stay in one place turned into a blessing beyond measure.

A kismet happenstance of needing a change, praying for a sign for the-next-right-thing and a spontaneous drive through a small town and noticing an empty storefront.

The rest, as they say, is history.

In many ways this space feels like the ultimate tangible representation of all I have worked for in the ten years since I started A Girl Named Leney and the three since starting Folkling. To have a physical space to share with others, even with the limitations of this current time we live in, feels like such an incredible gift.

This dream that I held in partial disbelief of it ever being a reality, has now become tangible and it leaves me in awe and more grateful than I feel capable of expressing.

It would not be possible without the support of so many along the way. This is by no means a feat of an individual, so many have helped shape this venture into what it is today and I know there will still be many more yet to come.

But as for the official opening….

I was going to call it a soft opening because, well, we still don’t have a sign, there’s a lot of inventory that still needs to be tagged, we need more clothing racks and a couch and shelves and a bunch of other tiny details that no one but me will notice... and even though I feel beyond ready I also really don’t feel ready.

But I recognize that this space, this extension of me, will be ever changing and evolving as the months roll on.

So whether soft or grand—consider this the opening announcement.

---

Staring December 11th, the Folkling showroom will be open exclusively on Fridays and Saturdays from 10am-6pm.

During the week will be reserved for business-as-usual online listing, photo work and going out on The Road to pick!

So grab your mask and a friend and come out and say hello this weekend!

107 S Main St.
Suite 1
Gordonsville, VA 22942

---

Flyer by Maria Scott

A Beautiful Unfolding

If you missed part one of this story, you can read it here.

This is my friend Sarah (also known as @potters.daughter on Instagram).
Between us is a stack of quilts that we spent the better part of a month finding and rescuing all over the deep South. Most of these were found on my way to meet Sarah actually. That’s right—we’d never met in person until this day. Until this moment we were, as they say, just Instagram friends. But a dream Sarah had— not even three weeks before this photo was taken— led me to driving over 700 miles, with a car full of quilts, to meet her. Because we share a love of projects.
And a love for old textiles. And for not only *seeing* but *sharing* the beauty of imperfect and cast-off things and believing in their ability to still have life left to live. Additionally, we recognize that there is a lot of beauty to be found in partnering with someone to create something.

As much as you may want to do and create and be all of the things all by your lonesome, there is a special kind of magic that comes in choosing to join together with someone to share in the creation of a work of art.

That’s what this story is about... Collaboration.

But not in the millennial sense of the word. A surface level, here’s-a-thing-created-by-one-person-and-sponsored-by-another.

But a true equal partnership of deep exploration into the possibilities of the unknown and working together side by side in equal standing. To create something that feels layered and meaningful. To trust in the divine and in something bigger than ourselves.

I hope you’ll stay tuned as we keep unfolding the rest of this journey.

(I wasn’t trying to make a pun, you know, with quilts and all, but I kind of feel as though that’s a good title for this chapter of this story: A Beautiful Unfolding.)

A Dream That Led Me To Driving 700 Miles

My life is driven by stories.

This is the beginning of a story that I want to share with you.



It’s about two strangers who became friends over the internet and decided to create something together.

It’s about seeing the beauty in worn-out, imperfect things.
It’s about dreams.



I’ve been in love with textiles since I was a little girl.
Growing up, my Momma would take me to thrift shops and fabric stores.
I’d spend hours in these places walking around with my hard earned money, contemplating old clothes and yards of fabric to cut up to create the patterns I’d dreamed up from taking apart garments I had at home.


For a time I dreamed of becoming a fashion designer.


(And then I became knitwear designer. So that dream came true in a way. But that’s a story for another time…)


As I got older, I started to appreciate the history, style and construction of older clothes.
I learned about the toxic fast fashion culture and the harmful ways that most of our clothing today is produced and how much is thrown away.

I committed to only buying secondhand and US made clothing.

Then I became a curator and reseller of vintage clothing.
Which was a new kind of dream.
To be able to share this passion with others and live out this ethos of “saving the world” one dumpster of clothing at a time was a pretty rewarding (and just downright fun) thing.

Then I started learning about quilts.



Each, one-of-a-kind works of art. 


Made meticulously and thoughtfully by hand. 

Many, cast off and forgotten heirlooms from traditions long ago.

Each pattern holding storied meaning.



I realized that many quilts have been damaged beyond use and are cast off, unusable and undesirable because of their imperfections.


I started a personal collection of these quilts because I still saw their beauty, despite their stains and wear.



As it turned out, an internet friend named Sarah (@potters.daughter) felt a lot of the same things that I did about quilts.
In fact, we started talking about our quilt love so much that she ended up having a dream about it…

That dream of hers led to me driving over 700 miles from Virginia to Alabama a few weeks later.


Her dream?
I’ll tell you more about it later this week...

Folkling Shop Update | Mountain Mama

This collection of antique whites was shot in the Blue Ridge Mountains one slow early morning last week.
There was the sweetest bit of cool air blowing through the trees, an inviting promise of fall on its way, and the icy mountain river was a revitalizing wake up for my tired bones as I waded across from my campsite.

Each of these pieces were handpicked in Virginia. Some have mends and imperfections, but as you all know, it is in these very details that I find so much beauty and I think that the storied signs of wear and use make them all the more valuable and special.

This collection is a hard one for me to let go of, as the extra time and care I put into fixing and documenting them brings about more attachment and sentimentality in the process. But I hope that the places they end up will be better than where I found them.

Here’s to giving old things new life.

Suggested listen: Narrow Road by Jeffrey Martin (Actually, just go listen to this whole album…)

---

See more on
Instagram || Twitter || Facebook

—☽ —

Folkling Shop Update: A Turquoise Jewelry Collection

Nineteen special vintage pieces of sterling, turquoise and coral jewelry. 
I have been curating these all summer for you, and I am so excited to be able to finally offer them in the shop.

I have several incredibly special turquoise and sterling pieces in my own collection (some I wear every day) and they are timeless statement pieces that I treasure and value in my day to day wardrobe. They are investment pieces that will never decrease in value or go out of style.

It may feel indulgent to treat yourself in this way, but I believe what we wear and hold around us in our day-to-day routines holds more importance that we realize.

Choosing pieces that evoke stories and depth in their wear is a meaningful practice.

---

See more on
Instagram || Twitter || Facebook

—☽ —

Twenty Twosday

So I have an idea I want to share with you…

This is something that’s been on my mind for a while.
Since last Summer to be exact, and after a conversation with my friend Anna.

Anna and I have talked about our mutual love and affinity for living more sustainable and ethically responsible lives through a whole manner of ways, but especially in regards to shopping for our homes and bodies.

Which is in large part why we feel so passionate about what we do in regards to each of our respective vintage businesses.
It’s not just about paying the bills, though we gotta do that, we live and breathe what we preach in our every day and personal lives in regards to shopping secondhand and combatting fast fashion and the type of unhealthy and wasteful consumerism so prevalent in our world right now.

Which brings me to this point: Anna said this thing last Summer that’s stuck with me and been on my mind ever since…

“I want to make shopping secondhand and buying vintage more accessible to people.”

And while I  try often get most excited by working on fixing up Victorian tops, and hunting for really old denim, and hoping to find WW2 vintage and one of a kind handmade jumpsuits from the 1970s…

I’ve come to realize that I want that too.

I want to continue to share my love of the really old stuff. The vintage that does warrant higher prices because they’re rare or one of a kind, because they have special wear and patches and because they hold immeasurable amounts of history and story in them…

But…

I also want to make shopping for vintage and secondhand more affordable and accessible to more people and more budgets.

Because I do think it makes a difference.

It makes a difference buying something old that already exists, vs. something new at Target and creating the demand for more which has consequences far greater than most of us realize the reality of in our first world lifestyles.

It makes a difference supporting a small business and in turn your local community and economy.

It makes a difference refusing to settle on lack of quality in the name of quantity.

It makes a difference choosing to be more mindful with how you spend your money because: every time you spend a dollar, you’re casting a vote for the type of world you want.

And so I have an idea in the works…

99% of my wardrobe is secondhand/vintage/handmade

A similar statistic could be applied to how I furnish my home.

(Well… when I have a home and I’m not living on The Road in Blue Moon anyway…)

And so once a week I’m thinking about offering up a collection of more affordable pieces for your body and your space to help further the inspiration and motivation to keep the ways in which you clothe your body and furnish your home more ethical, sustainable and attainable.

The working concept for this idea is to call it: Twenty Twosday

In which I would post a collection of pieces every Tuesday that are $22 each.
Most pieces would be vintage, but not necessarily all because I don’t think something necessarily has to be 20 years old (the definition of true vintage) to be a great staple in your wardrobe or a beautiful or functional piece in your home.

(Though admittedly the quality and craftsmanship of clothing in the past 20 or so years has degraded IMMENSELY which is another reason I prefer true vintage more often than not. But I somewhat digress…)

As always, I would love to hear what your thoughts are on all of this friends! Comment on this post or shoot me a message over on instagram.

Last week’s first intro to the idea went so well, and I am so excited to post this week’s collection today in the folkling instagram stories! Click the button below to shop along.

In Case You Want To Put A Sheepskin On It

⋒ ⋒YOU COULD WIN THIS SHEEPSKIN FOR ONLY $10⋒ ⋒

In case you missed it yesterday, I posted a super fun raffle on the Folkling Instagram!

Tryin to help us all get through the middle of the week with a fun opportunity to win an extra special piece for your home!

Up for raffle is a lovely sheepskin. 
Measures 71” x 39”

It does have two slight marks *see photos* that may come out with some cleaning and spot treatment, but in no way effects the usability and enjoyment of this beautiful piece! There are also a few imperfect sections that have been shorn.

---

HOW IT WORKS

1. To enter, send $10 to @Leney on Venmo OR via PayPal Friends and Family to missjellyb@gmail.com with “Sheepskin Raffle” AND your instagram handle.
OR

(If you do not have Instagram you can leave your email instead but it is SUPER important that I have a way of contacting you if you win so please leave one or the other with your transaction!)

 Only ONE entry per person to give everyone an equal and fair chance of winning!

2. You have until midnight FRIDAY to enter!

3. I will write down everyone’s names who entered, throw them in my hat, go live SATURDAY morning on the Instagram story (so you guys feel extra good about this being above board and honest ) and pick a winner! (Don’t worry about being present to watch the live video— I will contact you via Instagram or your email if you win!) Many of you know my love for sheepskins due to my fiber arts history, and I have and use so many in both my stationary and mobile life!

---

I have one that I always sleep on when camping in Blue Moon  or in a tent, and I have been known to throw them in the backseat of my car for extra “ambiance”, but I also love them:

Draped on a chair that needs some extra cushion

On your bed for some extra styled depth and layering

Next to your bed as a rug so that your hard workin feet start the day extra pampered

A sweet floor pad to lay your bebe on

AND I don’t have a dog but I hear they make excellent dog beds... 

(If you want to see more ways that I use sheepskins, you can check out #PUTASHEEPSKINONIT

Thank you all for doing this with me! It’s been really great coming up with more diverse and varied ways to connect and have fun with you all during this time and help make ends meet over here! I have such a blast hanging out with you in this virtual space and talking about all the vintage and sustainable ways of livin. Thank you for being here.

I super appreciate each and every one of you. ️

Good luck and see ya Saturday morning on the @folkling Instagram!

Folkling Shop Update: Because of A Field of Buttercups

I know there have been more “Folkling Shop Update” posts than others lately on here.
The main reason, if I’m being honest, is that more in depth creation is the thing that’s keeping me goin these days.

And these posts allow for that.

But also my hope with these posts is that I can more consistently share a little more of my artistry and inspiration.
How I correlate and connect all of my passions into a photograph of a dress.
How a field of buttercups can leave your creative cup filled for days.
How the fullness of intention, mindfulness and specific action can be executed in everything that we do.

It’s a stretch to you perhaps. But it makes sense in my mind.

I’d been driving past this field for about a week, watching the golden waves grow brighter and brighter with each passing rain.
I finally donned this folkling dress and headed out to shoot in it yesterday afternoon.

These photographs emulate a feeling of quarantine relief for me. The ability to go outside and be in nature amidst this pandemic has been one of the saving graces of where I currently am.

I hope this dress can bring a similar feeling of calm— Even if you just wear it around the house.

Suggested listen: Diamonds & Gasoline by The Turnpike Troubadours

---

See more on
Instagram || Twitter || Facebook

—☽ —

Folkling Shop Update: Naturally Dyed

One of my main ethos’ in selling vintage is encouraging a more sustainable and ethically responsible lifestyle in myself and in others. It goes along with my five year pursuit of the art of slow living.

These pieces are a collection of vintage that I’ve held onto over the years because, despite stains or perceived plainness or lack of wear, I believed their bones were just too good to not be given a second life.
(See some of the before photos here!)

I have had various adventures in natural dyeing in the past, primarily with yarn and knitwear (see more here), but it was so much fun experimenting with clothing this time and some natural and simpler ways of dyeing that I hadn’t used before.

I had so much fun working on this collection and I hope you all find a little bit of inspiration to perhaps repurpose or recycle something in your own closet vs. throwing it out.

Sometimes we just need the chance to look at something through a different lens to fall in love with it all over again.

Suggested listen: Shades of Man by Khruangbin

---

See more on
Instagram || Twitter || Facebook

—☽ —

Natural Dyeing

I have been working on natural dyeing some vintage pieces for Folkling over the last few weeks. Pieces that I have been collecting that were otherwise unused, unworn, stained or just needed some new life.
I thought it would be fun to show a few before photos!

The after will be revealed and available in the shop later this week. Follow Folkling on Instagram and turn on post notifications to be the first to see!

It’s been a long while since I’ve experimented with natural dyeing, but I thought I would share some fun 35mm film photos of when I did it for a knitwear collection I had at a Quirk Gallery Trunk Show back in the day!

When I lived in Richmond, this was how I would dye my knitwear and yarn.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I’d set the dyes in my tiny kitchen on the stove and then I’d rinse the pieces in the alley next to my apartment and dry them on the roof of my building (where I wasn’t really allowed to be… but I digress….)

This time in my life and chapter in my creation process is such a special one to me.

I have always been proud of my tenacity and resourcefulness in not allowing limitations to stop me from achieving my goals.
This is something I’ve learned partially because I’ve had to, but also because I learned early on that out of limitations creativity and some of my best art is born.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
First two portraits of me were taken by my fellow natural dye/fiber artist friend, Emily.

---

See more on
Instagram || Twitter || Facebook

—☽ —