Skip to content

Popular posts
Larksome Goods
What I’m Reading
Better with wine
Contact
About me
Recipe Archive
dinner prompt

the beauty of an ordinary life

Tag: Valentine’s Day

February 14, 2016August 14, 2016

This old house.

About a boy, Among friends, Serious stuff, The view from here, What's for dinner, 7 Comments

Archives

Archives

Instagram

OK: Re-do, with the correct date (because it all blurs together in the quarantine...). This Wednesday, May 27, at 6:00 I’m going to do an art chat/gallery talk with @mek_design about some recent work, how making art has helped quarantine anxiety, and more. We’ll be on Instagram Live - a first for me. Join us!

#quarantineart #cyanotype

When I am overwhelmed with the news or my work, I make things. Busy hands; calm mind. A mental reset. Some things are useful and practical (dinner, for example, and face masks). Other things (art blocks) are completely useless and impractical but bring joy. One thing that has been on my want-to-make list? A dress from hand-printed fabric, using Lotta Jansdotter’s Esme caftan pattern (my favorite). The fun-loving, creative sisters behind Iron Orchid Designs finally set me in motion with their #iodrunwayreplay challenge. Frivolous? Yes. A good distraction (healthier than watching TV)? Also yes. An activity more attractive (to me) than venturing out into the world? Check. Way to support small business, for the supplies and materials? Double check. So, voilà: Inspired by Oscar de la Renta’s resort 2019 collection, which featured dresses (and a caftan) in blue toile, here is my blue toile caftan. The couture version is silk; mine’s hard-working, washable, unbleached muslin. Also, mine has pockets, because real women need pockets, whether pockets are fashionable or not. Process: I cut the pieces (pre-washed fabric) before printing with #ioddecorstamps (rose toile, fronds, indie folk, butterflies) and China blue ink. I heat-set the printed pieces with an iron and also put them in the dryer on high heat for 20 minutes. Thank you @ironorchid_design and @meandmrsj for fostering creativity during an otherwise dark time and for helping clear my head so I can dig into my work-work with a focused mind. #sewing #lottajansdottereverydaystyle #handprintedfabric #blueandwhite #toile

For this year’s Mother’s Day crafternoon (the quarantine edition): tiny houses, to decorate my home office where I now spend most of my time. These are just scrap wood blocks that B cut to house shape (ish). All got base coats of @joliepaints and then were decorated with stamps and decor mould casts from @ironorchid_design (a couple got gold leaf, too).

I deal with anxiety by making things - sewing, cooking, painting, etc. Being busy with my hands and creative with my brain calms me down and levels out my emotions. Making and keeping mementos also helps me through challenging times. (True story: We still have the ceramic thing - can’t remember what it’s called - that blew off the electrical pole during hurricane Elvis. We use it as a candle holder on our porch, still today.) If making things calms you down, too, and you want to make this particular thing, like the one I’m holding (the block, not the dog 😂), then head to @meandmrsj tomorrow and pick up a kit for $10, all of which goes to the COVID-19 relief fund at the Community Foundation. Bernard cut the blocks from scrap wood. I designed/printed the silly artwork, and Stephanie packaged it up. We thought it might be a tiny, cheerful way to do a little bit of good.

Looking for something?

Search for:

Follow Blog via Email

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 7,012 other followers

Tags

#nostalgia #WPLongform 20 years in 20 posts adventure aging art blogging books childhood children Christmas cooking creativity dinner dogs DPchallenge eating entertaining faith families family family dinner family meals farmer's market Father's Day countdown feminism food friends friendship garden growing up happiness health Hipstamatic home kitchen life love marriage memoir Memphis menu menu planning menus month in review Mother's Day motherhood mothers neighbors new year organization parenting peace pets photography portraits postaweek raising children reading reading recommendations recipes relationships school sisters spring summer Thanksgiving the South time travel vacation weekly menu women writing year in review

Follow Blog via Email

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 7,012 other followers

All Mine.

All words and images on this site belong to Jennifer Larkey Balink.

Search

Search for:

Follow jenny's lark on WordPress.com

Powered by WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy