My Fashionable Life

Stan has got so big! He's adorable, I love his shirt.
Lovely sewing project; I miss my machine.

aww, your little guy is just delicious!
And what's inspiring me? Well today it's your post - remembering that I want to sew more but contenting myself with what is humanly possible, especially with a 3 year old in the house!

He's gorgeous. I love his tee shirt. Babies and children almost never fit into those age-range sizes; it makes much more sense when they use the height ones, but I suppose a lot of grannies and aunties have no idea what height little So and So is. I hope your new machine behaves better: I have a Bernina and it does very little atonal groaning.

Two things are inspiring me at the moment:
1) Babies: there are two coming to expand my circle of friends and family this winter. I agree with the poster above about the sizes -- your little one is certainly not alone in growing bigger and stronger than the recommended sizes indicate! (and yes, great photo!). When I worked in a kniting shop as a teenager, we recommended making six-month size for newborns since so many of them were being born larger than newborn size. For gifts I try to make something in six months to one year size that they can grow into.

2) My stash: I just moved to a nicer but smaller apartment, so stash reduction has gone from being a very good idea to an absolute emergency. Unfortunately, I don't have anything suitable to make baby clothes, but once the babies have gifts I want to try my hand at a very big Kaffe Fassett coat, or at least something along those lines. Something big that's a little thoughtless once one gets past the planning stages, that I can use up vast amounts of yarn with and not worry too much about fibre content.

I don't know how you could even stand to sit in front of a computer long enough to write that blog post when you have those adorable chubby cheeks to nibble and those blue eyes to gaze into! Swoon.

I know exactly what you mean about not having the patience for sewing! Several times I have been tempted to buy a machine but I have held off because I probably won't even use it, and it would just clutter up my room (along with all of the fabric I'd inevitably buy). But I do dream about all the things I'd make.

What's inspiring me at the moment? My friends. Beth is staying with me at the moment near the end of a 9-months trip through India, Nepal, the Middle East, Greece, Italy and now here. She's amazing!

Lovely sewing and gorgeous baby, what a heady combination! Thank you for the Jemima pattern, I've just finished it, well, except for the buttons, but I am wearing it. Its a great design and so comfortable. It is in fact my first successful sweater.

Good luck with your new sewing machine, your pushchair liner looks superb. Oh and Stan is just so adorable, I can't believe how quickly he is growing :)

I'm so happy to see a post from you, Anna! And Stan is so beautiful, I'm not surprised you've been distracted!

I'm feeling inspired by the onset of autumn at the moment. It really is the best season for knitters, I think. I'm flicking (for the millionth time) through the pages of Rowan's Vintage Knits, admiring Kim Hargreaves' new book via the photos on her website, and I also love the Twist Collective. I'm also perusing your own beautiful patterns (also for the millionth time). Lovely.

Other inspiration... I've been away from London for a while and it's lovely to wander the streets again. Everything which was old and boring seems new to me now! There are so many wonderful outfits walking about the place - I'm sure London wasn't this stylish when I left....?! I'm feeling inspired by townhouses, quiet leafy squares, noisy markets, and long coffees with friends.

Take care and hope to see you back before too long!

He's gorgeous. I love his tee shirt. Babies and children almost never fit into those age-range sizes; it makes much more sense when they use the height ones, but I suppose a lot of grannies and aunties have no idea what height little So and So is. I hope your new machine behaves better: I have a Bernina and it does very little atonal groaning.

I just have to reiterate what everyone else has said - Stan is adorable. I have a weakness for red-headed boys as my elder son had hair the very colour of Stan's when he was small. It's now darkened to auburn. In addition, my father's name is Stanley and he will be turning 80 next month.
I've just been readying my sewing machine for a new project. I'm going to make a quilted table runner. I saw one in a quilt shop and it looked oh so easy to make. I'll just have to discipline myself to complete it in a timely manner.

I just have to reiterate what everyone else has said - Stan is adorable. I have a weakness for red-headed boys as my elder son had hair the very colour of Stan's when he was small. It's now darkened to auburn. In addition, my father's name is Stanley and he will be turning 80 next month.
I've just been readying my sewing machine for a new project. I'm going to make a quilted table runner. I saw one in a quilt shop and it looked oh so easy to make. I'll just have to discipline myself to complete it in a timely manner.

I think knitting is less frustrating overall because you can almost always rip back mistakes, whereas with sewing there are mistakes you can never recover from.

Also, aren't raggedy old quilts the best? I just loven when they get that well-worn look.

are you sure that is stan? when did he go and grow himself into a bog boy? i love the whip up site for inspiration in all things. the come through with some lovely sewing ideas. and i will find the link they have for a few great clothes for boys, mainly pants and the like, but very good to start from.

no apologies needed, if i posted my mind blog entries there would be daily fodder for my few readers. do you not wish we could just telepathically post sometimes? hmmm, guess that might be a bit too intimate.

glad to hear from you. kiss your big boy for us.

i love your stroller seat padding! how fun! and much more comfy for the little one :)

no apologies are necessary! just blog when you can and say hi! we love hearing from you.

Oh, Anna, Stan is just amazing! so big and so full of a sunny personality. It just shines from him!
you two are the luckiest parents ever.

hmmm. inspiration? I moved recently and have been going through old (think 80's) Rowan pattern magazines and have been reinspired by the old school colo(u)r and patterns. I'm thinking of using a few of those patterns for inspiration but reshaping the oversized patterns into more current shapes. I guess you'd say I'm inspired by all the wild color and by how Kaffe used to look at a brick wall or peeling paint and devise a pattern from it. and how about combining sewing and knitting? would that make it easier?

oh, I feel so inspired by your sewing! I know too well the wacky moodiness of sewing machines (I think my mother's machine is possessed) and I find knitting so much more controllable (perhaps because it's just me and no machine is involved??)

I do feel however, that should I ever become a mother, my grandmother's machine will come out and I'll be very busy just like you. I really love what you did with that quilt, and the shorts are adorable. Not to mention your son! He is incredible! What hair! What a smile!!

As for what inspires me these days... I guess the need to retreat into myself. That is what I do when I knit or spin or whatever. It's very comforting when I craft...

Your baby is so cute... *sigh*

Good to hear from you Anna! How could Stanley possibly be even cuter?! What a lovely little boy.
I live in the Southeast. (US) I dressed my little boy in aprons when he was Stanley's age. Also, John John rompers, and button on pants. Many women in this part of the country still dress their baby boys that way. However, a lot of Dads freak out. :)
Your liner looks great. No doubt, you will be producing more lovely things on both kinds of needles!

Mine was enormous too - grew out of her cute little clothes before she was 4 weeks old.

The stroller pad turned out beautifully.

Hi Anna. Glad to read another post from you. I always check in to see if you've updated as I enjoy your writing very much and am inspired by your general craftiness! Your little boy is just beautiful! And what gorgeous red hair! I recently started knitting a lovely warm shawl from pink mohair for my grandma in law. I'm trying to be good and get in early with the xmas present making this year. I'll post a pic of my progress on my blog very soon. Take care, Fabienne x

Hi Anna. Glad to read another post from you. I always check in to see if you've updated as I enjoy your writing very much and am inspired by your general craftiness! Your little boy is just beautiful! And what gorgeous red hair! I recently started knitting a lovely warm shawl from pink mohair for my grandma in law. I'm trying to be good and get in early with the xmas present making this year. I'll post a pic of my progress on my blog very soon. Take care, Fabienne x

Oh he makes me soooo broody he really is the cutest! I miss having a little baby (my baby had his first day at school last tues *weeps*) Your puishchair liner is a great idea, and when they are at the biscuit eating (mooshing into things) stage its great to be able to throw things in the wash!!!

I find the terrible summer here in scotland is my knitting inspiration...its the need to be warm LOL ;)

Stan is adorable! What a happy face.

Inspiring? Currently, I'm "inspired" by a September deadline for submitting patterns to be used in next spring's SockMadness (http://sockmadness.wordpress.com/) competition. My last-year's design was well-recieved; hope this one will be too. I got the design-inspiration from a multi-patterned swatch I made last winter after perusing a Nicky Epstein book. (Swatching is never wasted!) Read a book; swatch some ideas; let it all simmer.

He is SO adorable - that gorgeous red hair ! He looks ready for anything !
Its great you got to stay at home with him for so many months.
I ve just made my grandson (3 ) some great socks out of Jawol - they fit great.
Good luck back at work.

He is SO adorable - that gorgeous red hair ! He looks ready for anything !
Its great you got to stay at home with him for so many months.
I ve just made my grandson (3 ) some great socks out of Jawol - they fit great.
Good luck back at work.

He is SO adorable - that gorgeous red hair ! He looks ready for anything !
Its great you got to stay at home with him for so many months.
I ve just made my grandson (3 ) some great socks out of Jawol - they fit great.
Good luck back at work.

Best of luck with your sewing. Looks good so far - that stroller liner is adorable! Fitting for the handsome Stanley! :) Currently, my upcoming wedding (next month) is inspiring me. I just CO for a wedding shawl. I think I'm crazy, but if a wedding isn't going to motivate me, I don't know what will! ;)

Inspirations:

Wonderful books, magazines, store displays. Taking something delimited like a scarf or dishcloth and imagining them in different ways. Art, film, nature, conversations. And wonderful knitters and writers such as yourself.

Fallow times are necessary, like winter. Spring will come. Promise.

Oh, Anna. LOOK AT HIS HAIR!!!!! What a beautiful baby! He must make you so very happy. I want to kiss his cheeks!

I have (finally) seen your previous posts. Try not to despair. Time will come again when you can find that creativity and some time will come with it to feel you can do things again. What you feel now will not last, unless you become Angelina Jolie, and then I suggest a fleet of nannies. ;-)

I am evidence that you will emerge. Stanley will grow so very very fast and suddenly you will have more time again. I am now knitting and reading on ravelry. I may not be blogging, but I can do so much more than in the last 20 months...

Sorry for the super long comment! Your book's time will come. xoxox HEJ

Lovely to get a blog update and see a picture of young Stan in his super shorts. He has grown so big - standing up almost on his own and what a special smile.
Good luck with the quilt. I have just finished my first - it's coming camping with us this weekend so we and the dog can be cosy in the tent. I stitched it with my old (hand cranked) Singer which I've had for years and years and years...
Also just finished a knitted T-shirt, a Magknits one I think, which I first saw on your blog ages ago. That went amazingly well too though I got a bit lost with the incs and decs!
Future inspirations - more Jaywalker socks for Autumn and a Knitty cabled cardi - that one looks a bit ambitious for me but I will give it a try!

Stanley is just SCRUMPTIOUS! What a lovely grin he has.

Hi there,
I've just got into sewing too - it's so much faster than knitting although I agree that knitting gives you more control. I'm somehow at the mercy of what the machine decides to do. In terms of inspiration - check this free sewing pattern out by Habitual.
http://habitual.wordpress.com/tutorials/
(and the flickr group - http://www.flickr.com/groups/816319@N21/) It's super easy!

p.s. Stanley looks very happy in his shorts!

I learned to sew long before I learned to knit I find it to be an invaluable if almost completely unpleasant activity to sit at a machine which, as you rightly point out, will invariable get snagged. Nonetheless My first 10 or 12 years of parenthood saw my machine get more use than ever before or since. I can't imagine having children and not being able to sew the clothes, draperies, bedding, nightwear, toys, linens and costumes I wanted them to have.

As for inspiration - I'm feeling the cool Canadian night air and seeing early morning dew that I know heralds the coming of crisp autumn days and then cold weeks of winter ahead. Its calling me to cables and pure wool, the mittens in VK and maybe, if I can find it in the budget, a little mohair wrap or throw.

Hi Anna.I am from Turkey.Do you remember me?I think this question is absurd.Anyway...I read your blog every week,sometimes you are lost.I like your every word,creativity....etc.Look,I know I have bad English,sorry,You don't know me,I didn't see you,but you are as my friend!!I am reading your writing,I am troubled about your writing in June 19...I want to write this to you;I am Turkish woman,I live in Turkey,I am 27 years old and I am as you I have been depressed.I understand you.But You think your life,you have beatiful baby,he must be your world...Please we are human.All sensation for us...Your friends need you ok?Be smile...You are very very good person.Lovelyyyyy

Oh, he is the most beautiful baby in the world! Look at that smile! Congratulations. (As for what's inspiring me? The thought of colder weather.)

What could be more inspiring than that little man? You are not crazy to feel incredibly creative and productive right now. I think something about 7 months of age gives you your brain back (at least a little.)