HOUSE OF STANLEY

My Dad, Stan, came from a family of tailors in Jamaica and his services were often called on in the RAF during World War 2 to alter uniforms etc.  When I visited the house where my Dad was born and grew up, I was fascinated by 4 grooves in the wooden veranda floor.  Dad explained that they were caused by the tredle sewing machines that his parents used, but that Gran's was deeper than Grandad's as she used to rock children to sleep across her lap while she was sewing - multi-tasking at it's best!

Sadly, there are no photographs of Grandad Edwin, but the photograph above is of Grandma Suzette taken in Jamaica during the 1940's.  She brought up 6 children alone, Ashley, Alvern, Stan, Beryl, Ivy and Mavis following the death of Grandad at a very early age.

Dad taught me to sew but my skills are still very basic and, all too often, projects are discarded and I return to my knitting.  I recall him visiting my secondary school to see the sewing teacher - she had cut out a gingham school dress for me but had done it so badly that none of the checks matched up!  In his quiet but firm voice, Dad showed her how to do it and she asked him to cut out 4 more while he was there!  He was even invited into the Staff Room for a cup of tea!

My House of Stanley page on Facebook is obviously named after Dad but features hand knitted garments from 1940 patterns for men.  Garments for boys will hopefully be added in time.

One of my customers, Ben, found a wonderful knitting pattern for me which I knitted up for him and he has kindly allowed me to use his photograph wearing the finished garment.  I found two perfect buttons in Dad's stash that I have inherited.  I have no idea how old they are but was really pleased that the colour matched so well.  The wool was a lovely soft Merino blend from http://www.deramores.com/.

In one of my major shredding sessions for my day job as a legal PA, I accidentally shredded the pattern that Ben sent me but did manage to knit another from my handwritten notes and the picture of that jumper, in the same colour as Ben's, can be seen on www.facebook.com/HouseofStanley.

THE HILDA JUMPER

In 1988 I knitted my first vintage jumper from a pattern Mum had written on scraps of paper from which she knitted her own in the 1940's.  Later that year I found the original pattern in a book in the library and, although I always called my jumper "The Hilda Jumper" for obvious reasons, I was delighted to learn that the original pattern was called "Jersey With A Soft Bow".

This jumper is still going strong after all these years and, amazingly, still fits me - the joys of feather and fan stitch!  I wore it to the first 1940's event that my husband, Bob, and I went to in 2008 and it drew the attention of a re-enactor.  That lady, whose name I never took, begged me to start a website but, as each item can take four week or more to knit, depending on work and family commitments, it would take years to build a stock so I began my Hilda's House Facebook page a few years later.

I knitted a black short sleeved version which I donated to a fundraising day for Help For Heroes at Fox Vintage in Buckingham.

I hope to find time to knit a short sleeved version for myself but the biggest decision is what colour!

A Hilda Jumper is also now in Australia which would please my Mum enormously as she always wanted to visit that country.  My lovely customer there, Linda, has kindly agreed that I may share her picture.  Thank you Linda.

ABOUT STAN & HILDA'S HOUSE

Hello and welcome to Stan & Hilda's House.

This blog is dedicated to my never-ending journey into the vintage world, particularly the 1940's, which is an era I love because of the clothes and the never-give-up attitude of the people who lived in that era.  The main inspiration are my late parents, Stan and Hilda who met during World War 2, married on 8th April 1947 by special licence as Dad was due to return to Jamaica to be demobbed from the RAF.  They were the first inter-racial marriage in our home town and were married for 62 years before Mum's death in 2009.  Dad joined her in 2014 and they are sadly missed, but both left a legacy of memories, my brother's love of the blues, and my love of knitting and sewing.

My Dad, Stan, came from a family of tailors in Jamaica and Mum was one of a large family of farming stock.  My Grandfather and Grandmother are in the wedding photograph above.  Gran taught all her daughters to knit, and Mum passed that talent onto me.  It was a given that I should name my Facebook business page after her to showcase my hand knits - Hilda's House with ladies and girls clothing - and I have a growing customer list.  My Facebook page for mens' and boys' hand knits was started last year and is called House of Stanley.

www.facebook.com/HouseofStanley
www.facebook.com/HildasHouse