Happy Halloween!

Hi all! I'm so sorry I'd been MIA for the past few weeks. This is to update you on part of what I had been working on. This slide shows some of my best picks from my store.









Hope you all have a happy Halloween!

May I introduce to you...

A Girls Guide to Home Life, my latest blogging adventure. This blog will be covering subjects like: sewing, cooking, care of the home, etiquette, etc. You know, the good old-fashion topics of home life. I'll also be posting scans/pictures of some of my old books, that are in my personal library, on sewing, cooking, etiquette, and the like. Maybe I'll also do some of my old magazines. :-)

See you over there!

~Ashley


P.S. This new blog is going to be more along the lines of old-fashion home life. While Bramblewood Fashion, is my sewing and modern fashion blog. :-)

Modern Maid Marian - Take Three

I'm sad to announce that today is the last day for Maid Marian's Wardrobe: A Fashion Event. :-(  How very sad. Amanda, I'll be eagerly awaiting your next event! Hint, hint. ;)

I did plan to show you three outfits that I had  put together, but sadly, I ran out of time. I'll just have to show them to you'll some other time. :-)

- What I'm Wearing -

Wrap Around Jean Skirt - made by me for the event 

Cream Turtleneck - St. Johns Bay JCPenny

Brown Moleskin Vest - Same as before

Crimson Scarf - from Portobello Road, London

Burgundy Cloak - Made by me

Borrowing my brother's sword - Vision Forum 

Black Boots - Bass

Today's outfit was inspired by Maid Marian's Nightwatchman outfit.

 

 

Modern Maid Marian - Take Two

I'm having so much fun putting together modern Maid Marian outfits for this week-end! I'm one who likes to dress with a theme. Like I had the Anne of Green Gables phase and Little House phase. :P Well anyway, back to today's outfit.

 What I'm Wearing:

Brown Moleskin Vest - Made by me (Same as yesterday)

White Blouse - IZOD

Orange Scarf - Target

Brown Plaid Skirt - Worthington JCPenny

Black Boots - Bass (Same as yesterday)

See you all tomorrow for the final day!

P.S. I'm sorry about the bad lighting in the pictures.

Modern Maid Marian - Take One

Today I put together a Modern Maid Marian outfit for me to wear. I combined Marian's love of Sherwood Forest and Robin Hood, with her life in the castle which is more feminine.

What I'm Wearing:

 Cream Ruffle Tank-top - Gap

White long-sleeve T-shirt - Gap

Moleskin Vest - Made by me for this event

Green Pendent Necklace - 1928 Jewelry Kohls

Jeans - St. Johns Bay JCPenny

Black Boots with buckles - Bass

  I believe the ruffles and necklace show Marian's feminine side. While the vest and boots remind us of her more rustic, Sherwood Forest side.

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Simplicity 2556 - Maid Marian Vest

For my vest seen above, I used view A, the middle and right picture on the cover. Except for my version, I didn't add the lining. Shh! Don't tell anyone. Instead, I used the serger to finish the insides, so it won't fray.

I used brown moleskin for the vest, which works great! This is the same fabric I used for my Nightwatchman mask.

How to Make Maid Marian's Nightwatchman Mask

Here is a step-by-step on how to recreate Maid Marian's nightwatchman mask for yourself.

1. Study the picture of Marian’s mask to get a feel on the shape and fit. Draw the mask on paper in any size. This is to get more of feel on how the curves are and work.

2. Measure your head from the front of your ear to the front of your other ear, horizontally.

3. Next measure from the middle of your forehead to just above the tip of your nose.

4. Take these measurements and draw the mask again, on regular paper, using your measurements for how long and wide the mask will have to be to fit you.

5. Cut out the pattern. Pin to what ever kind of fabric you want the mask made out of. Cut.

6. Finish the edges of the mask using either a serger or a zigzag stitch on your sewing machine.

7. Cut out two lengths of ribbon that will be long enough to tie in the back of you head. Attach ribbon at corners of the mask.

8. Try the mask on to find out where your eye holes will be. Cut out the holes, once you removed mask from face. Finish the eye-hole edges with a zigzag stitch, and you are finished!

I hope this helpful! If it is not helpful, let me know and I’ll try to help you out.

 

Medieval Maid Marian - "Nightwatchman" inspired outfit

Today I'm going to start with my medieval outfit, as my modern Marian outfits are still being sewn. :D

I sewed this outfit back in August just for fun, after gazing at all of the Robin Hood BBC pictures on Amanda's blog. I had fallen in love with Marian's outfits, with a list of what I wanted to copy a mile long! =) I knew I need to make at least one of them. So I went with a Nightwatchman inspired look.

::Inspiration::

This picture was inspiration for my mask and cloak.

While this red dress of Marian's was my inspiration for my red dress - just minus the beading and sleeves (which I love).

 

::My Version::

 

::Patterns I used::

I used McCall's 4491, view C for my dress.

I'll do a separate post on how you can make Maid Marian's mask for yourself sometime latter today. As it is quite easy and simple.

Turn Your Jeans into a Skirt

Have you ever wanted a jean skirt? But could never find one you liked in the stores or, one at all! Well, I have struggled with that problem since I outgrew my old jean skirt.  :) My solution was to turn a pair of my very old jeans into a skirt.

 

 

 

This skirt is very simple and easy to make. It only took me about 15 minutes to whip up this skirt. Plus, I added two fun trims, brown bias tape for the hem and cotton lace for the insert in the front.

I got the idea on how to make the skirt here: http://www.savvyseams.com/clothing/jeanskirt.php

~Ashley

Inspiration - 1940s

I was surfing through the Life photos on Google images and struck inspiration! There are so many inspiring images! Let me share with you some of my favorites from the 1940s.

First off, Little Boy's Clothing -

 

Woman's Fashion -

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Young Ladies Fashion -

 

Is there not some lovely things? I'm now full of inspiration to go down to my sewing machine and sew something 1940s or 40s inspired. =)


~Ashley