Bramblewood Fashion was started in August of 2009. When BF first began, it was just a random place filled with mostly sewing posts & patterns that had just came out. Oh, yes. And my High-School graduation gift - a trip to London, UK with my mom. In January of 2010 I made the decision to have the focus of BF be more of a modest fashion blog. {Back then there weren't many modest fashion blogs out there.}
~Goal of BF ~
I want BF to showcase my everyday style and encourage other girls/ladies to dress modestly. To show that you don't have to dress frumpy to be modest. And that you can in fact, follow the trends and dress modestly - it is all about adapting the trends for your standards & style. BF will also share sewing posts, movie reviews {most of the movies will be from the 1960s and earlier}, my latest baking/cooking, trips across the United States with my family, scans from vintage magazine collection, and what ever else strikes my mood.
You can help spread the word about BF by having one of our blog buttons on your blog/website.
~Meet Ashley ~
Twitter - Pinterest - Etsy -
If you would like to email me you can reach me @ bramblewoodf {at} gmail {dot} com
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~Meet Gabrielle ~
Coming soon....
~ F.A.Q ~
Ashley, what is your height? 5' 8"
"When did you first begin sewing historically/vintaged clothing?"
My first two articles of clothing I ever made was a pioneer dress {this was my first project & I made it out of an old 1970s sheet that was plaid}, and a costume I copied from Felicity: An American Girl Adventure {once again made out of a sheet}. This was in January of 2006. I was fifteen and a half at the time. I didn't sew any modern clothing until July of 2007.
"How did you learn how to sew?"
My mom taught me how to sew the basics. Hand sewing when I was about 5. Embroidery when I was 7 or 8. Then she showed me how to use the sewing machine when I was 8 or 9. I learned to sew clothing mostly from books, tutorials on-line, online classes given by Mrs. Chancey, and just by doing it.
"How did you get into blogging?"
Back in 2008, our mom came up with the idea that us three older girls {Gabrielle, Hanne-col, and myself} could run a blog with her. It was called, Vintage Home Life and was hosted on Wordpress {the blog is no more, by the way}. Except, I was the only one who would blog on it. It was a good experience for me to learn the ropes of blogging, as not many people read it. In August of 2009 I started, Bramblewood Fashion and stopped blogging on Vintage Home Life. Then in October of 2009 I started, A Girls Guide to Home Life {it is the basically like how Vintage Home Life was}.
"What are your favorite blogging tools?"
Google Analytics, Google Alerts, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Picnik....I think that it is all of my favorites.
"Where do you find sewing inspiration?"
Period Dramas, Old Hollywood movies, TV Shows, Pinterest, Historical & Vintage fashion, Online Catalogs, and other Designers.
"What kind of camera do you use?"
A Sony Cybershot DSC-H10 8.1MP
"What is your testimony concerning your journey to the modesty standards you have today? Have you always held the same standards or has it changed, and why?"
Alright, I always struggle with how to answer this question when asked. As I've always had ingrained in me to dress modestly & do what God desires - even at a young age. I remember my mom talking to me about modesty & clothing when I was really young, about 5 or 6. We as a family have gone in phases of different standards. But we were just growing in Christ. Like there was a time I wore pants, shorts, dresses, and skirts all the time. Then we switched to only wearing pants on weekends and after church. There was also a phase when we only wore dresses & skirts. Now I wear skirts & dresses during the "school & work" week. Pants & shorts on the weekends & I'l wear them during the week when we are on vacation, or if the day calls for it. Also, I sometimes wear my more dressier pants on Fridays.
The one standard I've always kept is that if I don't feel comfortable about wearing something either out of the bathroom, or around my dad & brother. I know that it is not modest at all on me.
"What's your favorite era of fashion, and any special tips on achieving that look in real life?"
Like I said above, my favorite eras are the 40s/50s/60s. One of my tips on achieving a vintage life in real life, is to pick out clothing that has the same basic look/lines as the era you are wanting to replicate. For me, it is all about capturing the look/mood/feel of the era when copying vintage styles.
"What sparked your love for everything vintage? Or have you just always loved those styles?"
You know what, I grew up watching old TV Shows {50s/60s/70s} and old movies that I just fell-in-love with their clothing at a young age. So, I guess I've just always loved these styles.
