Today we’d like to introduce you to Hobby Bobbins
Hi Hobby, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Well, where to begin? I was born and raised in Florida and grew up mostly in poverty. I guess you could say that is where my love for the things I do now started to develop! I was the eldest of four and I was always tinkering with something. Whether it was taking apart and fixing something that had broken, learning a new skill, picking up new hobbies, etc. I was fascinated by all things vintage, and unfortunately Florida had little to offer locally.
Fast-forward to 2020 and I finally saved up enough to move out of state! I had just turned 30, been through several monotonous career paths, and was ready to embrace a new environment. Washington State was the location that won me over after all of my travels. Little did I know that a pandemic was right around the corner and everything I once thought to be true for my career would be turned on its head! I had to give up the job I had landed prior to moving, live in a new state with hardly a chance to make friends and suddenly face everything in the area shutting down due to COVID-19. Fear not though, being the creative mind that I am, there was plenty for me to explore.
One of my favorite things when visiting Washington in the past was to visit their thrift stores. My sister, who lived in the state, would help me fill up a suitcase to take home with lovely vintage goodies and clothing. When the pandemic caused closures, there were still a few estate sales that could take place in open air, and thrift stores were often open as well. I took to collecting, repairing and admiring all sorts of vintage pieces I never got to handle growing up. I learned so much about repairing and restoring in my unexpected vast amount of free time.
In mid 2021 I came across an online auction. There was a beautiful wedding dress that was listed for $20 and I thought to myself, with no plans of my own to marry, “Why not?” and clicked “Buy”. During shipping there was a terrible accident; the dress was sitting in a box with other packages to be sent out against a heating lamp at the post office, and it caught the box ablaze! The Auctioneers offered to refund me and send me the item if I thought I could make use of it. I decided that it would be best to try my hand at what I could do so that it did not end up in a landfill. Once I received the item I thought it might be helpful to film my progress and ask advice from people who might see the video. I felt like a fish out of water with so much work ahead of me and so little experience with this type of garment.
Very quickly, and much to my surprise, some of my videos took off and went viral! Next thing I knew I had hundreds of people commenting giving their advice, cheering me on and following the story. I started getting emails from people, asking if I could take their own vintage dress and treasures to restore and find a second chance. I had to set up a PO Box to accept these gifts and I’ve been working ever since!
I finally made the tough choice a year later to take the leap and quit my day job so I could restore vintage items fill time. Now I spend everyday working with vintage items that I ethically curate, lovingly restore, and then sell in my shop. I get to be a passionate advocate for sustainability, ethical shopping, and I provide access to affordable, well-made items; all while I share and educate through my social media platforms as a content creator. I’m living a dream that my child self would have been in awe of, and that is something I will forever be grateful for!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Life is all about the ups and downs. You live, you learn and you get back up to try again the next day! Yes it is fair to say I have had my share of struggles, but surprisingly not so much with my work itself. Being your own boss means having to take full responsibility to roll with whatever punches life throws your way, and in my case there was a lot happening behind the scenes that I haven’t spoken about much. Things happening in my personal life were heavily impacting my ability to work to the extent that my heart desired. I was in a car accident that left me injured for months, went through a tough break up or two, moved 3 times in the last 2 years and all while trying my best to focus on healing past traumas and accepting my neurodivergence diagnosis along the way that i had never even considered. That is a lot to shoulder while still trying to balance a quickly growing business that requires almost daily participation and proactive decision making!
Thankfully I have seen so much good come of even the hard moments, that it makes much of it feel worth it in the end. Currently I have been so at peace and am itching to increase and expand in every area I can! I know there will always be good times and bad times, and I’ve seen my ability to pick back up and keep going when faced with challenges. I know that no matter what, I will figure it all out with a little help from my friends.
As you know, we’re big fans of Hobby Bobbins. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
I specialize in restoring vintage wedding dresses, an item most dry cleaners and other cleaning services won’t touch with a 9ft pole. I have learned how to do this through years of research, hands on practice and a willingness to take risks. I think what sets me apart is my investment of not only the history of a garment, but the dedication I have to doing things right. I want to be satisfied with my work, just as much as I want my customer to be.
I think I’m most proud of how I’ve been able to design my shop! If you would like to take a look at what I might still have available, you can browse it here: https://hobbybobbins.myshopify.com/
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Personally I find that researching how other neurodivergent business owners and those who work from home overcome obstacles to be most helpful. Everyone is different and hearing little “mind hacks” and what personal rules people try out for themselves, end up being things I can try to implement in my own life at times to see if it is a right fit for me. I’ve come across all sorts of resources on youtube and tiktok that have helped me learn more about how to manage my time in a way that works best for what my body and mind need.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hobbybobbins.myshopify.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/hobbybobbins
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100083592519719
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@hobbybobbins
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hobbybobbins
Image Credits
Hobby Bobbins