When I Grow Up | A Style and Creative Living blog by Helen Hobden

Browse Categories:

Natural dye kit review

Plus size pastel goth clothing

Fitbit review

Visiting St Mark's Square in Venice

Browse Recent Posts:

Natural dye kit review

Review of the Natural Dye kit by Fibrecrafts

November 19, 2019

The timing for this experiment was important: I needed the weather to be good enough to be able to hang fabric outside to dry, but cold enough for us to still have the Rayburn lit so that I wouldn’t have to use the electric hob for hours on end to heat the dye pan…

Visiting St Mark's Square in Venice

A story of visiting St Mark’s Square, Venice in September

November 13, 2019

6am. That’s the time to do it. Up at five in the pitch black, spooky yellow lights are just enough to see the way. Luckily St Mark’s Square is signposted fairly regularly for tourists – just look up at the walls at every junction and you should be fine…

Plus size pastel goth clothing

How to continue wearing your black Halloween outfit with ‘Pastel Goth’

November 11, 2019

I hadn’t heard of the style, ‘Pastel Goth’ until my daughter mentioned it to me a few years ago. We already know about the Goths who sweep about in their all-black outfits, but now a new style has emerged for those people who resonate with the gothic, but not necessarily the traditional aesthetic….

bohemian wedding dress

The story of the purple bohemian wedding dress

November 5, 2019

Finding the location of the photo-shoot for this bohemian wedding dress was one of those classic screech to a halt moments that don’t normally happen in real life. However, we’d just stopped at a nearby beach in Devon, hoping to find something to eat. Alas, we had no luck, so we just stretched our legs in the evening sun and walked along the shore-line for a bit…

Styling autumn outfits

The romance of a shawl

October 29, 2019

I know these days have pretty much passed us by now, but I love that brief time in Autumn, when you can go out with something cosy to keep you a bit warmer, but you don’t yet need a full-on coat. It’s time for the shawl to shine!…

Styling a smock dress

The freedom of a smock dress

October 22, 2019

Ok, let’s start off by being clear, the definition of a smock dress isn’t really represented in these photos! A smock dress really should have smocking – gathers of material in tight pleats – usually for decoration. A quick Google image search shows me I’m not the only one who thinks this style is called a smock dress though, so probably most of you will know what I’m getting at….

Natural Dyeing with the Fibrecrafts natural dye kit

November 19, 2019

Testing out the Fibrecrafts Natural Dyeing kit bought from George Weil. I used marigold, elderberries, turmeric, logwood chips, madder and fermented pomegranate with alum to dye silk and cotton. Please subscribe for more videos and share with your friends. :) Please consider supporting me by making your fairytale clothing purchases here: etsy.com/shop/threadsofafairytale and your handmade gifts here: etsy.com/shop/byHelenHobden Keep in touch! (Links about me and my blog:) Blog: www.whenIgrowupblog.com e-mail: helen@whenIgrowupblog.com instagram.com/HelenHobden twitter.com/HelenHobden www.facebook.com/whenIgrowupblog Links about my clothing business: Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/threadsofafairytale Website: www.ThreadsOfAFairytale.com E-mail: helen@threadsofafairytale.com www.instagram.com/threadsofafairytale www.facebook.com/ThreadsOfAFairytale Rain's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Rainiepie Jude's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/starstone11

Dressing room / closet declutter & sort-out part 3 Organising wardrobes

November 12, 2019

Part 3 of my big Dressing room / closet sort out and declutter. This time I'm going through all my wardrobes and organising them into order! CLICK SHOW MORE! Previous dressing room tour: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agAIyptAo6s&t=885s Please subscribe for more videos and share with your friends. :) Please consider supporting me by making your fairytale clothing purchases here: etsy.com/shop/threadsofafairytale and your handmade gifts here: etsy.com/shop/byHelenHobden Keep in touch! (Links about me and my blog:) Blog: www.whenIgrowupblog.com e-mail: helen@whenIgrowupblog.com instagram.com/HelenHobden twitter.com/HelenHobden www.facebook.com/whenIgrowupblog Links about my clothing business: Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/threadsofafairytale Website: www.ThreadsOfAFairytale.com E-mail: helen@threadsofafairytale.com www.instagram.com/threadsofafairytale www.facebook.com/ThreadsOfAFairytale Rain's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Rainiepie Jude's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/starstone11

Making a yellow fairy dress / Belle Beauty and the Beast dress *Threads of a Fairytale*

October 31, 2019

Hello! Here's the yellow fairy dress for sale: https://etsy.me/2BVQw2l I'm catching up on sewing videos - there's a few more to come this year! **CLICK SHOW MORE** This one could be your Belle from Beauty and the Beast costume; or simply a lovely sunshine yellow dress for a special occasion. Please subscribe for more videos and share with your friends. :) Please consider supporting me by making your fairytale clothing purchases here: etsy.com/shop/threadsofafairytale and your handmade gifts here: etsy.com/shop/byHelenHobden Keep in touch! (Links about me and my blog:) Blog: www.whenIgrowupblog.com e-mail: helen@whenIgrowupblog.com instagram.com/HelenHobden twitter.com/HelenHobden www.facebook.com/whenIgrowupblog Links about my clothing business: Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/threadsofafairytale Website: www.ThreadsOfAFairytale.com E-mail: helen@threadsofafairytale.com www.instagram.com/threadsofafairytale www.facebook.com/ThreadsOfAFairytale Rain's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Rainiepie Jude's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/starstone11

Visiting Albania

‘Ancient Albania & Blue Eye’ excursion from Sarande port

October 18, 2019

Yes, this one was a surprise to us too! By the way, this was written in my dairy during our P&O cruise two years ago around Greece, but one stop was at Albania. I typed up most of this blog post back then, but am only just getting round to finishing it! (I just thought I’d explain that to my regular readers who are wondering when on earth I went to Albania!)….

Greatest showman inspired circus costumes

Greatest Showman inspired glamorous circus costumes

October 16, 2019

The Greatest Showman film is still in our hearts and the soundtrack is perfect for cheering up a housework day, so I thought I would gather together some of my favourite handmade circus outfits. It would be a great theme for a Halloween costume, so even though us Brits usually go for scary costumes, this time I’ve focus on the glamorous side of the circus….

styling summer dresses for autumn

How to wear your summer dresses in autumn!

October 14, 2019

I’d seen this H&M yellow poppy dress in the shop, but they didn’t have my size, and it turned out they were sold out online. So I did my usual thing and took to ebay, where I found it unwanted but new with tags – perfect! But in the end I didn’t wear it much over summer after all…

Fitbit review

Does a Fitbit make you fit? (Review of the Fitbit watch)

October 11, 2019

I’ll be honest, I was’t totally sure about the fitness tracker bracelets, but it was a new gadget and as my husband likes new gadgets but doesn’t do much fitness himself; he has bought them for me instead!…

zombie disney halloween costumes

Scary Disney-inspired Costumes for Halloween

October 10, 2019

Halloween is on its way folks, and if you don’t want to go trick or treating in the same Sainsbury’s witch dress as everyone else, then now’s the time to be looking for an original Halloween costume. I love subverting the unexpected, so taking a cute wholesome fairytale Disney character, and then turning them into a nasty zombie or an evil version of themselves sounds like fun to me!…

Styling the crochet trend

Styling the crochet trend

October 8, 2019

What happened to that then? Every single fashion trend forecaster and subsequent fashion blogger told us last February that crochet was going to be a big thing this spring and summer. It didn’t really happen though did it?…

VW Camper van trip around Cornwall *Vlog*

October 25, 2019

In this vlog Chris and I go off in the vw camper van to Cornwall, mainly visiting Godrevy beach, St Michael's Mount and Cothele, along with watching The Rogue Theatre Company's show in Tehidy Woods. *Click Show More* The blog post with the photos from Godrevy is here: https://bit.ly/31NNt6P Please subscribe for more videos and share with your friends. :) Please consider supporting me by making your fairytale clothing purchases here: etsy.com/shop/threadsofafairytale and your handmade gifts here: etsy.com/shop/byHelenHobden Keep in touch! (Links about me and my blog:) Blog: www.whenIgrowupblog.com e-mail: helen@whenIgrowupblog.com instagram.com/HelenHobden twitter.com/HelenHobden www.facebook.com/whenIgrowupblog Links about my clothing business: Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/threadsofafairytale Website: www.ThreadsOfAFairytale.com E-mail: helen@threadsofafairytale.com www.instagram.com/threadsofafairytale www.facebook.com/ThreadsOfAFairytale Rain's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Rainiepie Jude's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/starstone11

Van conversion update - putting in the floor, wiring & insulation

October 18, 2019

Sorry it's been a while; here's our latest camper van conversion video - in this one we put in the plywood floor; do all the wiring and most of the insulation on the walls Please subscribe for more videos and share with your friends. :) Please consider supporting me by making your fairytale clothing purchases here: etsy.com/shop/threadsofafairytale and your handmade gifts here: etsy.com/shop/byHelenHobden Keep in touch! (Links about me and my blog:) Blog: www.whenIgrowupblog.com e-mail: helen@whenIgrowupblog.com instagram.com/HelenHobden twitter.com/HelenHobden www.facebook.com/whenIgrowupblog Links about my clothing business: Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/threadsofafairytale Website: www.ThreadsOfAFairytale.com E-mail: helen@threadsofafairytale.com www.instagram.com/threadsofafairytale www.facebook.com/ThreadsOfAFairytale Rain's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Rainiepie Jude's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/starstone11

New Forest Fairy Festival 2019 - the realities of having a stall!

October 1, 2019

My vlog of having a clothing stall at the New Forest Fairy Festival this year. I was too busy to talk much on the Sunday, so to read more about my thoughts and how the festival went, please take a look at my blog post: https://bit.ly/2mwQXMh Here's my vlog of the festival from 2017: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c-eAdCfmNY&t=623s and 2016: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxJjbr7iInE&t=368s and 2015: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvhVGwnitqA Please subscribe for more videos and share with your friends. :) Please consider supporting me by making your fairytale clothing purchases here: etsy.com/shop/threadsofafairytale and your handmade gifts here: etsy.com/shop/byHelenHobden Keep in touch! (Links about me and my blog:) Blog: www.whenIgrowupblog.com e-mail: helen@whenIgrowupblog.com instagram.com/HelenHobden twitter.com/HelenHobden www.facebook.com/whenIgrowupblog Links about my clothing business: Shop: www.etsy.com/shop/threadsofafairytale Website: www.ThreadsOfAFairytale.com E-mail: helen@threadsofafairytale.com www.instagram.com/threadsofafairytale www.facebook.com/ThreadsOfAFairytale Rain's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/Rainiepie Jude's channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/starstone11