Sheffield Zine Fest

Sheffield Zine Fest is happening next month and you're all welcome to come along! It's being organised by Bettie and Chella and is featuring a ton of cool zinesters - including me! I'm tabling, on a half table, selling my zines and my handmade envelopes. Lolly will be selling cakes, and I'm hoping to run a body positive workshop with Kirsty of Fatty Unbound! Please do come along, even if you're not sure what a zine is or if you like them!

What I Wore February 13th

I'm a few weeks into my MA now and it's going well. At the moment, because I'm part time, I just have one lecture a week, and an evening, optional Masterclass. I'm being taught about "The Novel" by a published author; we have an hour's lecture and then an hour spent critiquing the work of others in our class.

I get the train to Sheffield and either meet a friend (I have some awesome rad Sheffield friends) or go into uni and get something to eat and read a book until lecture time. Between the lecture and the masterclass I sit and chat with people on my course, which is nice. Most of them have already done a semester or two and know each other, so I'm trying to make friends. I can be incredibly awkward at times, but I talked to a nice woman about feminism this week, and a lad about films, so that was nice.

This week I met up with Bettie for lunch as she was already in Sheffield. We went into the Winter Gardens, and mooched around the shop afterwards. They had a bargain on for 20 postcards for £1! I thought I was misreading it, the cashier said lots of people do. I've already given some away as gifts :) I love postcards!

Anyway, here's what I wore:

I recently bought a bunch of things in the sale from Asos Curve, and this was one of the dresses I kept. I love red, and this is a beautiful stretch jersey dress with black polka dots. It came with the belt, and has belt loops. I'm wearing leggings that I recently got on eBay for £5 (my Evans ones disintegrated), and my Dr Marten dolly shoes. 

I look a bit dishevelled because, slightly before this, I fell over in the snow/ice and skinned my knee, jarred my shoulder, wrist, bruised my calf, etc etc. And shocked myself too! A nice student helped me up, bless him. So I was in need of sympathy when I met Bettie, which she gladly gave! She also took the photo. 

I would share a picture of the scab on my knee, but it's just too gross.

What I Wore February 9th

I'm so sorry for my absence over the past two weeks! I don't have a full-length mirror so it's difficult to take photos unless someone else is around, and usually someone isn't when I'm getting more dressed up. I am definitely going to buy a full-length mirror, probably from a 2nd hand shop. Then hopefully I will be able to get more photos!

Anyway, last weekend I had a house party from Friday to Sunday and lots of people came. On Friday night we just chilled out with Chinese food. During the day on Saturday we went to Yorkshire Sculpture Park for really yummy food and a walk around the park.

Then in the evening we had a party with party food - god I love party food! We had egg sandwiches and sausage rolls and cheese and pickled onions on sticks. I bought a Batman cake and Lolly brought cupcakes, and we played Who Am I with post-it notes stuck to our foreheads! It was great fun!

Anyway, here is what I wore.

The dress was a gift from my mum for Christmas, and she made it for me! Ages ago I bought the material and a pattern and gave it to her to make for me, but then it got buried under a pile of stuff in her "sewing room" (which used to be my bedroom, excuse me!). My mum is a qualified dressmaker and she's really good! It was a surprise though when I opened the dress on Christmas Day. She guessed at my size and she did pretty well. Without a belt it's a bit mu-muu like, but with the belt it's a gorgeous dress! It is slightly too big on my shoulders, but I can live with that! 

I'm so happy because no one else will be wearing this dress, it's a one off! I wonder if she can make me another one, but without sleeves?

Belt is from Yours (it came on another dress), tights are from The Big Bloomers Company and are amazing, and the clip in my hair is from eBay.

Close up of the print which also shows you my amazing boobs, haha. 

With thanks to Rachel who took these photos, and with apologies again for my messy kitchen. 

What do you think of handmade clothes?