this past weekend, we spent four lazy days at the beach house.  i think we did everything remotely american that we could think of.  eating pizza and making homemade chipwiches (best thing EVER) before heading over to the really creepy local carnival and winning stuffed animals and framed pictures of white tigers.  catching the fireworks in greenport, and then again (sort-of) in brooklyn.  at this point, i don’t think i’ll be able to eat another grilled hamburger for a long time.

on saturday, we hopped two ferries (in the car!) over to the south fork and cruised through the hamptons over to montauk for the annual ‘epic yard sale’ by the owners of melet mercantile. the first thing i noticed was a table setup in the front by a little girl (about 8 years old) selling friendship bracelets.  she was such a professional little businesswoman!  when i asked if she made them, she said, “no, they were handmade by a family in mexico.”  and after suggesting a few different color schemes that she thought i would like, i bought one and she shook my hand saying “it’s been a pleasure doing business with you.”  she also showed us her miniature camper/trailer set up in the front yard which was her room!

the outfit was perfect for montauk’s little beach town.  i’ve been sort of obsessed with bright jeans lately, so i was so excited when these little j brand orange jeans showed up on my doorstep.  they are so incredibly soft and the most striking orange.  at first i was a little worried having the right thing to wear them with (they are SO orange) but now, i’m realizing they pretty much go with anything. 

j brand 811 mid-rise skinny leg in orange (c/o j brand); jeffrey campbell woodies clogs; vintage tank top & sunglasses

after diligently preparing for today’s post and taking lots of pictures, this morning i frantically turned my apartment upside down looking my card reader, which is no where to be found.  so, unless i learn to telepathically beam them to you, they will have to wait til next week.  instead, today i decided to show you a few of the projects that have been keeping me busy lately.

the booties above were a project that i started back in december and kinda lost focus on.  which is why i only have one of them. still, it is a really cute bootie.

and the dress below is something i started on last week.  it’s from the built by wendy dress book, and i spent the entire first day just making the pattern.  who knew the ‘slash and spread’ would take so long to do?  the dress is about halfway done, so hopefully you’ll be seeing a finished product around here soon!

all in all, i really love the built by wendy books, only because i don’t think there is anything out there like this that will help you with pattern construction (short of taking a class).  however, the garment construction instructions skip over a lot of important steps (maybe to make sewing seem easier than it is?), so you really have to already know what you’re doing on construction.  i mainly just use the books to help me create the patterns.  i refer to my reader’s guide to sewing for everything in the construction department, which is the BEST reference book for sewing.

this cowl was something i was so proud of myself for starting, and finishing VERY quickly.  like in 2 days.  i still haven’t photographed the final finished piece yet, so i’m scared to wear it until i do….so i just wear it around my room alot and stroke it like it’s a cat.

this scarf is one that i don’t want to say i settled on making, but basically…it all started when i found the photo below from vanessa jackman’s blog and decided i needed it.  after consulting with many knitters and trying to knit up a swatch all day at work yesterday, i wasn’t happy with the result at all, found a pattern for the scarf above and started it instead. 

and finally, my last project is for my apartment.  i’ve been working on these dreaded floor cushions for years!  years!  not consistently, but i’m so sick of looking at them.  i finally finished knitting and seaming one (yay!) and just have to order the foam to go inside. 

so, that’s mainly what i’ve been working on lately!  what projects have you been up to?

one of the biggest highlights of fashion week was attending the marc by marc jacobs show.  i absolutely loved it!  everything that walked down the runway, i could see myself wearing.  it had a complete 70s look with silky dresses in gorgeous colors and prints, big floppy hats, and lovely trenches. 

afterwards, when we met up with the tumblr group, almost everyone was talking about this perfectly hued bright green dress!  so simple and lovely…but unique in this bold color.  i also adored the following look with the silky scarf-bow over the double-breasted coat. completely diy-able with things i already own.

another favorite among the group was this shorts/blazer set - so adorable…especially with the rust and brown colors with the floppy hat.

and finally, marc at marc by marc jacobs.

during fashion week i was lucky enough to go backstage at the chris benz show, which was pretty spectacular.  the collection was stunning — 70s inspired with super long wide-leg pants, layers and layers of all kinds of textures (silks, sequins, fur), long flowing dresses, and elegant looking girls who slightly resembled scarecrows with their lean forms and eye-covering hats.

before the show, we hung out backstage while the models had their makeup done and all of the show started coming together.  then, we headed  out to the floor before the crowd got there, and watched while chris benz came out and put the finishing touches on all of the models, adjusting hats, snipping off pieces of the clothes that obviously needed to be snipped.

my favorite things about the show were the mixture and balance of textures — silky florals mixed with suede and fur…and the pretty shoes with the matching prints from the dresses. 

knitting is one of my crazy obsessions and one my most absolute favorite knitting books of all time is Wild Knitting. the designs are by Angela Jeffs and i have never seen more ridiculous, fantastic and absurd looks all rolled into one book. plus, the photography is amazing. i have so many favorites, that it’s really hard to narrow this list down, but i’ll try.

we’ll start with the pink and turquoise fluffy sweaters adorned with random pieces of scrap fabric. best worn with matching pill box hat and marching in line next to your sweater-twin.

need to add a little color? try wearing the multi-color knit clown suit.

possibly the greatest pattern in the entire book. the perfect solution for a vegan animal wrap….the knit armadillo stole.

almost as entertaining, is the pattern illustration itself, complete with the blood red underbelly.

and of course, the bat-wing poncho coat, aka the Winged Traveler. whenever worn, the wind suddenly starts blowing through your hair and the sun casts an angelic hazy glow around you.

then there’s the ‘forget me not’ bikini. first of all, this is a ‘sitting only’ kind of bathing suit because i don’t know what would happen if she stood up. second, what’s the creepy sailor doing?

and finally, there are so many things going on in this photo, i don’t know where to start. the obvious being….are there holes in her dress? and…is she using a walking cane? or is that a magician’s wand? what kind of party is this? how do i get invited?

then, if you look carefully you’ll notice that she’s carrying a lipstick. maybe she was refreshing her make-up with her knit lipstick. but then you’ll see that her friend is smoking a cigarette.

a knit cigarette that can only be lit by a knit lighter with a knit flame.

oh my god, angela jeffs. where are you? and will you be my personal stylist?