This piece titled “Plastic Eden,” by Francesco Simeti really caught my eye when I saw it on Moon River the other day.  Simeti, a Brooklyn-based artist from Palermo, Italy, has been known to remix classic wallpaper patterns with images from news and modern art. Upon first glance, I didn’t even notice the owl, hawk or duck that Simeti magically transported into his tropical collage. With or without the displaced birds, I’m loving this quirky pattern and it’s making me yearn for some more vintage prints!

Clockwise from top left:

Long-sleeved tropical tee by French Connection ($98)
Felted cashmere flower headband by bigbrownhouse on Etsy ($24)
Vintage leaf post earrings by Givenchy, featured on Ruby Lane ($10)
Oversized tropical barkcloth tote from janiesofmiami on Etsy ($80)
Women’s faux-leather sandals from Old Navy ($24.50)
Louis Vuitton Stephen Sprouse leopard print shawl
Vintage toucan bird brooch by 1928 Jewelry ($60)
Two tickets to paradise dress from Mod Cloth ($64.99)
Gerard Yosca’s long coral necklace on Shop Twigs ($62)
Vintage tropical short-sleeved top on Mod Cloth ($34.99)

This post is inspired by an artist whose work was featured last month on Design*Sponge.  Kristen Wicklund’s doilies, shown here on exhibit at Greenwich House, are hand-crocheted, dipped in porcelain and fired. The cotton yarn burns away to leave behind a hollow porcelain shell, taking the beauty and delicacy of lace doilies to a whole new level.

I love doily patterns and hope to one day have the skill and patience necessary to make my own. In the meantime, I’m thinking of picking up one of Kristen’s creations from her shop on Etsy, called Forest Clearing. If you’re more of a fashion fiend than an art collector, the pieces below might fulfill your need for some doily-inspired fun.

Clockwise from top left:
Stone color wavy sequin blouse from Topshop  ($90)
Crushed glitter minaudiere by J. Crew  ($49.50)
Marc by Marc Jacobs faux bow glitter ring on Zappos ($54)
Black Silence & Noise sequin tee from Urban Outfitters ($48)
Sequin brooches by jeweler Joanna Campbell featured via Fingers
Black stingray cuff bracelet in luluka’s Etsy store ($40)
ABS sequined shift dress at Saks Fifth Avenue ($360)
Sequin scarf in iron from Ann Taylor Loft ($29.50)
Christian Louboutin Fred Flat glitter in anthracite at Barney’s ($595)
Glitter shimmer pot in silver by Sephora  ($8)
Silence & Noise sequin skirt from Urban Outfitters ($88)
Marni glitter flower necklace on Brown’s
Nude glitter pump by Christian Louboutin at Bergdorf Goodman ($595)

Yesterday we tweeted about a cardigan-centric post from You Are my Fave, which featured this photo of an embellished sweater from J Crew . The ruffled beauty is unfortunately sold out, but that shouldn’t stop you from re-creating the style with pieces from your existing wardrobe!

This old tank and cardigan have fallen out of  normal rotation – the tank is a little short, but I love the pattern and couldn’t bear to part with it in my most recent purge.  The sweater? Just a big bored with it.  Feeling inspired, I decided to combine the two into something new!

I thought this shirt would make a great ruffle for two reasons: 1. it’s a cute, neutral color and pattern and 2. the soft jersey knit material will hang well and can live without a hem. First, I split the shirt down it’s side seam. Luckily for me, the lace trim was only on the front, leaving a nice open area on the back for me to trace my first ruffle.

The first strip I cut was for my larger, bottom ruffle. I measured the fabric out to remain 5″ wide from start to finish. The second ruffle was cut out of the front of the tank, on the bottom half. This second strip  started out at 3 1/2″ and tapered off to 2″at its end (about 18″ long). I wanted this strip to have a narrower end so that my top ruffle would have more defined layers. 

Thread a needle through the top hem of your ruffle, folding the fabric back and forth (like a paper fan) as you sew. As you pull the thread, the fabric should gather and start to ruffle. I used a regular thread, but I’m assuming this would work even better with an elastic.

With a steam iron, I carefully pressed my pleats to form sharp creases in the fabric. Easier said than done, but the results came out great! Now, lets fold these bad boys into their final ruffly state…

1. Start with the small tapered ruffle, laid out flat

2. Fold the top half of the ruffle down over the bottom half, with the reverse side of the fabric showing

3. Fold the remaining bit down, print side up, to form a wedge shaped piece for your top ruffle

4. Next, lay the larger 5″ ruffle out on a flat surface

5. & 6. Fold ruffle back and forth in a zig-zag to create alternating layers of patterned and reversed fabric

7. This is what my completed bottom ruffle looked like when I was done folding.

8. Once you’ve laid out both ruffles, pinch the folds and discreetly sew each layer to secure.

9. Here are the finished pieces! I decided not to sew them together, in case I wanted to use the top or bottom ruffle separately on another garment.

10. Use a safety pin to secure the bottom ruffle to your cardigan. You can also sew them on, but I wanted the option of removing them before laundering as well as using them as embellishments elsewhere!

DONE! Pin the top ruffle in place and VOILA! A magical creation, all your own.

Only took 2 hours, and it didn’t cost $118 from J Crew. Score.

Clockwise from top left
Dress from Alberta Ferretti’s Spring 2010 show
Embroidery from Neville Trickett’s Flickr
Red Hunter Wellies from Shelba’s Flickr
Old Red Hat letterpress pieces
Hoboken Pie Store
Thank You card from Pop + Shorty
Martha Stewart butterfly straw toppers
Living room from stylist/textile designer Marieke van Proosdij
RedruM photo frames
Ulrika May pillows

I saw these old embroidery patterns recently on FFFFOUND! and really adored the fun colors and shapes. These designs are from a vintage French pattern book by DMC for those who aspire to explore the art of ‘la broderie.’

I’m a sucker for pixelated patterns and folkart-inspired designs, especially in the context of textiles. The lovely pieces below (embroidered, cross-stitched and needlepoint-adorned) reminded me of the styles featured on this antique pattern sheet.

Clockwise from top left:
Anna Sui embroidered pom pom dress at ShopBop ($406)
Vintage flower top by Lucky Brand ($29.50)
Cross stitch barrettes from Free People ($4.95)
Needlepoint buttons by eclecticselections  on Etsy ($6.50 for 6)
Hand-dyed wool zip pouch by cruzdesigns’ Etsy store ($28)
Plenty by Tracy Reese embroidered silk blouse at Nordstorm ($305)
PIXELL flats in cognac by Steve Madden ($69.95)
Silver moccasin flats in yellow suede by Blowfish ($28.64)
Luella Ethel embroidered prom skirt at La Garconne ($218.80)
Folk embroidered red mary janes from Agataga’s Etsy Store ($16)
Embroidered geometryart necklace from spinthread on Etsy ($35)

Big, decorative letters seem to be a growing trend in interior design. You can get these letters everywhere now. The hardest part is really which letters to buy and what to spell. Suggestions anyone? Or should I just create an homage to this blog, M-I-S-M-A-T-C-H-E-R-I-E?

Clockwise from left:
Letter A light from Perch! Design
Personalized G napkins from Envelop
Letter D from Daily Dropcap
F pendant from Ariel Gordon
Initial ring from MAstyle
Typographic fashion E and A from TypeNeue
Letter P from Briar Press
Letter Lights Balls from Perch! Design
Letter B from Daily Dropcap
Laser Cut Scarfs from LittleFactory
Austin Press calling card from Snippet and Ink
NB from Wohnbedarf
Fail Harder Pushpin Board from W+K
Cut paper Q from Grayhood
Hand Lettering from Joel Holland