Color my World...Color tutorial for accessories designers, Part 1

Whether you struggle with creating color combinations for your hair bows or accessories, or you feel pretty confident about your use of color, it's something we all consider as we sit down in our studios and start creating. I'm sure you've all seen the color wheel above, and have heard all about the primary colors (red, yellow blue), the secondary colors (green, purple, orange), and probably even the tertiaries (those colors in between).
But we're going to throw thoughts of that out the window today. Did you hear that? No technical color mumbo-jumbo. Frankly, I love color theory...I spent time in art school mixing colors, painting with them, and using painted papers to create "other colors" out of a single color (did you know that olive green on red looks brown, but on brown it looks green? It looks like a totally different color). But as accessories designers -- whether you sell or just create for your own kids -- really, we need to worry more about this:


Now, you don't specifically have to worry about the latest Pantone colors for fashion (spring 2011 are here), but you should use colors that match the outfits you're trying to accessorize.
If you make hair bows like I do, you'll want to review what's "hot" in children's wear. Go to your local Gymboree store and see the latest lines (I keep track of the colors on my private blog for those of you who have purchased Birdsong Bows and Patterns hair bow instructions). Check out the latest colors from Kate Mack, Biscotti, and other designers at your local brick-and mortar or online boutique, like Adorable's Children.
Aside from looking at ready-to-wear, mass-produced clothing, you'll want to look at what popular WAHM clothing designers are creating! See what fabrics are "in" and accessorize according to those colors. Take a look on Etsy and you'll get a sense of what people are loving!
Another big inspiration for "colorizing" your accessories is the season! We're into Easter/Spring now, so think of colors that remind you of flowers and new life. :) And if you just want to play, a great, inspirational site for colors is Colour Lovers. Open up the palettes and see what will work for you! Here are some I selected that reminded me of spring:




Of course, my mama told me that pink and red don't go together, and red and apple green are only for holidays, but fer-git about all of that. If it's pleasing to you, and if it matches with an outfit you're accessorizing, go for it! Be bold. Color isn't something to be afraid of...and as you practice, you're sure to learn what your favorite color combinations are.