How colour analysis can help you choose fabric and yarn :: By Kate from Fabrickated ::

Sunday 22 November 2015

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you had a great weekend. I love having guest bloggers in my blogging space. I learn so much every time, it is really inspiring. Colour analysis is something I've been wanting to know more about, to make better decisions when it came to buying wool and fabric. And when Kate asked me to come over and have my colours done, I did not think twice, and I was in her office within a week. I was of the view that if I learnt more about my complexion and what worked for me, I would be wasting less money on fabrics that do not suit me, and splash out on those that do. It is another sustainable way to look at fashion. 

Also Kate is amazing fun to spend time with, and totally inspiring. She is an active blogger, as well as the Chief Executive of a housing association. And yes, she does have children, and grand children - I mean whoah amazing. So you get your colours done, and a great dose of inspiration.

I will leave it to Kate to explain how she approaches colour analysis and what her conclusions were for me (hopefully I will make full use of these findings)! 



I love colour and I like making clothes. While I have always known, more or less, what colours suit me (trial and error – lots of them), I wanted to know what colours suited my family as I like to make presents that will suit and please them. So a few years ago I trained in colour analysis and I am happy to share my skills with others.

If you are a keen knitter or dress maker you will spend time choosing just the right fabric or yarn for each project. You may be considering:
  • The right fabric for the pattern
  • The quality and price of the fabric
  • How much it will go with the rest of the wardrobe
  • How much you like the colour, texture, pattern etc
Do you consciously think – does this colour really suit me?

Do you hold the fabric up in the shop, draping it over your body, and think – does this piece of cloth or ball of wool make me look more beautiful, brighter, less tired – or does it emphasise the little imperfections in my skin?




The thing is, on the whole, certain shades work really well together. Not all reds looks great with all yellows, but certain reds and yellows look amazing together. Normally this is because they are going in the same direction. So a yellow with a warm undertone will match a red with a warm undertone. A deep purple will usually work great with a deep green. A muted orange will work nicely with a muted brown. If you look at patterned fabric you will see that normally the designer has stuck to one direction (black and white works as they are both bright colours), although sometimes one contrasting element can work well.

You may have found in nature how colours work harmoniously together – a pale blue-green birds egg with a light orangey brown speckle; a tropical flower that includes the brightest orange, yellow and green; a girl with deep brown skin, deeper brown eyes and black hair.

So humans have a natural colour palette that tends to work beautifully together. Take the classic red head with light skin, freckles and light greeny eyes; or snow white with her red lips, white skin and black hair. Harmonious colour palettes.

So the point of colour analysis is to determine what your primary colour direction is – deep or light; cool or warm; bright or muted. Many of us have a secondary direction as well that helps inform the primary direction.


 When I analysed Nat’s colours I found that the light colours looked great on her – colours with quite a lot of water in them, relatively speaking. The deepest shades tended to made her skin look a little tired and grey.  But we found that the muted shades were also better than the brightest shades. So Nat looks best in lighter colours with a softer look. Now she knows which colours look best (I gave her a colour chart of the types of shades that look the best on her), I would say there are a few advantages that she might enjoy.
  • Helping her choose what wool or fabric to buy for each project, saving time and money and reducing waste
  • Ensuring that everything in her wardrobe will work with everything else, making it easier to put outfits together
  • Giving her the confidence to wear more colour, certain that it flatters her delicate pretty complexion
  • Knowing that a nicely put together, harmonious look will add to her self confidence
  • As a knitter and dressmaker she can use the information to create patterns, blends or mixes of colours that work brilliantly together
  • When what we wear is harmonious with our own colouring it helps to give a good impression to those we meet.



Well I am feeling under pressure to make the right choices, but also more confident to make choices. I have my colour chart in my purse, and take it with me everywhere. To be fair, my colours are probably colours that I liked already, but it has certainly widened the range of colours I could consider wearing. And hopefully I will be confident enough to add more colours in my wardrobe (when I finish knitting all the grey wool in my stash...). 

4 comments:

  1. Interesting read Nat - Thanks for sharing!

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  2. So nice to spend a bit of quality time with you my dear. Great babies are Grand babies!

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  3. Thats a great article. Thanks for an eye opener. Is there any link where we can study color analysis ?

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  4. Where would I get a Color Chart for my purse? I am those exact colors!

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