Experiments in Colour - Simplicity 3266

If you're reading this from outside Britain, you may have heard that we're having the wettest summer since... well, who knows when, but I do know that it's really getting me down! I'm supposed to be having adventures, as explained in the title of this blog, but the unrelenting rain is keeping me indoors, making my hair frizz, and generally making life BORING.

A rare burst of sunshine...

To make things feel a bit cheerier, I made this blouse from a pattern from what looks like the late 50's or early 60's, Simplicity 3266.

I made version 3 (top right)

I'm not very confident with colour, and don't get much practice as I have to wear black to work, so I tend to stick to quite strong colours and easy combinations, such as red and black. But I'm always intrigued by some of the colour combinations and names you see in old knitting and dressmaking patterns, such as 'Eau de Nil', 'Chartreuse', 'Goldenrod', etc, so this mustardy colour was a bit of an experiment. And I think it worked - I thought it would give my skin a yellowy pallor, but it actually seems to brighten me up a bit. 

Here are some details:

I used some sparkly buttons from Dalston Mill Fabrics. Can't remember how much, but they would have been less than £1.00 total:

And here's a close up of the big collar, which is great because it gives the illusion you have a smaller waist:

Is it a collar, or a set of wings?

I've worn this blouse on over and over since I made it - it's rapidly becoming one of my favourite things! I'll definitely make it again in other colours, so I'm off to Google 'eau de nil', so I know what to look for in the fabric shop!