Factors working for me: I probably ended up with a better color-match this way.
At this point I would like to take the opportunity to tell you what exactly I am talking about. As I was trying to decide what to wear to the Sac Steam Ball, it occurred to me that I had a pair of opera-length gloves that I really never wear because they're too flashy for everyday wear, even for me. So I planned my outfit around them. As it happens, my brother had recently given me a hat he didn't want anymore which had a purple band that went with other things I was wearing. I had intended to sew in a lining to make it a ladies' hat anyway, and I had some of the same fabric I used for the gloves left. Then I painted one of the vacuum-formed gears I was working with to match and added some feathers (I bought a mixed bag at the craft store, which turned out to have more colors than I had expected).
Results:
Bonus: I also made a matching pin to wear at my throat.
