It’s an urban legend that floss colors never go away. They do, and sometimes the numbers get assigned to different colors. If you believe the legend then you can get an unpleasant shock if stitching from a vintage chart or article.
Happily for us these changes don’t happen often.
However DMC is discontinuing several colors of embroidery floss.
Melita has helpfully put a chart of them with suggested substitutes on her blog. Please consider the suggested substitutes to be starting points only and always look at them with the other colors in your project.
I’m sending a big “Thank you!” to Melita!
About Janet M Perry
Janet Perry is the Internet's leading authority on needlepoint. She designs, teaches and writes, getting raves from her fans for her innovative techniques, extensive knowledge and generous teaching style. A leading writer of stitch guides, she blogs here and lives on an island in the northeast corner of the SF Bay with her family
Can anyone explain where the DMC colors 2000 series are? I have an old chart that requires 2309 and several others (9) in the 2300 to 2900 series. Most sellers, and DMC, the numbers go to around 911 or so and then begin again at 3000 something. Curious if numbers have changed, or been discontinued.
Thank you!
These are the DMC Flower Threads – a single strand twisted matte-finish cotton that was between floss and Perle 12 in terms of thickness. Prior to it being discontinued in 2003 it was available in 180 colours.
You can use some of the finer weights of Coton a Broder as a suitable substitute, but the colour range for this is very limited.
I have an old pattern that requires variegated numbers that are no longer available. They are numbers 62, 112, 57, 75, 95, 126,102, 124, 113, 103, 91,
123, 101, 114, 122, 104, 108, 61. Do you know if I could get them anywhere?
I don’t. Do you know what the colors are? If so, you could probably look at a new color chart and find the new numbers. If not, I’d suggest that you contact DMC to see if they could give you the new numbers.
Keep stitching,
Janet
How about 6000s? I have a Janlynn kit with these colours of DMC threads but these are nowhere to be found online. Can someone forward me to some sort of substitute information? I have some Anchors and other brands, but if limited colour palette.
Except here we are in 2017 and all of those colors are still available. They don’t discontinue colors.
What is the replacement for 755 dmc thread please its an loder pattern that includes this thread thank you
What does the ‘V’ stand for in the color description.
It stands for “very.”
Keep stitching,
Janet
Has 941 embroidery floss been discontinued? If so what is substitute? Thanks!
The color numbers 62, 112, 57 are DMC varigated threads. DMC went through and discontinued a number of the varigated threads so you may not be able to find all of the colors.
Thanks for the information.
Keep stitching,
Janet
I have a 1995 pattern from Lavender and Lace that lists 284 Z as a DMC color. Probably a golden color. Any ideas?
I am making a project and the threads came with it but I am short 561 dark green, now the 561 says it is dark jade green, Is it the same? They are dmc
The names for DMC colors are not from DMC, they were created by some cross stitch designers and have become widely adopted by the industry. Because of this, it is quite possible that these two colors are the same.
The only way that you can be sure these are the same colors is to compare what you had in your kit with the new skein. If the areas you have to stitch are not next to or partially stitched with the old thread, you can stitch with the new thread without checking.
Keep stitching,
Janet