DMC Embroidery Floss Colors
Wednesday, December 7, 2011Greetings Stitchers! 
I received an awesome question after posting Monday’s blog.
A reader asked about DMC discontinuing colors, and I thought it could use some clarification to help avoid any confusion.
DMC Embroidery Floss is available in 454 solid colors, 18 variegated colors and additional 36 soft, overdyed colors in the Color Variations line.
Solid colors of DMC Embroidery Floss here in the United States have never been discontinued, but some variated shades have been. See our FAQ Page on the main web site for additional information.
If you are looking for a color of DMC Embroidery Floss and are unable to locate it in your area, it could be because the local retail shops or chains only carry a partial line.
For example, a shop in my local area carries an assortment of 144 popular colors of DMC Embroidery Floss due to space limitations (it’s a small but cozy store).
If you’re having difficulty locating a color, look for a retailer or online supplier that carries the entire DMC Floss collection – they will be able to help you locate those elusive colors.
Herrschner’s carries the entire line of embroidery floss, a Complete DMC Floss set (the set does not include the Color Variations floss colors), as well as other popular DMC Embroidery Threads.
You can also email me any time with questions. I’m always happy to help!
~Emma
Thanks, Emma. That explains why I can’t find one of the colors I need. Herrschner’s does have it, so I’m going to order it and get my project finished.
My mother is still in England and she has not been able to purchase it anywhere. My husband buys it for her in Texas and then we mail it to her and her friends. Thank you for the information. Now they have a soource they can order from. Love your site and all the info I get to share – Jewels
731, 776, 781, 806, 971 and 3773 are actually discontinued in Australia and in a number of European countries I believe. I think it depends on where the DMC in each country is sourced from as to whether these numbers are still available or not.
That explains why I can’t find some colors. How often are new colors added? What inspires new colors
Thank you,
Deb
This may be the case in Australia, Tracy – and possibly elsewhere. However, here in the US, all solid colors are still intact. I would definitely recommend checking with your local distributor to see if colors (or color numbers) have changed in your area. ~Emma
discontinuing varigated colors is the opposite of what I want. I want to see MORE varigated colors.
Hi, Mary again.
I just read your new blog and then your comment to Tracy about discontinued colors and had another question. If color numbers have changed over the years (which likely explains my “missing” colors) does DMC have a record of such changes available for buyers? I could certainly purchase (online or otherwise) the elusive colors I have been trying to find, but since they are now likely a different number, I would have no idea which numbers they have become. Since computer monitors often do not offer accurate representations of colors, I have been hesitant to purchase online, especially for ones I am unsure of, and standing in the floss aisle of my local craft stores with my color blind father (I only have transportation to two craft stores) comparing old and new skeins seems rather tedious, especially since one (the easier of the two to get to) of the stores has a rather poor history of restocking thier floss section. I am frequently looking for a color (whose number I know) for 3-4 months (913 at the moment) at a time, because it appears they only restock when they have a specific (large) amount to replace, and I have been shopping for floss there since I began crafting in the 90′s. Anyhow, thanks.
I wish DMC made the scented floss available in the US. No one here carries that product line. It also took at least a year, and perhaps longer, to get the soluble waste canvass.
I like using the variegated colors too. I’ll make the suggestion! ~Emma
Dear Emma,
I’ve been looking for some colors without any success here. Did DMC not selling Art 117 no 731, 807, 3773, 504, 781, 971, 970, Ecru, and 776 in Indonesia?