Anchor Stranded Cotton

139 — Delft Very Dark

Blues family

Anchor 139 — Delft Very Dark — has hex #253156 and RGB 37, 49, 86. This dark, moderately saturated blue thread sits alongside its closest DMC, Madeira, and J&P Coates matches below, with 8 similar Anchor shades and a panel of color harmonies for palette planning.

Hex
#253156
RGB
37, 49, 86
HSL
225°, 40%, 24%
Lab
21.1, 7.2, -24.0
Lightness
24%
Dark
Saturation
40%
Muted
Hue
225°
Family
Blues

Brand Equivalents for Anchor 139

Top 5 closest matches in each brand, ranked by visual color similarity. How matching works

Anchor 139 Delft Very Dark

Sullivans

Navy Blue Medium 45054 82% Good
Baby Blue Ultra Very Dark 45494 80% Good
Navy Blue Light 45055 80% Good
Blue Very Dark 45225 75% Approx
Antique Blue Very Dark 45375 73% Approx

Crescent Colours

Granny Annie 083 62% Fair
Purple Aster 070 52% Fair
Wavy Navy 075 51% Fair
Tartan Plaid 073 46% Fair
Nighty Nite 160 41% Fair

Similar Anchor Colors to 139

Closest Anchor threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.

Anchor 139 Delft Very Dark
Navy Blue Medium Light Anchor 147 Near identical ΔE 1.14 Royal Blue Dark Anchor 143 Very close ΔE 2.97 Cornflower Blue Medium Anchor 941 Very close ΔE 3.71 Antique Blue Ultra Very Dark Anchor 1036 Very close ΔE 3.91 Delft Dark Anchor 940 Very close ΔE 4.46 Sky Blue Dark Anchor 132 Very close ΔE 4.65 Navy Blue Medium Anchor 148 Noticeable ΔE 5.54 Blue Purple Medium Anchor 122 Noticeable ΔE 6.87

Working with Anchor 139

On white fabric
12.7:1
On dark fabric
1.7:1
Temperature
cool
Closest to
navy

It pops on white and light fabric but nearly disappears on black, so pair it with a light or neutral ground.

Blending & gradients

Anchor 139 (Delft Very Dark) sits a hair from Anchor 147 (Navy Blue Medium Light) (ΔE 1.14) — close enough to blend a strand of each for a smooth gradient or to swap one for the other in a pinch.

Color Harmonies for Anchor 139

Anchor threads that pair well with 139, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary
Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast
139
269 Avocado Green Very Dark
Analogous
Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions
139
112 Lavender Very Dark 164 Baby Blue Ultra Very Dark
Triadic
Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced
139
352 Copper Very Dark 230 Emerald Green
Monochromatic
Same hue, different lightness — great for shading
139
121 Blue Purple Light 175 Cornflower Blue Light 128 Sky Blue Very Light

Blues Family

Anchor 139 in context with nearby shades from the blues color family.

139 Delft Very Dark 139 132 Sky Blue Dark 132 940 Delft Dark 940 162 Baby Blue Very Dark 162 122 Blue Purple Medium 122 851 Grey Blue Ultra Very Dark 851 979 Blue Very Dark 979 147 Navy Blue Medium Light 147 1035 Antique Blue Very Dark 1035 941 Cornflower Blue Medium 941 1036 Antique Blue Ultra Very Dark 1036

About Anchor 139

Meet Anchor 139, Delft Very Dark — a moderately saturated, dark thread in the blues family with true blue tones. Its tone is strong and confident, making it a popular choice for forget-me-nots and bluebird motifs. It pairs nicely in designs that call for whale designs or sapphire accents.

Frequently Asked Questions

Anchor 139 — what color is it?

The color of Anchor 139 is Delft Very Dark — a dark blue thread (hex #253156, RGB 37, 49, 86). It shows up most in water and denim textures.

What is the DMC equivalent of Anchor 139?

The closest DMC match for Anchor 139 (Delft Very Dark) is DMC 336 (Navy Blue) with a 92% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 311 (Navy Blue medium, 89%) and DMC 803 (Baby Blue ultra very dark, 84%).

Which Anchor threads are close to 139?

The closest Anchor threads to 139 are 147 Navy Blue Medium Light (ΔE 1.14), 143 Royal Blue Dark (ΔE 2.97), and 941 Cornflower Blue Medium (ΔE 3.71). These are useful substitutes when 139 is unavailable or for building gradients.

What is Anchor 139 good for?

Anchor 139 (Delft Very Dark) is commonly used in cross-stitch projects featuring water, denim textures, cool-toned backgrounds, nautical themes. Its dark tone works well for standalone motifs and as part of larger palettes. This page includes color harmonies and similar shades to pair with 139.

What fabric color works best with Anchor 139 (Delft Very Dark)?

It pops on white and light fabric but nearly disappears on black, so pair it with a light or neutral ground. For reference, 139 has a contrast ratio of about 12.7:1 on white fabric and 1.7:1 on black. As a cool shade, its cool cast recedes visually — useful for backgrounds, shadows, water and sky, and calm, restful palettes.

Anchor Color Chart DMC ↔ Anchor Conversion