Anchor Stranded Cotton

164 — Baby Blue Ultra Very Dark

Blues family

Looking up Anchor 164? It's Baby Blue Ultra Very Dark, a dark blue shade (#12354B / RGB 18, 53, 75). Scroll down for Cosmo, Classic Colorworks, and Weeks Dye Works equivalents ranked by visual similarity, plus 8 close Anchor alternatives and curated color harmonies.

Hex
#12354B
RGB
18, 53, 75
HSL
203°, 61%, 18%
Lab
20.8, -4.2, -17.2
Lightness
18%
Very dark
Saturation
61%
Rich
Hue
203°
Family
Blues

Brand Equivalents for Anchor 164

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

Anchor 164 Baby Blue Ultra Very Dark

Sullivans

Antique Blue Dark 45273 81% Good
Turquoise Ultra Very Dark 45405 79% Approx
Grey Green Very Dark 45269 67% Approx
Wedgewood Dark 45440 60% Fair
Navy Blue Medium 45054 59% Fair

Crescent Colours

Nighty Nite 160 75% Approx
Blacksmith Blue 187 67% Approx
Granny Annie 083 52% Fair
Wavy Navy 075 40% Fair
Tartan Plaid 073 33% Fair

Similar Anchor Colors to 164

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

Anchor 164 Baby Blue Ultra Very Dark
Blue Very Dark Anchor 979 Noticeable ΔE 5.73 Grey Blue Ultra Very Dark Anchor 851 Noticeable ΔE 6.7 Blue Green Very Dark Anchor 170 Noticeable ΔE 7.33 Royal Blue Dark Anchor 143 Noticeable ΔE 8.59 Antique Blue Dark Anchor 922 Noticeable ΔE 9.1 Antique Blue Very Dark Anchor 1035 Noticeable ΔE 9.34 Navy Blue Medium Light Anchor 147 Noticeable ΔE 9.42 Delft Very Dark Anchor 139 Noticeable ΔE 10.19

Working with Anchor 164

On white fabric
12.8:1
On dark fabric
1.6:1
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.

Backstitch & outlines

Because it is so deep, Anchor 164 (Baby Blue Ultra Very Dark) holds its own as an outlining and lettering color where lighter threads would get lost against the fill.

Color Harmonies for Anchor 164

Anchor threads that pair well with 164, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary
Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast
164
906 Hazelnut Brown Dark
Analogous
Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions
164
941 Cornflower Blue Medium 170 Blue Green Very Dark
Triadic
Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced
164
972 Dusty Violet Very Dark 263 Loden Green Dark
Monochromatic
Same hue, different lightness — great for shading
164
977 Blue Medium 1038 Baby Blue Medium 159 Baby Blue Light

Blues Family

Anchor 164 in context with nearby shades from the blues color family.

164 Baby Blue Ultra Very Dark 164 941 Cornflower Blue Medium 941 1036 Antique Blue Ultra Very Dark 1036 922 Antique Blue Dark 922 143 Royal Blue Dark 143 133 Sky Blue Very Dark 133 148 Navy Blue Medium 148 150 Navy Blue Dark 150 123 Blue Purple Dark 123 149 Navy Blue Medium Dark 149 134 Sky Blue Ultra Dark 134

About Anchor 164

A dark, vivid entry in the blues family, Anchor 164 carries the name Baby Blue Ultra Very Dark with sky blue tones. The shade reads as striking and rich — a go-to choice for nautical themes and winter scenes. It also turns up in patterns built around forget-me-nots and bluebird motifs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What color is Anchor 164?

Anchor 164 is called Baby Blue Ultra Very Dark. It's a dark blue shade (hex #12354B, RGB 18, 53, 75) in the blues family, commonly used for hydrangea blooms, skies, and similar motifs.

What's the closest DMC match for Anchor 164?

The closest DMC match for Anchor 164 (Baby Blue Ultra Very Dark) is DMC 3750 (Antique Blue very dark) with a 80% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 930 (Antique Blue dark, 69%) and DMC 3842 (Wedgewood dark, 65%).

What's a good substitute for Anchor 164?

The closest Anchor threads to 164 are 979 Blue Very Dark (ΔE 5.73), 851 Grey Blue Ultra Very Dark (ΔE 6.7), and 170 Blue Green Very Dark (ΔE 7.33). These are useful substitutes when 164 is unavailable or for building gradients.

What projects use Anchor 164?

Cross-stitchers pull Anchor 164 (Baby Blue Ultra Very Dark) for charts featuring hydrangea blooms, skies, water, denim textures. The dark tone reads cleanly on its own and slots into multi-color palettes — see the color harmonies below for pairing ideas.

Is Anchor 164 (Baby Blue Ultra Very Dark) good for backstitching and outlines?

It's an excellent outline color. The depth of 164 defines edges and text cleanly where lighter threads would disappear into the fill; one strand is usually enough for backstitch.

Anchor Color Chart DMC ↔ Anchor Conversion