157 — Cornflower Blue very light
Blues family#95ABCA
Looking up DMC 157? It's Cornflower Blue very light, a medium-light blue shade (#95ABCA / RGB 149, 171, 202). Scroll down for Cosmo, Classic Colorworks, and Weeks Dye Works equivalents ranked by visual similarity, plus 8 close DMC alternatives and curated color harmonies.
About DMC 157
DMC Six-Strand Embroidery Floss (Mouliné Spécial)
- Also sold as
- Heliotrope
- Fiber
- 100% cotton
- Strands
- 6 strands
- Sold as
- 8 m skein
Brand Equivalents for DMC 157
The five closest matches in each brand, ranked by CIEDE2000 perceptual color difference.
Anchor
Madeira
J&P Coates
Sullivans
Classic Colorworks
Weeks Dye Works
Gentle Art Sampler
Valdani
Crescent Colors
Closest match to DMC 157 in 67 more brands
The single nearest shade in every other palette we hold, from needlepoint silks and wools to fuse beads and yarn. Match quality is perceptual color distance: 93% and up is hard to tell apart, under 75% is a visible shift.
More stranded cotton
Hand-dyed & overdyed
Silk
Wool for needlepoint
Metallic, rayon & specialty
Other threads & beads
Fuse beads
Yarn for crochet & knitting
Need the runners-up, or a whole pattern converted? The thread conversion chart ranks every alternative for DMC 157 (Cornflower Blue very light) in any brand.
Similar DMC Colors to 157
Closest DMC threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.
Working with DMC 157
It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first.
Its nearest neighbor, DMC 159 (Grey Blue light), is barely a step away (ΔE 2.84). Tweed the two together for subtle shading, or substitute freely when one is out of stock.
DMC 157 in other DMC lines
DMC reuses base numbers across its specialty lines, so the same shade can exist as a satin, a metallic, or a sparkle floss under a prefixed code. Here is where Cornflower Blue very light turns up.
DMC 157 is a Mouliné Spécial-only number: there is no Satin, Light Effects, or Étoile version of this shade. For a sheen or sparkle in the same tone, blend one strand of the nearest metallic with two strands of DMC 157.
Diamond painting: the same number is sold as a drill — Diamond Dotz D157, Diamond Drills USA DMC157. A kit legend or drill bag marked 157 means this color. See the diamond painting DMC chart for every code with drill availability.
Color Harmonies for DMC 157
DMC threads that pair well with 157, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.
Blues Family
DMC157 in context with nearby shades from the blues color family.
About DMC 157
A medium-light, moderately saturated entry in the blues family, DMC 157 carries the name Cornflower Blue very light with sky blue tones. The shade reads as steady and approachable — a go-to choice for porcelain patterns and hydrangea blooms. It also turns up in patterns built around skies and water.
Frequently Asked Questions
What color is DMC 157?
DMC 157 is called Cornflower Blue very light. It's a medium-light blue shade (hex #95ABCA, RGB 149, 171, 202) in the blues family, commonly used for winter scenes, forget-me-nots, and similar motifs.
What's the closest Anchor match for DMC 157?
The closest Anchor match for DMC 157 (Cornflower Blue very light) is Anchor 175 (Cornflower Blue Light) with a 88% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 130 (Sky Blue, 85%) and Anchor 140 (Royal Blue Light, 84%).
What's a good substitute for DMC 157?
The closest DMC threads to 157 are 159 Grey Blue light (ΔE 2.84), 3840 Lavender Blue light (ΔE 4.06), and 800 Delft Blue pale (ΔE 4.22). These are useful substitutes when 157 is unavailable or for building gradients.
What projects use DMC 157?
Cross-stitchers pull DMC 157 (Cornflower Blue very light) for charts featuring winter scenes, forget-me-nots, bluebird motifs, whale designs. The medium-light tone reads cleanly on its own and slots into multi-color palettes — see the color harmonies below for pairing ideas.
What fabric color works best with DMC 157 (Cornflower Blue very light)?
It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first. For reference, 157 has a contrast ratio of about 2.3:1 on white fabric and 9:1 on black. As a cool shade, its cool cast recedes visually — useful for backgrounds, shadows, water and sky, and calm, restful palettes.
Is there a metallic or satin version of DMC 157?
No. DMC 157 (Cornflower Blue very light) exists only as Mouliné Spécial six-strand cotton — there is no Satin, Light Effects, or Étoile code for it. For a matching shine, blend one strand of the nearest Light Effects color with two strands of the cotton.
What is the diamond painting drill code for DMC 157?
Diamond Dotz D157 and Diamond Drills USA DMC157 carry the same number. Diamond painting adopted DMC's numbering, so a kit legend or drill bag marked 157 is this color regardless of drill brand — though each manufacturer dyes to the reference in its own batches, so avoid mixing brands inside one large block.
Which other thread brands come closest to DMC 157?
Outside the main floss brands, the nearest shades we hold are Silk and Ivory 197 Cadet Blue (95%), Planet Earth 109 huron (92%), Finca 3312 Baby Blue (91%). Percentages are perceptual color distance between the two swatches; anything above about 93% is hard to tell apart on fabric.