164 — Forest Green light
Greens family#87BF78
Looking up DMC 164? It's Forest Green light, a medium-light green shade (#87BF78 / RGB 135, 191, 120). 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 164
DMC Six-Strand Embroidery Floss (Mouliné Spécial)
- Also sold as
- Pistachio
- Fiber
- 100% cotton
- Strands
- 6 strands
- Sold as
- 8 m skein
Brand Equivalents for DMC 164
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 164 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 164 (Forest Green light) in any brand.
Similar DMC Colors to 164
Closest DMC threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.
Working with DMC 164
It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first.
DMC 164 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 Forest Green light turns up.
DMC 164 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 164.
Diamond painting: the same number is sold as a drill — Diamond Dotz D164, Diamond Drills USA DMC164. A kit legend or drill bag marked 164 means this color. See the diamond painting DMC chart for every code with drill availability.
Color Harmonies for DMC 164
DMC threads that pair well with 164, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.
Greens Family
DMC164 in context with nearby shades from the greens color family.
About DMC 164
A medium-light, moderately saturated entry in the greens family, DMC 164 carries the name Forest Green light with true green tones. The shade reads as steady and approachable — a go-to choice for ferns and herb gardens. It also turns up in patterns built around forest canopies and cactus motifs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What color is DMC 164?
DMC 164 is called Forest Green light. It's a medium-light green shade (hex #87BF78, RGB 135, 191, 120) in the greens family, commonly used for avocado themes, foliage, and similar motifs.
What's the closest Anchor match for DMC 164?
The closest Anchor match for DMC 164 (Forest Green light) is Anchor 225 (Christmas Green Very Light) with a 90% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 241 (Pistachio Green, 77%) and Anchor 242 (Pistachio Green Medium, 75%).
What's a good substitute for DMC 164?
The closest DMC threads to 164 are 966 Baby Green medium (ΔE 4.82), 954 Nile Green (ΔE 6.08), and 3348 Yellow Green light (ΔE 7.7). These are useful substitutes when 164 is unavailable or for building gradients.
What projects use DMC 164?
Cross-stitchers pull DMC 164 (Forest Green light) for charts featuring avocado themes, foliage, nature scenes, holiday projects. 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 164 (Forest Green 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, 164 has a contrast ratio of about 2.2:1 on white fabric and 9.8:1 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 164?
No. DMC 164 (Forest Green 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 164?
Diamond Dotz D164 and Diamond Drills USA DMC164 carry the same number. Diamond painting adopted DMC's numbering, so a kit legend or drill bag marked 164 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 164?
Outside the main floss brands, the nearest shades we hold are Eterna Silk 4130 Grass Green Medium Light (92%), Vineyard Merino 1197 English Ivy (92%), Riolis 323 (91%). Percentages are perceptual color distance between the two swatches; anything above about 93% is hard to tell apart on fabric.