DMC Mouliné Spécial

221 — Shell Pink very dark

Reds family

DMC 221 (Shell Pink very dark) is a medium-dark, vivid red shade with hex code #6D2329 and RGB values 109, 35, 41. Below you'll find the closest Valdani, Crescent Colours, and Anchor equivalents — ranked by visual color similarity — plus 8 similar DMC shades and color harmony pairings.

Hex

#6D2329

RGB

109, 35, 41

HSL

355°, 51%, 28%

Lab

25.6, 33.3, 14.1

Lightness

28%

Dark

Saturation

51%

Rich

Hue

355°

Family

Reds

Brand Equivalents for DMC 221

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

DMC 221 Shell Pink very dark

Sullivans

Rosewood Medium 45456 87% Good

Desert Sand Ultra Very Dark 45147 84% Good

Mauve Dark 45355 77% Approx

Antique Mauve Dark 45056 76% Approx

Plum Dark 45262 75% Approx

Cosmo

4300 92% Good 655 90% Good 246 85% Good 245 85% Good 437 83% Good

Classic Colorworks

Licorice Red 89% Good Holly Berry 86% Good Ruby Slippers 78% Approx Wild Berries 78% Approx Ribbon Red 75% Approx

Weeks Dye Works

Merlot 1334 90% Good Garnet 2264 81% Good Bordeaux 1339 79% Approx Cayenne 2259 77% Approx Lancaster Red 1333 77% Approx

Gentle Art Sampler

Acorn 0111 57% Fair Brown Bear 1191 51% Fair Loganberry 0892 28% Fair Currant 0312 20% Fair Witching Hour 0391 18% Fair

Valdani

Shell Pink very dark O78 100% Excellent Terra Cotta very dark O507 75% Approx Rosewood dark M90 73% Approx Garnet dark O503 70% Approx Garnet 775 70% Approx

Crescent Colours

Bing Cherry 151 85% Good

Cupid 012 77% Approx

Razzleberry 161 73% Approx

Bandana 094 70% Approx

Apple Fritter 091 64% Fair

Similar DMC Colors to 221

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

DMC 221 Shell Pink very dark

Garnet medium DMC 815 Very close ΔE 3.76 Terra Cotta very dark DMC 3777 Very close ΔE 4.93 Raspberry very dark DMC 777 Close ΔE 5.12 Rosewood dark DMC 3857 Close ΔE 5.49 Shell Pink dark DMC 3721 Noticeable ΔE 5.79 Garnet dark DMC 814 Noticeable ΔE 6.01 Garnet DMC 816 Noticeable ΔE 6.01 Antique Mauve very dark DMC 3802 Noticeable ΔE 6.29

Working with DMC 221

On white fabric

10.9:1

On dark fabric

1.9:1

Temperature

warm

Closest to

brown

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

Color Harmonies for DMC 221

DMC threads that pair well with 221, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary

Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast

221

3847 Teal Green dark

Analogous

Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions

221

433 Brown medium 3685 Mauve dark

Triadic

Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced

221

986 Forest Green very dark 3842 Wedgewood dark

Monochromatic

Same hue, different lightness — great for shading

221

3722 Shell Pink medium 224 Shell Pink very light 776 Pink Medium

Reds Family

DMC 221 in context with nearby shades from the reds color family.

221 Shell Pink very dark 221 3777 Terra Cotta very dark 3777 632 Desert Sand ultra very dark 632 918 Red Copper dark 918 816 Garnet 816 400 Mahogany dark 400 3802 Antique Mauve very dark 3802 779 Cocoa dark 779 300 Mahogany very dark 300 09 Very Dark Cocoa 09 815 Garnet medium 815

About DMC 221

A medium-dark, vivid entry in the reds family, DMC 221 carries the name Shell Pink very dark with warm crimson tones. Its strong and rich presence shines in barn scenes and tomato patterns alike. Pull this thread for roses or hearts when you need a dependable shade.

Frequently Asked Questions

What color is DMC 221?

DMC 221 is called Shell Pink very dark. It's a medium-dark red shade (hex #6D2329, RGB 109, 35, 41) in the reds family, commonly used for valentines, poppies, and similar motifs.

What's the closest Anchor match for DMC 221?

The closest Anchor match for DMC 221 (Shell Pink very dark) is Anchor 45 (Garnet Very Dark) with a 86% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 896 (Shell Pink, 79%) and Anchor 972 (Dusty Violet Very Dark, 79%).

What's a good substitute for DMC 221?

The closest DMC threads to 221 are 815 Garnet medium (ΔE 3.76), 3777 Terra Cotta very dark (ΔE 4.93), and 777 Raspberry very dark (ΔE 5.12). These are useful substitutes when 221 is unavailable or for building gradients.

What projects use DMC 221?

Cross-stitchers pull DMC 221 (Shell Pink very dark) for charts featuring valentines, poppies, cardinal birds, apple motifs. The medium-dark 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 221 (Shell Pink 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, 221 has a contrast ratio of about 10.9:1 on white fabric and 1.9:1 on black. As a warm shade, its warm cast advances toward the viewer — good for focal points, highlights, and cozy, inviting palettes.

DMC Color Chart DMC ↔ Anchor Conversion