3023 — Brown Grey light
Yellows family#938D76
Below: DMC 3023 (Brown Grey light), a medium, subdued yellow shade with hex #938D76 and RGB 147, 141, 118. Find its closest Gentle Art Sampler, Valdani, and Crescent Colors matches ranked by visual similarity, plus 8 similar DMC shades and a full set of color harmony picks.
About DMC 3023
DMC Six-Strand Embroidery Floss (Mouliné Spécial)
- Also sold as
- Elephant
- Fiber
- 100% cotton
- Strands
- 6 strands
- Sold as
- 8 m skein
Brand Equivalents for DMC 3023
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 3023 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 3023 (Brown Grey light) in any brand.
Similar DMC Colors to 3023
Closest DMC threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.
Working with DMC 3023
It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first.
DMC 3023 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 Brown Grey light turns up.
DMC 3023 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 3023.
Diamond painting: the same number is sold as a drill — Diamond Dotz D3023, Diamond Drills USA DMC3023. A kit legend or drill bag marked 3023 means this color. See the diamond painting DMC chart for every code with drill availability.
Color Harmonies for DMC 3023
DMC threads that pair well with 3023, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.
Yellows Family
DMC3023 in context with nearby shades from the yellows color family.
About DMC 3023
DMC 3023 (Brown Grey light) is a medium, subdued shade in the yellows family with warm gold tones. The warm and grounded mood of this color makes it a natural fit for honey themes and wheat fields. Expect to see it used in daffodils and lemon motifs across many cross-stitch charts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does DMC 3023 look like?
DMC 3023 (Brown Grey light) is a medium shade in the yellows family with hex #938D76 and RGB 147, 141, 118. Stitchers reach for it in projects featuring sunflowers and highlights.
Which Anchor thread matches DMC 3023?
The closest Anchor match for DMC 3023 (Brown Grey light) is Anchor 859 (Fern Green Light) with a 75% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 1040 (Beaver Grey Dark, 68%) and Anchor 860 (Fern Green Medium, 60%).
What DMC colors are similar to 3023?
The closest DMC threads to 3023 are 3032 Mocha Brown medium (ΔE 5.16), 648 Beaver Grey light (ΔE 5.72), and 642 Beige Grey dark (ΔE 6.84). These are useful substitutes when 3023 is unavailable or for building gradients.
When should I use DMC 3023?
Reach for DMC 3023 (Brown Grey light) when your project calls for sunflowers, highlights, warm backgrounds, golden accents. Its medium character carries both small accents and wider palette work; the harmony picks on this page show natural companions to 3023.
What fabric color works best with DMC 3023 (Brown Grey 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, 3023 has a contrast ratio of about 3.3:1 on white fabric and 6.3:1 on black. As a soft warm shade, its warm cast advances toward the viewer — good for focal points, highlights, and cozy, inviting palettes.
Is there a metallic or satin version of DMC 3023?
No. DMC 3023 (Brown Grey 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 3023?
Diamond Dotz D3023 and Diamond Drills USA DMC3023 carry the same number. Diamond painting adopted DMC's numbering, so a kit legend or drill bag marked 3023 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 3023?
Outside the main floss brands, the nearest shades we hold are Kimono Silk 376 Ramen (100%), Riolis 960 (93%), Ariadna 1801 (92%). Percentages are perceptual color distance between the two swatches; anything above about 93% is hard to tell apart on fabric.