3838 — Lavender Blue dark
Blues family#4A5CA6
Below: DMC 3838 (Lavender Blue dark), a medium, moderately saturated blue shade with hex #4A5CA6 and RGB 74, 92, 166. 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 3838
DMC Six-Strand Embroidery Floss (Mouliné Spécial)
- Also sold as
- Thistle Blue
- Fiber
- 100% cotton
- Strands
- 6 strands
- Sold as
- 8 m skein
Brand Equivalents for DMC 3838
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 3838 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 3838 (Lavender Blue dark) in any brand.
Similar DMC Colors to 3838
Closest DMC threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.
Working with DMC 3838
It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first.
DMC 3838 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 Lavender Blue dark turns up.
DMC 3838 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 3838.
Diamond painting: the same number is sold as a drill — Diamond Dotz D3838, Diamond Drills USA DMC3838. A kit legend or drill bag marked 3838 means this color. See the diamond painting DMC chart for every code with drill availability.
Color Harmonies for DMC 3838
DMC threads that pair well with 3838, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.
Blues Family
DMC3838 in context with nearby shades from the blues color family.
About DMC 3838
Lavender Blue dark (catalog code DMC 3838) is a medium, moderately saturated shade from the blues family with true blue tones. The balanced and warm mood of this color makes it a natural fit for bluebird motifs and whale designs. Expect to see it used in sapphire accents and porcelain patterns across many cross-stitch charts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What color is DMC 3838?
DMC 3838 is called Lavender Blue dark. It's a medium blue shade (hex #4A5CA6, RGB 74, 92, 166) in the blues family, commonly used for denim textures, cool-toned backgrounds, and similar motifs.
What's the closest Anchor match for DMC 3838?
The closest Anchor match for DMC 3838 (Lavender Blue dark) is Anchor 137 (Delft Medium Dark) with a 80% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 940 (Delft Dark, 80%) and Anchor 177 (Cornflower Blue Dark, 75%).
What's a good substitute for DMC 3838?
The closest DMC threads to 3838 are 798 Delft Blue dark (ΔE 3.29), 793 Cornflower Blue medium (ΔE 4.25), and 3807 Cornflower Blue (ΔE 4.29). These are useful substitutes when 3838 is unavailable or for building gradients.
What projects use DMC 3838?
Cross-stitchers pull DMC 3838 (Lavender Blue dark) for charts featuring denim textures, cool-toned backgrounds, nautical themes, winter scenes. The medium 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 3838 (Lavender Blue dark)?
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, 3838 has a contrast ratio of about 6.2:1 on white fabric and 3.4:1 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 3838?
No. DMC 3838 (Lavender Blue dark) 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 3838?
Diamond Dotz D3838 and Diamond Drills USA DMC3838 carry the same number. Diamond painting adopted DMC's numbering, so a kit legend or drill bag marked 3838 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 3838?
Outside the main floss brands, the nearest shades we hold are Rainbow Gallery N103 Indigo Blue (94%), Mill Hill Beads 05168 (93%), Eterna Silk 2750 Stormy Blue Medium Dark (92%). Percentages are perceptual color distance between the two swatches; anything above about 93% is hard to tell apart on fabric.