3842 — Wedgewood dark
Blues family#0D3E6B
Looking up DMC 3842? It's Wedgewood dark, a dark blue shade (#0D3E6B / RGB 13, 62, 107). 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 3842
DMC Six-Strand Embroidery Floss (Mouliné Spécial)
- Also sold as
- Prussian Blue
- Fiber
- 100% cotton
- Strands
- 6 strands
- Sold as
- 8 m skein
Brand Equivalents for DMC 3842
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 3842 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 3842 (Wedgewood dark) in any brand.
Similar DMC Colors to 3842
Closest DMC threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.
Working with DMC 3842
It pops on white and light fabric but nearly disappears on black, so pair it with a light or neutral ground.
DMC 3842 (Wedgewood dark) is vivid enough to carry a focal point; use it sparingly for accents so it stays the star rather than competing across the whole piece.
Its nearest neighbor, DMC 824 (Blue very dark), is barely a step away (ΔE 2.45). Tweed the two together for subtle shading, or substitute freely when one is out of stock.
DMC 3842 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 Wedgewood dark turns up.
DMC 3842 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 3842.
Diamond painting: the same number is sold as a drill — Diamond Dotz D3842, Diamond Drills USA DMC3842. A kit legend or drill bag marked 3842 means this color. See the diamond painting DMC chart for every code with drill availability.
Color Harmonies for DMC 3842
DMC threads that pair well with 3842, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.
Blues Family
DMC3842 in context with nearby shades from the blues color family.
About DMC 3842
A dark, vivid entry in the blues family, DMC 3842 carries the name Wedgewood dark with sky blue tones. The shade reads as striking and rich — 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 3842?
DMC 3842 is called Wedgewood dark. It's a dark blue shade (hex #0D3E6B, RGB 13, 62, 107) in the blues family, commonly used for winter scenes, forget-me-nots, and similar motifs.
What's the closest Anchor match for DMC 3842?
The closest Anchor match for DMC 3842 (Wedgewood dark) is Anchor 164 (Baby Blue Ultra Very Dark) with a 83% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include Anchor 148 (Navy Blue Medium, 79%) and Anchor 170 (Blue Green Very Dark, 77%).
What's a good substitute for DMC 3842?
The closest DMC threads to 3842 are 824 Blue very dark (ΔE 2.45), 312 Navy Blue light (ΔE 2.8), and 803 Baby Blue ultra very dark (ΔE 4.99). These are useful substitutes when 3842 is unavailable or for building gradients.
What projects use DMC 3842?
Cross-stitchers pull DMC 3842 (Wedgewood dark) for charts featuring winter scenes, forget-me-nots, bluebird motifs, whale designs. The 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 3842 (Wedgewood dark)?
It pops on white and light fabric but nearly disappears on black, so pair it with a light or neutral ground. For reference, 3842 has a contrast ratio of about 10.9:1 on white fabric and 1.9:1 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 3842?
No. DMC 3842 (Wedgewood 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 3842?
Diamond Dotz D3842 and Diamond Drills USA DMC3842 carry the same number. Diamond painting adopted DMC's numbering, so a kit legend or drill bag marked 3842 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 3842?
Outside the main floss brands, the nearest shades we hold are Planet Earth 079 mediterranean (97%), Dimensions 6796 Royal Blue dark (95%), Eterna Silk 3298 Sapphire Medium Dark (94%). Percentages are perceptual color distance between the two swatches; anything above about 93% is hard to tell apart on fabric.