1003 — Antique Blue
Blues family
Below: Madeira 1003 (Antique Blue), a medium-dark, muted blue shade with hex #486F84 and RGB 72, 111, 132. Find its closest Gentle Art Sampler, Valdani, and Crescent Colours matches ranked by visual similarity, plus 8 similar Madeira shades and a full set of color harmony picks.
Brand Equivalents for Madeira 1003
Top 5 closest matches in each brand, ranked by visual color similarity. How matching works
DMC
Anchor
J&P Coates
Sullivans
Classic Colorworks
Weeks Dye Works
Gentle Art Sampler
Valdani
Crescent Colours
Similar Madeira Colors to 1003
Closest Madeira threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.
Working with Madeira 1003
It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first.
Color Harmonies for Madeira 1003
Madeira threads that pair well with 1003, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.
Blues Family
Madeira 1003 in context with nearby shades from the blues color family.
About Madeira 1003
Madeira 1003 (Antique Blue) is a medium-dark, muted shade in the blues family with sky blue tones. The deep and grounded mood of this color makes it a natural fit for winter scenes and forget-me-nots. Expect to see it used in bluebird motifs and whale designs across many cross-stitch charts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Madeira 1003 look like?
Madeira 1003 (Antique Blue) is a medium-dark shade in the blues family with hex #486F84 and RGB 72, 111, 132. Stitchers reach for it in projects featuring skies and water.
Which DMC thread matches Madeira 1003?
The closest DMC match for Madeira 1003 (Antique Blue) is DMC 806 (Peacock Blue Dark) with a 73% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 931 (Antique Blue medium, 72%) and DMC 3760 (Wedgewood (806), 69%).
What Madeira colors are similar to 1003?
The closest Madeira threads to 1003 are 2505 Wedgewood Very Dark (ΔE 5.89), 1012 Blue Medium (ΔE 6.36), and 1106 Wedgewood Medium (ΔE 6.51). These are useful substitutes when 1003 is unavailable or for building gradients.
When should I use Madeira 1003?
Reach for Madeira 1003 (Antique Blue) when your project calls for skies, water, denim textures, cool-toned backgrounds. Its medium-dark character carries both small accents and wider palette work; the harmony picks on this page show natural companions to 1003.
What fabric color works best with Madeira 1003 (Antique Blue)?
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, 1003 has a contrast ratio of about 5.4:1 on white fabric and 3.9:1 on black. As a soft cool shade, its cool cast recedes visually — useful for backgrounds, shadows, water and sky, and calm, restful palettes.