Valdani Perle Cotton

1242 — Royal Blue

Blues family

Need details on Valdani 1242? This medium-dark, vivid blue shade (Royal Blue) is hex #293A7C, RGB 41, 58, 124. Cross-brand equivalents in Classic Colorworks, Weeks Dye Works, and Gentle Art Sampler are listed below — ranked by perceptual similarity — alongside 8 nearby Valdani shades and color-theory harmony pairings.

Hex
#293A7C
RGB
41, 58, 124
HSL
228°, 50%, 32%
Lab
26.6, 16.2, -39.7
Lightness
32%
Dark
Saturation
50%
Rich
Hue
228°
Family
Blues

Brand Equivalents for Valdani 1242

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

Valdani 1242 Royal Blue

Sullivans

Cornflower Blue Dark 45203 85% Good
Blue Dark 45226 82% Good
Wedgewood Dark 45440 80% Good
Navy Blue Light 45055 80% Good
Cornflower Blue 45404 78% Approx

Crescent Colours

Granny Annie 083 94% Good
Nighty Nite 160 45% Fair
Blacksmith Blue 187 44% Fair
Blue Beatrice 132 43% Fair
Blooming Crocus 032 34% Fair

Similar Valdani Colors to 1242

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

Valdani 1242 Royal Blue
Blue very dark Valdani 871 Very close ΔE 4.25 Navy Blue light Valdani M5 Very close ΔE 4.85 Cornflower Blue medium Valdani O86 Noticeable ΔE 5.66 Wedgewood dark Valdani 105 Noticeable ΔE 6.44 Cornflower Blue very dark Valdani 87 Noticeable ΔE 7.46 Navy Blue medium Valdani O592 Noticeable ΔE 7.85 Antique Blue very dark Valdani 873 Noticeable ΔE 8.24 Blue Violet very dark Valdani O541 Noticeable ΔE 8.6

Working with Valdani 1242

On white fabric
10.5:1
On dark fabric
2:1
Temperature
cool
Closest to
indigo

It has moderate contrast on both light and dark fabric — usable on either, but test a few stitches on your chosen ground first.

Hand-dyed notes

Valdani is hand-dyed, so Valdani 1242 (Royal Blue) carries subtle tonal shifts skein to skein. Buy enough for a project in one dye lot, and stitch in a random or cross-country order to blend any variation.

Color Harmonies for Valdani 1242

Valdani threads that pair well with 1242, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary
Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast
1242
234 Avocado Green medium
Analogous
Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions
1242
82 Violet very dark 105 Wedgewood dark
Triadic
Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced
1242
H201 Golden Brown dark 25 Aquamarine dark
Monochromatic
Same hue, different lightness — great for shading
1242
120 Cornflower Blue medium JP10 Blue Violet light 117 Antique Blue ultra

Blues Family

Valdani 1242 in context with nearby shades from the blues color family.

1242 Royal Blue 1242 O583 Cornflower Blue O583 126 Antique Blue medium 126 122 Grey Blue 122 93 Electric Blue 93 104 Wedgewood dark 104 210 Blue dark 210 O86 Cornflower Blue medium O86 M5 Navy Blue light M5 871 Blue very dark 871 O126 Antique Blue dark O126

About Valdani 1242

A medium-dark, vivid entry in the blues family, Valdani 1242 carries the name Royal Blue with true blue tones. Stitchers describe its character as strong and rich, perfect for porcelain patterns and hydrangea blooms. It blends comfortably into projects centered on skies and water.

Frequently Asked Questions

What color is Valdani 1242?

Valdani 1242 is called Royal Blue. It's a medium-dark blue shade (hex #293A7C, RGB 41, 58, 124) in the blues family, commonly used for winter scenes, forget-me-nots, and similar motifs.

What's the closest DMC match for Valdani 1242?

The closest DMC match for Valdani 1242 (Royal Blue) is DMC 797 (Royal Blue) with a 100% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 792 (Cornflower Blue dark, 85%) and DMC 824 (Blue very dark, 79%).

What's a good substitute for Valdani 1242?

The closest Valdani threads to 1242 are 871 Blue very dark (ΔE 4.25), M5 Navy Blue light (ΔE 4.85), and O86 Cornflower Blue medium (ΔE 5.66). These are useful substitutes when 1242 is unavailable or for building gradients.

What projects use Valdani 1242?

Cross-stitchers pull Valdani 1242 (Royal Blue) for charts featuring winter scenes, forget-me-nots, bluebird motifs, whale designs. The medium-dark tone reads cleanly on its own and slots into multi-color palettes — see the color harmonies below for pairing ideas.

Does Valdani 1242 (Royal Blue) vary between dye lots?

Yes, mildly. Hand-dyed threads like 1242 are never perfectly flat, and later dye lots can read differently. Reserve one lot per project and avoid stitching in strict rows to keep the mottling even.

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