181 — Olive Stone Dark
Browns family#86755D
Below: Valdani 181 (Olive Stone Dark), a medium, muted brown shade with hex #86755D and RGB 134, 117, 93. Find its closest Weeks Dye Works, Gentle Art Sampler, and Crescent Colors matches ranked by visual similarity, plus 8 similar Valdani shades and a full set of color harmony picks.
Brand Equivalents for Valdani 181
The five closest matches in each brand, ranked by CIEDE2000 perceptual color difference.
DMC
Anchor
Madeira
J&P Coates
Sullivans
Classic Colorworks
Weeks Dye Works
Gentle Art Sampler
Crescent Colors
Similar Valdani Colors to 181
Closest Valdani threads by perceptual color distance, sorted from most to least similar.
Working with Valdani 181
It stands out clearly on both white and dark fabric, so it is an easy, versatile choice for any ground.
For skin, hands, and faces, Valdani 181 (Olive Stone Dark) is a plausible mid-value — pair it with a highlight and a shadow tone from the same family for believable modeling.
Valdani is hand-dyed, so Valdani 181 (Olive Stone Dark) 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 181
Valdani threads that pair well with 181, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.
Browns Family
Valdani181 in context with nearby shades from the browns color family.
About Valdani 181
Olive Stone Dark (catalog code Valdani 181) is a medium, muted shade from the browns family with golden brown tones. The steady and quiet mood of this color makes it a natural fit for leather accents and horse designs. Expect to see it used in cinnamon motifs and bark patterns across many cross-stitch charts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What color is Valdani 181?
Valdani 181 is called Olive Stone Dark. It's a medium brown shade (hex #86755D, RGB 134, 117, 93) in the browns family, commonly used for animal fur, warm outlines, and similar motifs.
What's the closest DMC match for Valdani 181?
The closest DMC match for Valdani 181 (Olive Stone Dark) is DMC 642 (Beige Grey dark) with a 84% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 3032 (Mocha Brown medium, 67%) and DMC 612 (Drab Brown light, 66%).
What's a good substitute for Valdani 181?
The closest Valdani threads to 181 are O1901 Lichen Moss (ΔE 3.9), 180 Olive Stone Medium Deep (ΔE 4.9), and O178 Tea Dyed Stone (ΔE 5). These are useful substitutes when 181 is unavailable or for building gradients.
What projects use Valdani 181?
Cross-stitchers pull Valdani 181 (Olive Stone Dark) for charts featuring animal fur, warm outlines, wooden textures, coffee themes. The medium tone reads cleanly on its own and slots into multi-color palettes — see the color harmonies below for pairing ideas.
Does Valdani 181 (Olive Stone Dark) vary between dye lots?
Some. As a hand-dyed floss, 181 shifts subtly skein to skein — that gentle variegation is the appeal. Buy enough for a project in one dye lot and stitch in a random order to blend any variation.