Valdani Perle Cotton

71 — Carnation medium

Reds family

Valdani 71 — Carnation medium — has hex #F43853 and RGB 244, 56, 83. This medium-light, highly saturated red thread sits alongside its closest Cosmo, Classic Colorworks, and Weeks Dye Works matches below, with 8 similar Valdani shades and a panel of color harmonies for palette planning.

Hex
#F43853
RGB
244, 56, 83
HSL
351°, 90%, 59%
Lab
54.7, 70.6, 30.4
Lightness
59%
Medium
Saturation
90%
Vivid
Hue
351°
Family
Reds

Brand Equivalents for Valdani 71

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

Valdani 71 Carnation medium

Similar Valdani Colors to 71

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

Working with Valdani 71

On white fabric
3.8:1
On dark fabric
5.5:1
Temperature
warm
Closest to
rose

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

Bold accents & focal points

Valdani 71 (Carnation medium) 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.

Hand-dyed notes

Valdani is hand-dyed, so Valdani 71 (Carnation medium) 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.

Blending & gradients

Its nearest neighbor, Valdani 72 (Carnation dark), is barely a step away (ΔE 2.92). Tweed the two together for subtle shading, or substitute freely when one is out of stock.

Color Harmonies for Valdani 71

Valdani threads that pair well with 71, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary
Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast
Analogous
Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions
Triadic
Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced
Monochromatic
Same hue, different lightness — great for shading

Reds Family

Valdani 71 in context with nearby shades from the reds color family.

About Valdani 71

Carnation medium (catalog code Valdani 71) is a medium-light, highly saturated shade from the reds family with warm crimson tones. It has a fresh and confident feel that suits hearts and holiday designs particularly well. Designers often pair this shade with bold accents or berries for balanced palettes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What color is Valdani 71?

Valdani 71 is called Carnation medium. It's a medium-light red shade (hex #F43853, RGB 244, 56, 83) in the reds family, commonly used for apple motifs, ladybug designs, and similar motifs.

What's the closest DMC match for Valdani 71?

The closest DMC match for Valdani 71 (Carnation medium) is DMC 892 (Carnation medium) with a 100% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 3705 (Melon dark, 91%) and DMC 891 (Carnation dark, 85%).

What's a good substitute for Valdani 71?

The closest Valdani threads to 71 are 72 Carnation dark (ΔE 2.92), 46 Carnation light (ΔE 5.61), and O520 Rose (ΔE 8.14). These are useful substitutes when 71 is unavailable or for building gradients.

What projects use Valdani 71?

Cross-stitchers pull Valdani 71 (Carnation medium) for charts featuring apple motifs, ladybug designs, barn scenes, tomato patterns. The medium-light tone reads cleanly on its own and slots into multi-color palettes — see the color harmonies below for pairing ideas.

Does Valdani 71 (Carnation medium) vary between dye lots?

Some. As a hand-dyed floss, 71 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.