Valdani Perle Cotton

M46 — Delft Blue dark

Blues family

Below: Valdani M46 (Delft Blue dark), a medium, moderately saturated blue shade with hex #3D5FA3 and RGB 61, 95, 163. Find its closest Madeira, J&P Coates, and Sullivans matches ranked by visual similarity, plus 8 similar Valdani shades and a full set of color harmony picks.

Hex
#3D5FA3
RGB
61, 95, 163
HSL
220°, 46%, 44%
Lab
40.9, 9.7, -40.5
Lightness
44%
Medium
Saturation
46%
Muted
Hue
220°
Family
Blues

Brand Equivalents for Valdani M46

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

Valdani M46 Delft Blue dark

Sullivans

Lavender Blue Dark 45436 89% Good
Blue Medium 45227 80% Good
Baby Blue Dark 45063 77% Approx
Delft Blue Dark 45208 74% Approx
Cornflower Blue Medium 45204 72% Approx

Crescent Colours

Blue Beatrice 132 64% Fair
Deep Blue Sea 065 45% Fair
Blueberry Tart 033 45% Fair
Vintage Violet 045 43% Fair
Tyler Boy Blue 111 35% Fair

Similar Valdani Colors to M46

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

Valdani M46 Delft Blue dark
Cornflower Blue medium Valdani 120 Close ΔE 5.11 Cornflower Blue Valdani O583 Noticeable ΔE 5.89 Grey Blue Valdani 122 Noticeable ΔE 6.83 Wedgewood dark Valdani 104 Noticeable ΔE 6.86 Blue dark Valdani 210 Noticeable ΔE 7.18 Antique Blue medium Valdani 126 Noticeable ΔE 7.92 Navy Blue light Valdani M5 Noticeable ΔE 11.08 Blue Violet dark Valdani O562 Noticeable ΔE 11.17

Working with Valdani M46

On white fabric
6.2:1
On dark fabric
3.4:1
Temperature
cool
Closest to
blue

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

Hand-dyed threads like Valdani M46 (Delft Blue dark) are never perfectly flat; expect soft variegation. Stock up in a single dye lot up front, since later batches can read noticeably different.

Color Harmonies for Valdani M46

Valdani threads that pair well with M46, based on color theory harmony rules in CIELAB color space.

Complementary
Opposite on the color wheel — maximum contrast
M46
188 Avocado Green
Analogous
Adjacent hues — smooth, natural transitions
M46
79 Violet 104 Wedgewood dark
Triadic
Evenly spaced at 120° — vibrant and balanced
M46
P6 Golden Brown 24 Christmas Green bright
Monochromatic
Same hue, different lightness — great for shading
M46
871 Blue very dark JP10 Blue Violet light 117 Antique Blue ultra

Blues Family

Valdani M46 in context with nearby shades from the blues color family.

M46 Delft Blue dark M46 M24 Sky Blue M24 100 Cornflower Blue light 100 O542 Blue Violet medium lt O542 O562 Blue Violet dark O562 120 Cornflower Blue medium 120 O583 Cornflower Blue O583 126 Antique Blue medium 126 122 Grey Blue 122 93 Electric Blue 93 104 Wedgewood dark 104

About Valdani M46

Meet Valdani M46, Delft Blue dark — a moderately saturated, medium thread in the blues family with sky blue tones. The steady and rich character of this shade lends itself well to skies and water. Stitchers frequently choose it for denim textures and cool-toned backgrounds in their projects.

Frequently Asked Questions

Valdani M46 — what color is it?

The color of Valdani M46 is Delft Blue dark — a medium blue thread (hex #3D5FA3, RGB 61, 95, 163). It shows up most in bluebird motifs and whale designs.

What is the DMC equivalent of Valdani M46?

The closest DMC match for Valdani M46 (Delft Blue dark) is DMC 798 (Delft Blue dark) with a 100% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 322 (Baby Blue dark, 86%) and DMC 3838 (Lavender Blue dark, 84%).

Which Valdani threads are close to M46?

The closest Valdani threads to M46 are 120 Cornflower Blue medium (ΔE 5.11), O583 Cornflower Blue (ΔE 5.89), and 122 Grey Blue (ΔE 6.83). These are useful substitutes when M46 is unavailable or for building gradients.

What is Valdani M46 good for?

Valdani M46 (Delft Blue dark) is commonly used in cross-stitch projects featuring bluebird motifs, whale designs, sapphire accents, porcelain patterns. Its medium tone works well for standalone motifs and as part of larger palettes. This page includes color harmonies and similar shades to pair with M46.

Does Valdani M46 (Delft Blue dark) vary between dye lots?

Yes, mildly. Hand-dyed threads like M46 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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