Valdani Perle Cotton

P3 — Mocha Brown medium

Browns family

Below: Valdani P3 (Mocha Brown medium), a medium, muted brown shade with hex #968669 and RGB 150, 134, 105. 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
#968669
RGB
150, 134, 105
HSL
39°, 18%, 50%
Lab
56.6, 1.4, 17.8
Lightness
50%
Medium
Saturation
18%
Neutral
Hue
39°
Family
Browns

Brand Equivalents for Valdani P3

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

Valdani P3 Mocha Brown medium

Similar Valdani Colors to P3

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

Working with Valdani P3

On white fabric
3.6:1
On dark fabric
5.9:1
Temperature
soft warm
Closest to
khaki

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

Skin tones & portraits

Valdani P3 (Mocha Brown medium) falls where flesh tones live; portrait and figure charts lean on shades like it, graded against nearby lighter and darker threads for natural shadow.

Hand-dyed notes

Hand-dyed threads like Valdani P3 (Mocha Brown medium) 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 P3

Valdani threads that pair well with P3, 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

Browns Family

Valdani P3 in context with nearby shades from the browns color family.

About Valdani P3

Meet Valdani P3, Mocha Brown medium — a muted, medium thread in the browns family with golden brown tones. The restrained and earthy character of this shade lends itself well to tree trunks and earth tones. Stitchers frequently choose it for animal fur and warm outlines in their projects.

Frequently Asked Questions

Valdani P3 — what color is it?

The color of Valdani P3 is Mocha Brown medium — a medium brown thread (hex #968669, RGB 150, 134, 105). It shows up most in leather accents and horse designs.

What is the DMC equivalent of Valdani P3?

The closest DMC match for Valdani P3 (Mocha Brown medium) is DMC 3032 (Mocha Brown medium) with a 100% match based on visual color similarity. Other near matches include DMC 642 (Beige Grey dark, 83%) and DMC 612 (Drab Brown light, 80%).

Which Valdani threads are close to P3?

The closest Valdani threads to P3 are 148 Mocha Brown light (ΔE 7.05), 150 Mustard (ΔE 7.6), and M47 Beaver Grey medium (ΔE 9.7). These are useful substitutes when P3 is unavailable or for building gradients.

What is Valdani P3 good for?

Valdani P3 (Mocha Brown medium) is commonly used in cross-stitch projects featuring leather accents, horse designs, cinnamon motifs, bark 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 P3.

Does Valdani P3 (Mocha Brown medium) vary between dye lots?

Yes, mildly. Hand-dyed threads like P3 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.