How to choose and combine DMC threads without going crazy

Standing in front of nearly three hundred thread colors and having to choose can be a bit overwhelming. And it's not the same to find a specific color as it is to combine several together: the first is solved by the color chart, the second is learned with four rules. These are the ones we use in the haberdashery.

First of all: the number rules

Each DMC color has a number, and that number never changes. Write down the ones you use in each project: when a shade runs out, you order the exact number, and it arrives identical. No more "I think it was this blue." If you need to locate a specific number, it's explained in how to choose your color from the DMC chart.

The three combinations that never fail

1. A single family, multiple shades

Three or four shades of the same color, from lightest to darkest. It is the safest combination that exists and the one that gives depth to flowers, skies, shadows, and fabric folds. If in doubt, start here: a well-graduated monochrome never looks bad.

2. Neighboring colors

Those that are together on the color wheel naturally get along: greens with blues, reds with oranges and mustards, lilacs with pinks. They provide harmony without being flat. It is the basis of most flower and landscape paintings.

3. One contrast, and only one

An opposing color in a small quantity makes everything else breathe: a touch of red in a green painting, a yellow in a bluish one. The rule is proportion. Contrast works when it takes up little space; when it takes up half, it fights.

The neutral that holds the ensemble together

Ecru, beige, soft gray, or taupe. A neutral background makes vibrant colors stand out and prevents the picture from becoming noisy. In needlepoint on canvas, this is very noticeable because the stitch covers the entire fabric, and there is no air between the colors.

How shading works

Volume in embroidery is not given by lines; it is given by tone shifts. With two tones, the result is flat; with three or four, relief appears. If you are choosing the colors for an area—a flower petal, a sky—think in terms of tones, not distinct colors.

The haberdashery trick

Before you start, place the skeins you are going to use together on the table, in daylight. If you like them there, you will like them on the fabric. If one "jars," change it before embroidering, not after. Artificial light changes tones, especially blues and grays, and many disappointments come from having chosen at night.

Three common mistakes we see

• Choosing by screen. No monitor shows the actual color of a skein. It helps to guide you, not to decide.
• Too large tone jumps. If the gradient looks striped, intermediate tones are missing.
• Buying just enough. A tone that runs out halfway through a project may come from another batch and not be exactly the same. Better one extra skein.

And if you prefer not to choose

In needlepoint kits, there's no need to combine anything: the canvas comes printed in full color, and the threads are already selected and in the right quantity. You embroider by following the color, without palette decisions. It's the most relaxed way to start.