What Is DMC Color Variations?

DMC Color Variations is a 6-strand, 8 m cotton floss that gives a soft light-to-dark tone transition within one colour family; the colour codes are the 4000 series (4010 winter white, 4030 forest green, 4200 sunset, 4240 lilac and so on) and there are 60 colours. Unlike Coloris it does not switch between four separate colours but changes the tones of one colour every 10–15 cm; when stitched it creates a hand-painted, gradient, shaded surface. This page gathers every Color Variations colour at Hobianna; the categories in the cross stitch, embroidery and tapestry branches link here.

What to Make with Color Variations

Cross stitch: shading with one thread in sky, sea, petal and ground areas; 2 strands on 14 ct. In single-colour charts (silhouettes, lettering, mandalas) the whole piece is stitched in Color Variations for a gradient effect. Embroidery: a natural transition in long-and-short and satin stitch, a shaded outline in stem stitch and chain; the most preferred thread for leaf, rose and landscape embroidery. Tapestry: sky and water areas on fine canvas. Punch needle and crochet: a hand-painted look in small motifs.

Stitching Tips

To keep the gradient flowing, complete each cross one at a time in cross stitch and start the new length from the tone where the last one ended. When you combine both strands by pulling from the same end the tones move together; reverse one and you get a speckled texture. Blunt size 24 or size 7 embroidery needle, 40–45 cm lengths. Buy the skeins for one area from the same dye lot. An 8 m skein works about 250 stitches on 14 ct. Wash at 40°C, iron from the back.

Color Variations, Coloris and Variegated

Color Variations is a soft transition within one colour family; DMC Coloris four different colours at short intervals; DMC Variegated the classic two-to-three tone 48–125 series. For solid colours and the card see DMC Floss, for a glossy option DMC Satin.