What Are The Different Brands Of Cross-Stitch Floss?

There are several popular brands of cross-stitch floss that vary in quality, color range, and price. Here's a guide to the most common floss brands used by cross-stitchers, including their unique features and pros and cons.

🧵 1. DMC (Dollfus-Mieg & Compagnie)

Country of Origin: France
Material: 100% Cotton
Number of Colors: Over 500
Thread Type: 6-strand divisible floss, pearl cotton, color variations, metallics, glow-in-the-dark, etc.

DMC is the most popular and widely used brand of cross-stitch floss worldwide. It’s known for its consistency, high quality, and extensive color range. Most patterns are written with DMC color codes, making it easy to find the right shades.

✅ Pros:

• Widely available
• Colorfast and fade-resistant
• Huge color range
• Easy to find DMC color conversions for other brands

❌ Cons:

• More expensive than some other brands
• Metallic and specialty threads can be tricky to work with

🧵 2. Anchor

Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Material: 100% Cotton
Number of Colors: Over 450
Thread Type: 6-strand divisible floss, pearl cotton, metallics, variegated, etc.

Anchor is another high-quality floss brand, popular in Europe. It’s often considered equivalent to DMC in terms of quality, though it has a slightly different texture and finish. Some stitchers prefer Anchor for its matte finish compared to DMC's slight sheen.

✅ Pros:

• Colorfast and durable
• Comparable to DMC in quality
• Some patterns use Anchor color codes

❌ Cons:

• Slightly harder to find in some countries (especially the U.S.)
• Smaller color range than DMC

🧵 3. Cosmo (by Lecien)

Country of Origin: Japan
Material: 100% Cotton
Number of Colors: Over 500
Thread Type: 6-strand divisible floss, metallics, variegated, etc.

Cosmo floss is known for its luxuriously soft texture and high-quality dyeing process. It’s often described as silk-like, making it easier to work with and less prone to tangling. It’s becoming more popular among modern cross-stitchers, especially for hand-dyed fabrics and intricate designs.

✅ Pros:

• Very soft and smooth
• Doesn’t tangle easily
• Comparable to DMC in color range

❌ Cons:

• More expensive than DMC
• Less widely available

🧵 4. Sullivans

Country of Origin: Australia
Material: 100% Cotton
Number of Colors: Over 450
Thread Type: 6-strand divisible floss

Sullivans floss is marketed as a budget-friendly alternative to DMC. The colors are intended to match DMC’s color codes closely, making it easy to swap out if you're looking for a more affordable option.

✅ Pros:

• More affordable than DMC
• Matches DMC colors for easy conversion
• Colorfast and durable

❌ Cons:

• Slightly rougher texture than DMC
• Some colors may not match DMC exactly

🧵 5. Weeks Dye Works

Country of Origin: USA
Material: Hand-dyed 100% Cotton
Number of Colors: Over 200
Thread Type: 6-strand divisible floss, pearl cotton

Weeks Dye Works is known for its hand-dyed, variegated floss. Each skein features subtle color variations, which give a beautiful, hand-crafted look to your project. It’s especially popular for samplers, primitive designs, and rustic projects.

✅ Pros:

• Unique hand-dyed look
• Variegated colors create natural shading
• Great for vintage or rustic projects

❌ Cons:

• More expensive than standard floss
• Colors may vary between dye lots
• Requires extra care to ensure colorfastness

🧵 6. Gentle Arts (Sampler Threads)

Country of Origin: USA
Material: Hand-dyed 100% Cotton
Number of Colors: Over 240
Thread Type: 6-strand divisible floss

Similar to Weeks Dye Works, Gentle Arts is a hand-dyed floss brand known for its rich, variegated colors. The subtle variations give a handcrafted, antique feel to projects, making it ideal for samplers and historical reproductions.

✅ Pros:

• Beautiful hand-dyed variegation
• Great for samplers and rustic designs
• Adds depth and texture to projects

❌ Cons:

• Expensive
• Color consistency can vary between dye lots
• May bleed if not prewashed

🧵 7. Classic Colorworks

Country of Origin: USA
Material: Hand-dyed 100% Cotton
Number of Colors: Over 200
Thread Type: 6-strand divisible floss

Classic Colorworks is another brand specializing in hand-dyed floss. It’s popular for primitive and vintage designs and works beautifully for patterns that call for natural, soft color changes.

✅ Pros:

• Unique hand-dyed colors
• Adds a soft, rustic look
• Perfect for samplers and folk art

❌ Cons:

• Expensive
• May vary between dye lots
• Requires extra care to prevent bleeding

🧵 8. J&P Coats

Country of Origin: USA
Material: 100% Cotton
Number of Colors: Limited (around 100)
Thread Type: 6-strand divisible floss

J&P Coats is an affordable, beginner-friendly floss brand. While it doesn’t have as many colors or the same quality as DMC, it’s a good option for kids' projects or large, simple designs where color variety isn’t critical.

✅ Pros:

• Very affordable
• Great for beginners
• Available in multipacks

❌ Cons:

• Limited color range
• Lower quality than premium brands

🧵 Summary of Cross-Stitch Floss Brands