DMC 798 — Dark Delft Blue

Delft blue is one of the most recognizable color identities in decorative arts history — the distinctive cobalt-on-white pattern of Dutch Delftware pottery, introduced in the 17th century and imitated across Europe for centuries afterward. The blue of Delft isn't quite royal blue, isn't quite navy, isn't quite cornflower: it's a medium-to-dark, clear, slightly grayed blue that reads as sophisticated and traditional. DMC 798 Dark Delft Blue captures the deeper end of this particular blue.

The Delft Family in Cross-Stitch

DMC's Delft family — 798 (Dark Delft Blue), DMC 805 (Medium Delft Blue), DMC 809 (Delft Blue), and DMC 800 (Pale Delft Blue) — provides a complete, coordinated set of this historically significant blue for reproduction and Delft-inspired design work. DMC 798 anchors the darkest end, appearing in the most shadowed areas of Delft patterns: the deep blue of windmill silhouettes, the dark fill of Dutch scene interiors, the heavy outlines of the characteristic Delftware motifs.

Cross-stitch patterns directly inspired by Delftware are a consistent niche in the hobby — tulip motifs, windmill scenes, canal scenes, and the flowing floral patterns of authentic Delft pottery all translate naturally into counted thread work. For stitchers working in this genre, the Delft family is essential palette knowledge.

Traditional Sampler Traditions

Beyond strictly Delft-inspired patterns, DMC 798 appears in many traditional sampler designs as a deep, non-threatening blue that works in the background without feeling heavy or dark. Its medium-to-dark value is deep enough to serve as an outline or primary fill without requiring a separate darker outline thread, but not so dark that it reads as navy and overpowers lighter elements.

American colonial-style samplers and their reproduction counterparts often use blues in the Delft range — the historical dyes available for 18th-century American needlework produced blues in this clear-but-not-navy territory, and modern reproduction patterns respect this palette reality. If you're working a reproduction sampler, Delft blues like 798 are often more historically appropriate than the very dark or very saturated blues that weren't achievable with period dyes.

Shading Context and Companion Colors

In multi-value blue shading work, 798 typically serves as the deep shadow position in Delft-family sequences. The characteristic clear quality of Delft blue means the shadow value needs to be clearly darker without shifting to a different hue — 798 delivers this by staying in the same blue family while providing the darker value needed for shadow depth.

Paired with DMC 797 (Royal Blue) for saturated comparison, 798's slightly grayed, less saturated quality becomes apparent — it reads as the more traditional, less assertive blue, making it better for designs that want depth without the bold graphic quality of royal blue. Combined with DMC 809 (Delft Blue) and 800 (Pale Delft Blue), 798 creates the full Delft gradient from deep to light.