DMC 805 — Medium Delft Blue

The Delft blue family covers more range than most stitchers initially realize, and DMC 805 Medium Delft Blue occupies a particularly useful position within it: the clear, fully saturated middle of the Delft range. It's not pale enough to need qualification, not dark enough to feel heavy — just a clean, clear, medium blue with the characteristic Delft quality that makes the family so recognizable in historical textiles and reproduction needlework.

The Workhorse of the Delft Family

In Delft-inspired designs, the medium value is typically where the most stitching happens. The darkest values (like DMC 804 and 798) provide shadow definition and outlines; the palest values (800, 809) provide highlights and background tone. DMC 805 as the medium fills the primary visible surface area of the design — the large sections of windmill bodies, the main body of Dutch figures in traditional costume, the solid blue areas of iconic Delftware motifs like the iconic blue tulip patterns.

This mid-value workhorse role means 805 often consumes more thread than any other color in a Delft-themed piece. For large reproduction works or full-coverage Delftware-inspired panels, buying extra skeins of 805 is advisable — dye lot consistency across a large fill area in a medium-saturated blue matters more than for accent colors.

Clarity Without Complexity

One of the defining qualities of the Delft blue range is its clarity — unlike the cornflower family (which has purple undertones) or navy blues (which are cool and dark), Delft blue reads as a medium, clear blue with relatively neutral undertones. This clarity makes DMC 805 uniquely useful in designs that need a medium blue without a strong secondary color association. For blue elements in sampler borders, decorative alphabets, geometric patterns, and folk motifs, 805 provides the needed color without the distraction of warmth or coolness.

In contemporary cross-stitch designs with clean, graphic aesthetic — inspired by modern illustration, geometric art, or Scandinavian-influenced minimalism — 805's clarity makes it an excellent choice for blue elements that should read as simply and cleanly blue without any secondary character.

Companion Relationships in Palette Building

DMC 805 pairs effectively with DMC 798 (Dark Delft Blue) for two-value shading without requiring the full extended Delft family. This simple pairing — medium fill with dark shadow — is enough for small motifs, simplified designs, and any application where palette size matters. Adding DMC 800 (Pale Delft Blue) as a highlight creates a complete three-value Delft palette with minimal complexity.

For palette relationships outside the Delft family, 805 works naturally alongside DMC 3752 (Very Light Antique Blue) in a vintage textile palette, with DMC 931 (Medium Antique Blue) for a more dusty, traditional register, or with DMC 322 (Baby Blue) for a brighter, cleaner pair that reads as nautical or summer-themed.