That Moment You Realise Something Looks… Off
I recently(-ish) had one of those quietly alarming stitching moments.
Midway through a stitch-along (the "Flower Dragon Meadow" to be specific!), I realised that one of my floss colours was… not quite the same. Same colour number, both DMC — but clearly a different shade. A different dye lot.
Cue a brief internal debate: Will this ruin my piece? Will I have to frog my work? Do I pretend it doesn't exist? 😆
The good news? It turned out to be completely fine for my situation. I didn't run out of the original skein of floss so it was a non-issue. But it got me thinking about dye lots and how difficult they can be for larger projects.
So let's talk about what dye lots actually are, why/how they exist, and how to avoid unpleasant surprises — without turning stitching into a stressful exercise.
What is a dye lot, anyway?
A dye lot refers to a batch of floss that was dyed at the same time, using the same dye mixture and conditions. Even when manufacturers follow strict formulas, tiny variations can creep in from batch to batch.
Things like:
- Slight differences in dye concentration
- Temperature and humidity
- How the fibre absorbs the dye
- Manufacturing tweaks over time
All of this means that two skeins with the same colour number can still look a little -or sometimes a lot- different if they come from different dye lots.
Brands like DMC are known for excellent consistency, but even they can't make every skein perfectly identical forever. Dye is chemistry, not ✨ magic ✨
How noticeable can dye lot differences be?
It really depends.
Sometimes the difference is so subtle you'd never spot it unless the skeins were sitting side-by-side. Other times, the shift is obvious as soon as you start stitching.
Dye lot differences tend to stand out more when:
- You're stitching large blocks of the same colour
- The colour is used as a solid background
- The design is mostly monochrome
- Backstitching crosses from one dye lot area into another
Certain colours are also more prone to variation — reds and deeply saturated colours are notorious for this.
If you're curious, a side-by-side comparison of skeins (or even a few stitched crosses) can be incredibly eye-opening. Two skeins, same number… very different hues.
Tips for avoiding dye lot drama.
While you can't eliminate dye lot variation entirely, you can reduce the chances of it becoming an issue:
- Buy enough floss for your project upfront, especially for large or full-coverage designs.
- Purchase multiple skeins at the same time and from the same shop, when possible.
- Keep the paper bands on leftover floss, so you know which skeins belong together.
- For large projects, stitch from two skeins at once, alternating threads to blend them together.
- If you need to add a new skein later, try gradually blending old and new rather than switching abruptly.
And if you're working with hand-dyed or overdyed floss? Always buy extra. Those variations are part of the charm — but they're also very much intentional.
A tiny bit of dye-lot history (because it's fascinating)
Before modern industrial dyeing, variation wasn't the exception — it was the rule.
Historically, fibres were dyed in small batches using natural dyes, and consistency was nearly impossible. Even skeins dyed one after another could look noticeably different. In many traditional textiles, these variations were embraced as part of the handmade aesthetic.
In a way, today's dye lot differences are a quiet echo of that history. Overdyed and hand-dyed flosses lean into this on purpose, creating movement and texture that perfectly flat colour never could.
A gentle reminder not to be scared!
Dye lot differences can feel stressful when you first notice them -especially mid-project- but they don't have to be a disaster like they initially seem.
Stitching is meant to be enjoyable. A slight shade shift doesn't mean failure; sometimes it simply means your piece is a little more unique than planned.
If you spot a dye lot difference in your own work, pause, take a step back, and look at the piece as a whole. Chances are, it's absolutely fine — and even if it isn't perfect, it's still handmade. And that's kind of the point.
Happy stitching 🧵
🧡 Kate
