DMC to Cosmo Conversion Chart

About Cosmo Embroidery Floss

Cosmo is a premium Japanese embroidery thread made by Lecien Corporation, one of Japan's most respected textile manufacturers. The brand has developed a devoted following among hand embroidery enthusiasts worldwide, prized for its exceptionally silky texture, rich color depth, and the sheer breadth of its palette. With 443 solid colors in the Cosmo Seasons collection, it rivals DMC's range while bringing a distinctly Japanese sensibility to color naming and curation — you'll find subtle gradations and carefully curated earth tones that have no direct DMC equivalent.

The physical character of Cosmo thread is meaningfully different from DMC. The cotton is combed and mercerized to a higher sheen, giving finished stitches a lustrous, almost silk-like quality that catches light beautifully. The strand itself feels silkier and slightly softer in the hand than DMC's more workhorse cotton. This difference in hand makes Cosmo particularly popular for surface embroidery styles like satin stitch, long-and-short stitch, and other techniques where the thread's reflective quality adds dimension to smooth, filled areas. For traditional counted cross-stitch, the higher sheen can give your work a more polished, decorative finish compared to DMC's more matte result.

One consideration when switching from DMC to Cosmo is thread coverage. Because Cosmo is slightly finer in diameter, you may find that coverage on 14-count Aida is marginally less opaque at the same strand count. Many stitchers who mix Cosmo into their work add a slight tension increase or simply note the difference and accept it — the silkier finish is often worth the trade-off. On higher-count evenweave fabrics like 28-count linen, Cosmo's finer thread is actually an advantage, producing more precise stitches with less bulk.

Cosmo thread is most readily available through specialty needlework shops and online retailers focused on embroidery. It's less common in general craft chains, which is the main practical drawback for stitchers who need to source thread quickly. However, if you have access to a good needlework shop or are comfortable ordering online, Cosmo is worth exploring — especially for projects where color accuracy and thread quality are paramount. The conversion table below will help you identify Cosmo equivalents for any DMC color in your stash.