Top Embroidery Floss Brands for Vibrant Stitches

Embroidery has long been cherished as a timeless and intricate art form, with threads that can turn simple fabric into beautiful masterpieces. Choosing the right embroidery floss is crucial in achieving superior results and enhancing the vibrancy of your designs. There are numerous brands on the market, each offering unique qualities and a vast array of colors to suit every project’s needs. To discover our carefully curated list of the best embroidery floss brands that cater to both beginners and seasoned embroiderers, read on below.

Illustration of embroidery floss

Best brands of embroidery floss in 2025

DMC

DMC (Dollfus-Mieg & Compagnie) is a leading producer of embroidery floss, renowned for its high-quality threads available in over 500 shades. The company's 6-strand cotton embroidery floss is particularly popular among stitchers, and they also offer pearl cotton and other specialty threads. DMC has launched innovative products such as DIY embroidery kits, catering to hobbyists and craft enthusiasts. The brand's commitment to product innovation and quality enhancement has contributed significantly to the growth of the embroidery thread market. DMC's presence in the market is further strengthened by its strategic collaborations with fashion designers and textile manufacturers.

Anchor

Anchor is a renowned brand in the embroidery floss market, boasting a rich history of nearly 250 years and offering a diverse palette of 460 colors. Known for its high-quality 100% Egyptian cotton threads produced through the double mercerization process, Anchor floss is appreciated for its soft texture and good color matching to DMC, although it may have slightly thinner coverage. Despite being less readily available in some regions, Anchor threads are favored by many for their sheen and minimal tangling. The brand has also experimented with selling threads on spools, though this initiative was short-lived. Anchor threads are available at various prices, such as $0.56 USD in the USA and 91 pence in the UK. For more insights, check out this comparison of cross-stitch floss brands.

Madeira

Madeira is a renowned brand in the embroidery industry, celebrated for its high-quality threads made from premium materials such as long-staple Egyptian cotton and filament silk. Their cotton embroidery floss is six-stranded, mercerized, and colorfast up to 95C, ensuring durability and vibrant colors. Established in 1923, Madeira has a rich history and has been innovating for over 100 years, including the development of sustainable threads like 100% recycled polyester from post-consumer PET bottles. Madeira's threads are Oeko-Tex(r) certified, ensuring they are free from harmful substances. The company continues to push boundaries in textile technologies, offering a broad range of threads for various applications. For more insights, explore this thread talk on Madeira cotton embroidery floss.

Sublime Stitching

Sublime Stitching is renowned for its high-quality embroidery floss, known as Sublime Floss™. Made from 100% Egyptian cotton with an extra long staple length of 35-36mm, this floss is colorfast, fade-resistant, and mercerized, ensuring a smooth and soft texture that separates easily without pre-conditioning. Each palette includes seven 8.75-yard skeins, and the floss is available in 63 colors across nine palettes. Launched by Jenny Hart, the brand has been a staple in the embroidery community since its inception in 2001. The floss has received praise for its consistent colors, minimal fraying, and ease of use. For more information, visit the Sublime Stitching website.

Cosmo by Lecien

Lecien's Cosmo brand is renowned for producing high-quality embroidery floss, utilizing extra-long staple cotton, which accounts for only 1.8% of global cotton production, ensuring superior stretch and durability. Available in 501 solid colors and 140 variegated colors, Cosmo threads are 100% cotton, come in 6-strand skeins of 8.75 yards, and are known for their vivid, silky textures and long-lasting colors. Established in 1950, Lecien has built a reputation for its meticulous manufacturing processes and strict quality inspections. The Cosmo Seasons line offers a range of variegated threads with subtle to random color changes, making them versatile for various stitching projects. These threads are particularly praised for their softness and ease of use compared to other brands.

Weeks Dye Works

Weeks Dye Works is a renowned brand in the embroidery and needlework industry, known for its high-quality, hand over-dyed six-strand Egyptian cotton embroidery floss introduced in 1994. The floss is available in over 343 exquisite colors, including variegated and solid hues, and is praised for its subtle yet noticeable color variations. The threads are environmentally friendly, 100% biodegradable, and made in the USA using organic and lead-free dyes. This floss is versatile, suitable for cross-stitch, needlepoint, and other needlework projects on various fabric counts. It is also colorfast, ensuring durability and consistency in stitching projects.

Kreinik

Kreinik Manufacturing is a renowned producer of high-quality embroidery floss, particularly known for its silk and metallic threads. Founded in 1972 by Jerry and Estelle Kreinik, the company has grown to supply threads worldwide, including to notable clients like Kate Spade and the costume designers for Game of Thrones. Kreinik's Silk Mori(r) thread is a 6-strand, 100% pure spun silk floss, ideal for various needlework techniques. The company has innovated in the embroidery industry by developing metallic braids and ribbons, and their threads are used in a wide range of crafts, from cross stitch and needlepoint to fly fishing. With a 50-year history, Kreinik continues to innovate and meet the creative needs of needleworkers globally. Discover more about their exceptional range of products on their official website.

Valdani

Valdani is renowned as one of the best producers of embroidery floss, offering a versatile range of threads crafted from high-quality materials such as 100% long-staple Egyptian cotton and mulberry silk. Their 3-strand and 6-ply embroidery flosses are designed for various needlework techniques, including sewing, cross-stitch, and embroidery, and are available in over 330 hand-dyed variegated and solid colors. Valdani's threads are known for their rich, natural sheen and smooth texture, making them ideal for detailed work. The company also provides eco-friendly products and has been a trusted name among artisans and hobbyists for years. With a generous weight of 10g per ball, Valdani ensures a seamless and waste-free stitching experience. You can explore their full range of products on their official website.

Aurifil

Aurifil is renowned as one of the best producers of embroidery floss, offering a diverse range of high-quality threads. Their 6-strand 100% cotton floss, known as Aurifloss, is available in 270 colors and comes wound on elegant wooden spools, each containing 18 yards of thread. This floss is ideal for various techniques such as Cross Stitch, Huck Embroidery, and hand embroidery, and is praised for its low lint and crisp stitches. Aurifil's threads are also notable for their strength and durability, with their 50wt thread being a favorite for machine piecing and quilting due to its ability to produce flat and crisp seams. The brand's commitment to quality and innovation has made it a staple in the textile industry.

Gentle Arts

The Gentle Art is a renowned brand in the embroidery industry, celebrated for its high-quality, hand-overdyed threads that give needlework projects a unique, antiqued look. Their threads, such as the Sampler Threads and Simply Shaker lines, are made from 6-strand cotton embroidery floss and are known for their subtle color variations and heirloom quality. With a commitment to consistency and lightfastness, The Gentle Art ensures that their threads are colorfast and durable. The brand's products are popular among stitchers worldwide, contributing to the growing embroidery market, which is projected to reach USD 5.70 billion by 2030, with counted thread embroidery accounting for 40% of the market share in 2022.