Thread Inventory

Browse, search, and track your embroidery thread collection across DMC and Anchor brands.

Some features on this page require the Full Version.

Thread inventory showing 744 DMC threads with search, filter, and status controls

Overview

The Thread Inventory ships with all 744 DMC stranded cotton colors and over 400 Anchor stranded cotton colors, each with accurate color swatches, official names, and thread numbers. Every color is ready to browse, search, and track from the moment you create your account.

The inventory serves two purposes: it acts as a reference catalog for all available threads, and it tracks which threads you personally own, need, or do not yet have. This information feeds into the materials calculator and helps you plan purchases for upcoming projects.

Stats Strip

At the top of the inventory page, a stats strip displays a summary of your collection at a glance. It shows three counts:

Owned - The number of threads you have marked as owned.
Need - The number of threads you have flagged as needed.
Don't Own - The number of threads with no ownership status set.

These counts update automatically as you change thread statuses, giving you an always-current snapshot of your inventory.

Searching

At the top of the inventory page, a search bar provides instant, real-time filtering as you type. You can search by:

Thread number - Type a number like 310 or 3865 to jump directly to that thread. Partial numbers work too: typing 38 will show all threads whose numbers start with 38.
Thread name - Type a color name like ecru, cranberry, or navy to find threads by their official color names. The search is case-insensitive and matches anywhere in the name.

Search results update instantly with each keystroke, so you can quickly narrow down the list without waiting for a page reload.

Filtering

Below the search bar, a set of filter controls lets you narrow the inventory by several criteria. Filters can be combined with each other and with the search bar for precise results.

Brand Filter

The brand filter offers three options:

DMC - Show only DMC threads.
Anchor - Show only Anchor threads.
All - Show threads from both brands combined. When All is active, each thread displays a small brand badge so you can tell at a glance which brand it belongs to.

This is useful when you work exclusively with one brand or want to browse and compare equivalent colors across brands.

Thread Category

Filter threads by their category classification, such as standard stranded cotton, metallic threads, or other specialty types. This helps you focus on the thread type relevant to your current project.

Ownership Status

Three ownership status filters let you quickly view subsets of your collection:

Own - Show only threads you have marked as owned. This gives you a quick overview of your current stash.
Need - Show threads you have flagged as needed. Use this as a shopping list when visiting a craft store.
Don't Own - Show threads with no ownership status set. These are threads you have not yet categorized.

Sort Options

The inventory controls bar includes a Sort dropdown that lets you reorder the thread list. Four sort options are available:

Number - Sort threads by their thread number in ascending order. This is the default sort order.
Name - Sort threads alphabetically by their official color name.
Status - Sort threads by their ownership status (Own, Need, Don't Own), grouping threads of the same status together.
Skeins - Sort threads by the number of skeins you have recorded, with the highest quantities first.

The selected sort order applies immediately and works in combination with any active filters or search terms.

Zoom Slider

The inventory controls bar includes a zoom slider that adjusts the size of thread cards (in grid view) or thread rows (in list view). The slider ranges from 60% to 150%, letting you shrink the display to fit more threads on screen or enlarge it for a closer look at color swatches. The zoom level applies to whichever view mode is currently active.

Status Tracking

Each thread in the inventory has a set of tracking controls that let you record your relationship with that color.

Ownership Buttons

Three single-click buttons let you set the status of any thread:

Own - Click to mark this thread as part of your collection. The thread card will display a visual indicator showing it is owned.
Need - Click to flag this thread as something you need to purchase. Useful for building shopping lists.
Don't Own - Click to explicitly mark that you do not own this thread. This is the default state for all threads.

Clicking a status button is a single-click action - there is no confirmation dialog. You can change the status at any time by clicking a different button.

Skein Quantity

For threads you own, you can track the number of skeins in your stash. Use the + and − stepper buttons to adjust the count in quarter-skein increments (0.25), or type a value directly into the number field. This precision lets you record partial skeins accurately. The quantity information is used by the materials calculator to determine whether you need to purchase additional skeins for a new project.

Notes

Each thread has an optional free-text notes field where you can record any additional information. Common uses include noting the store where you purchased a thread, recording a dye lot number, or leaving a reminder about a color substitution you have used in the past.

Similar Colors

Needlework Studio includes a perceptual color matching feature powered by the CIEDE2000 color difference algorithm. When viewing any thread, you can find visually similar colors across the entire inventory.

CIEDE2000 is an advanced color distance formula that accounts for how the human eye perceives color differences. Unlike simpler RGB distance calculations, it produces results that align closely with what you would judge as "similar" by eye. This is particularly useful for:

Finding substitutes - If your local store is out of a specific color, the similar colors feature can suggest close alternatives.
Cross-brand matching - Find the closest Anchor equivalent to a DMC color, or vice versa.
Building palettes - Discover colors that are close in hue but differ slightly in saturation or lightness, useful for shading and blending effects in pattern design.

Views

The inventory can be displayed in two different view modes, and you can switch between them at any time using the view toggle buttons.

List View

Displays threads as a vertical list with one thread per row. Each row shows the color swatch, thread number, name, ownership status, and quantity. List view provides more detail at a glance and is better suited for inventory management tasks like updating quantities or reviewing your ownership status across many threads. List view is the default view mode.

Grid View

Displays threads as a grid of color swatch cards. Each card shows the thread color, number, and name. Grid view is ideal for visual browsing and quickly scanning large numbers of colors. It makes efficient use of screen space.

Bulk Operations

In both views, you can select multiple threads at once for bulk status changes. The workflow is:

Enter selection mode - Click the Select button in the controls bar. Each thread will display a selection checkbox.
Select threads - Click individual threads to select them, or click Select all visible to select every thread currently shown (respecting any active filters or search).
Apply a bulk action - Once threads are selected, a bulk action bar appears with Own, Need, and Don't Own buttons. Click one to set that status on all selected threads at once.
Clear selection - Click Clear to deselect all threads and exit selection mode.

Bulk operations are significantly faster than updating threads one at a time, especially when you return from a shopping trip with several new colors.

Export

The inventory controls bar includes an Export dropdown with three options for getting your thread data out of the application:

Print Shopping List - Opens a print-friendly page containing only threads with a "Need" status. The printed list includes thread numbers, names, and color swatches rendered as colored blocks. This is designed to take with you when shopping for threads at a craft store.
Shopping List CSV - Downloads a CSV file containing only threads with a "Need" status. This is useful for importing your shopping list into a spreadsheet or sharing it digitally.
Full Inventory CSV - Downloads a CSV file containing all threads in the inventory along with their current ownership status. This provides a complete export of your collection data for backup or analysis.

Jump Rail

On the right side of the inventory screen, a quick-jump rail displays a vertical strip of thread number markers. Clicking any marker scrolls the inventory directly to that section of the list, letting you navigate large thread collections without manual scrolling.

The jump rail adapts to your current view: it updates its markers based on the active sort order and selected brand, so the numbers always correspond to what is currently displayed. As you scroll through the inventory, the rail highlights the marker nearest to your current position to indicate where you are in the list.

On small screens (below 640px wide), the jump rail is hidden to preserve screen space for the thread list itself.