# Stitch Authority resource comparison Generated: 2026-08-01T23:02:35.330Z Comparison: This file preserves the published decision metadata for the selected routes. It is not a recommendation, provider approval, compliance decision, or record of project-specific due diligence. ## 1. FOURSOURCE Supplier Network Permanent record: Source page: - Primary job: Source production - Area: Production - For: Apparel brands - Location or jurisdiction: Global - Access: Free account - Format: Marketplace - Source type: Commercial marketplace - Linked page reviewed: 2026-07-21 - Next review due: 2027-01-17 ### Best for Searching global apparel and textile production capabilities ### What the source establishes FOURSOURCE's current public network page presents an operator-reported global company count and country or territory search. It says logged-in users can narrow results by compliance certificates, product groups, fabric types, target groups, minimum order quantities, and other fields, with a free-trial and supplier sign-up route. ### Know before using The company count is a changing platform claim. Search fields, profiles, certificates, locations, and account access do not independently verify the legal entity, factory ownership, capability, capacity, certificate validity or scope, compliance performance, delivery, or project fit. Confirm the site and subcontracting, credentials with issuers, samples, audits when appropriate, specifications, contracts, and commercial terms. ## 2. YarnSub Permanent record: Source page: - Primary job: Choose materials - Area: Yarn - For: Makers - Location or jurisdiction: Global - Access: Open access - Format: Reference - Source type: First-party platform - Linked page reviewed: 2026-07-28 - Next review due: 2027-01-24 ### Best for Building a substitution shortlist for a discontinued or unavailable yarn before checking quantity, availability, and a representative swatch ### What the source establishes YarnSub's official FAQ says its matching software compares gauge, texture, yarn weight and density, fibre content, and fibre qualities such as drape and softness. Discontinued yarns remain searchable as starting points but are excluded from suggestions. Result filters can exclude animal, animal-derived, synthetic, or plant fibre groups and use a subjective $ to $$$$$ price indicator. The site does not accept user-entered yarn details, individual shade cards, or expose an API. Each yarn page provides a data-issue route. ### Know before using A suggested match is a data-based shortlist, not proof that the yarn suits the pattern or maker. Records can be incomplete or wrong, price bands are approximate, availability varies by country and seller, and shade-level matching is unavailable. YarnSub says affiliate status does not change suggestions, but equally rated matches are ordered by brand popularity. Confirm required gauge, total length, fibre behavior, construction, care, colour, dye lot, accessibility, price, availability, and seller terms, then make and assess a representative swatch before committing. ### Account, payment, and exit - Access scope: Maker comparing a replacement for a named yarn before buying. - Before an account: Search a named yarn, inspect suggested substitutes, and filter by fibre and approximate price band without creating an account. - Free-account boundary: The checked core substitution route does not require an account, and the FAQ does not offer user-entered yarn records. - Payment boundary: No subscription is presented for the core route. Affiliate retailer links and optional donations help fund the site; equal-rated matches are ordered by brand popularity. - Cancellation or exit: There is no account or recurring plan to cancel for the core route. The newsletter has a separate unsubscribe link. - Saved work and data: YarnSub does not expose an API and does not accept user-entered yarn details. Use the data-issue link on a yarn page for corrections. ## 3. Sewport Permanent record: Source page: - Primary job: Source production - Area: Production - For: Apparel brands - Location or jurisdiction: Global - Access: Free + paid - Format: Marketplace - Source type: Commercial marketplace - Linked page reviewed: 2026-07-28 - Next review due: 2027-01-24 ### Best for Requesting apparel-production proposals ### What the source establishes Sewport's current brand workflow starts with an account and guided project enquiry, then exposes proposals from garment factories and production specialists. The platform tells brands to compare profiles, portfolios, location, price, and communication, then record service, delivery, payment, and contract terms in a formal proposal. Its service-provider workflow includes factories, sample studios, pattern cutters, tech-pack makers, sourcing specialists, and material suppliers, with optional split-payment escrow. ### Know before using A profile, proposal, match, or escrow status does not establish factory ownership, identity, capacity, workmanship, quality systems, labour or chemical compliance, delivery performance, contract enforceability, or project fit. Verify the legal and production entities, references, site and subcontracting, samples, compliance evidence, specifications, terms, and remedies directly. ### Account, payment, and exit - Access scope: Apparel brand requesting production proposals or service provider responding to enquiries through Sewport's project workflow. - Before an account: Read the brand and service-provider workflow, public learning pages, and selected country or city manufacturer pages. Creating an enquiry, seeing matched results, messaging, proposals, and dashboard work require an account. - Free-account boundary: The current first-party FAQ gives brands a seven-day trial and says service providers can join free. Access differs by role: brands create and publish enquiries; completed service-provider profiles can appear in search and browse enquiries. - Payment boundary: After the brand trial, the FAQ routes brands to monthly or annual subscription access. A supplier proposal, brand-paid platform commission, production payment, and optional escrow are separate transaction costs rather than the subscription itself. - Cancellation or exit: The FAQ routes account cancellation through Account settings and says the trial can be canceled. The checked public pages do not establish when subscription access ends, refund terms, or what happens to active enquiries, messages, proposals, or escrow after cancellation. - Saved work and data: Accounts can hold project details, uploads, messages, proposals, agreements, and invoices. Invoices and individual attachments have download routes, but the checked public pages do not establish a complete account export or post-cancellation retention and deletion path. Keep original files and decision records outside the platform. ## 4. Pattern Grading & Size-Run Validation Record Permanent record: Source page: - Primary job: Find patterns & fit - Area: Patterns & fit - For: Apparel brands - Location or jurisdiction: Global - Access: Open access - Format: Stitch Authority - Source type: Stitch Authority - Linked page reviewed: 2026-07-27 - Next review due: 2027-07-27 ### Best for Auditing inherited grade rules or controlling a new multi-size pattern release from approved targets through sample evidence ### What the source establishes The guide cites current ISO body-table, size-designation, and garment-measurement boundaries plus two peer-reviewed studies that tested the relationship between conventional grade rules, anthropometric evidence, and garment fit; it requires product-specific target deltas and validation instead of publishing universal increments. ### Know before using The record does not create a production grade, supply universal increments or breakpoints, validate a CAD file or fit population, reproduce licensed standards, or replace qualified anthropometric, pattern, technical-design, fit, quality, accessibility, safety, statistical, and user-research review. ## Next checks 1. Remove any route whose audience, jurisdiction, access, or scope does not match the job. 2. Open the permanent record and source page for every remaining route. 3. Recheck facts that can change after the listed review date. 4. Verify project-specific capability, terms, test evidence, and legal requirements with the responsible source or provider. 5. Record the reason for the final choice outside Stitch Authority.