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| Decision field | Open accessEU Personal Protective Equipment RegulationEuropean UnionRemove | Open accessPattern Test Brief TemplateGlobalRemove | Free + paidThreadloop Sewing Pattern DatabaseGlobalRemove | Free downloadSeamly2DGlobalRemove |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | ||||
| Primary job | Check standards | Find patterns & fit | Find patterns & fit | Find patterns & fit |
| Also useful for | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded |
| Area | Standards | Patterns & fit | Patterns & fit | Patterns & fit |
| Best for | Starting an EU/EEA PPE scope and conformity review with the current law, Commission guidance, harmonised-standard publications, and official notified-body route | Planning a sewing, knitting, or crochet pattern test | Searching current and out-of-print sewing patterns | Digital pattern drafting |
| Know before using | This is a legal and guidance starting point, not a product classification, risk assessment, standard selection, technical file, test plan, notified-body appointment, EU type-examination certificate, declaration, CE-mark approval, or legal opinion. Confirm the actual intended and foreseeable use, risk category, current law, applicable essential requirements, conformity route, economic-operator duties, destination rules, and evidence before placing PPE on the market. | The workflow is not a contract or quality certification; local legal duties and technical review may still apply. | Community members add and quality-control the records, so confirm sizing, measurements, fabric suggestions, format, availability, errata, license, and purchase terms with the designer or publisher. Adding an entry to a stash does not provide the pattern files. Saved searches and private PDF storage are paid Plus features, and a listing or review does not establish pattern accuracy or fit. | Patternmaking knowledge, controlled measurement files, production conventions, and sewn fit testing are still required. The software does not validate body measurements, ease, balance, grading rules, fabric behavior, construction, or product fit. The project currently labels its user wiki manual as needing updates, so confirm current commands and file behavior against the installed release and active support channels. |
| Practical access | ||||
| For | Apparel brands | Both | Makers | Both |
| Location or jurisdiction | European Union | Global | Global | Global |
| Access | Open access | Open access | Free + paid | Free download |
| Format | Reference | Stitch Authority | Community | Software |
| Source type | Government guidance | Stitch Authority | Community database | Open-source project |
| Account, payment, and exit | ||||
| Access scope | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Sewer searching pattern records or organizing patterns, projects, fabric, notions, and private files. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Before an account | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Browse the pattern database, guide, designers, publications, and public community areas without creating an account. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Free-account boundary | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | A free account needs no card and supports a stash, wishlist, projects, reviews, and personal organization. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Payment boundary | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Plus adds PDF pattern storage, collections, saved searches, bulk editing, and other workflow features on monthly or annual billing. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Cancellation or exit | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Cancel through an in-account link. Paid features remain through the current billing cycle, then the account returns to free features. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Saved work and data | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | The terms say submitted materials remain yours, but the checked public pages do not explain a full export or how stored PDFs behave after downgrade. Keep originals outside the platform. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Source and review | ||||
| What the source establishes | The Commission page says Regulation (EU) 2016/425 covers the design, manufacture, and marketing of PPE and connects manufacturers to the essential health and safety requirements, current PPE guidelines, harmonised-standard publications, and NANDO notified-body list. The linked consolidated legal text was current to May 29, 2026 at the checked date. | The linked tool or guide is maintained inside Stitch Authority and was checked against its current public interface. | Threadloop's official guide describes an independent, fully crowdsourced database covering available and out-of-print sewing patterns. Its search supports pattern type, fabric type, age group, body type, cup size, level, format, file features, language, measurements, availability, and other filters; members can also track a stash, wishlist, projects, reviews, and discussions. Current terms state that the free plan requires no card, paid upgrades start billing immediately, cancellation retains paid features through the current cycle, and the account then returns to free features. | The maintained Seamly2D repository identifies the application as GPLv3+ open-source patternmaking software for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It reads multi-size measurement files for standardized sizes and individual measurement files for custom-fit work, publishes downloadable builds and releases, and links an active website and user forum. |
| Linked page reviewed | Jul 16, 2026 | Jul 15, 2026 | Jul 28, 2026 | Jul 21, 2026 |
| Next review due | Oct 14, 2026 | Jul 15, 2027 | Jan 24, 2027 | Jan 17, 2027 |
| Inspect | ||||
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