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Compare textile resources.
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4 resources selected.
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| Decision field | Free accountFOURSOURCE Supplier NetworkGlobalRemove | Open accessYarn Database EU Dyers and MakersEuropean UnionRemove | Open accessEU VIES VAT Number ValidationEuropean UnionRemove | Free + paidThreadloop Sewing Pattern DatabaseGlobalRemove |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | ||||
| Primary job | Source production | Choose materials | Check standards | Find patterns & fit |
| Also useful for | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded |
| Area | Production | Yarn | Standards | Patterns & fit |
| Best for | Searching global apparel and textile production capabilities | Finding independent EU yarn or fibre dyers with off-Ravelry purchase routes | Checking an EU supplier's stated VAT number and saving the dated validation response as one identity and invoicing control | Searching current and out-of-print sewing patterns |
| 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. | It is one curator's intentionally selective, off-Ravelry-oriented database, inventories change, and paid supporters can receive rotating priority placement; verify availability, fibre claims, shipping, and terms directly. | A valid VAT number is not proof of manufacturing capability, facility ownership, authorized bank instructions, product origin, tax advice, quality, capacity, certification, labor conditions, or delivery; names and addresses may not be returned for every country, and temporary database outages occur. | 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. |
| Practical access | ||||
| For | Apparel brands | Makers | Apparel brands | Makers |
| Location or jurisdiction | Global | European Union | European Union | Global |
| Access | Free account | Open access | Open access | Free + paid |
| Format | Marketplace | Directory | Reference | Community |
| Source type | Commercial marketplace | Community database | Official registry | Community database |
| Account, payment, and exit | ||||
| Access scope | Not yet reviewed at this level. | 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. |
| Before an account | Not yet reviewed at this level. | 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. |
| Free-account boundary | Not yet reviewed at this level. | 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. |
| Payment boundary | Not yet reviewed at this level. | 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. |
| Cancellation or exit | Not yet reviewed at this level. | 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. |
| Saved work and data | Not yet reviewed at this level. | 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. |
| Source and review | ||||
| 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. | The individually researched database offers free listings and sortable yarn, fibre, designer, editor, accessory, and location views; the EU page spans multiple countries and direct seller profiles. | VIES is the European Commission's online VAT Information Exchange System interface for querying national VAT databases to determine whether a submitted number is valid for intra-EU cross-border trade at the time of the request. | 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. |
| Linked page reviewed | Jul 21, 2026 | Jul 15, 2026 | Jul 15, 2026 | Jul 28, 2026 |
| Next review due | Jan 17, 2027 | Jan 11, 2027 | Oct 13, 2026 | Jan 24, 2027 |
| Inspect | ||||
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