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Compare textile resources.
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| Decision field | Open accessPattern Grading & Size-Run Validation RecordGlobalRemove | Open accessYarnSubGlobalRemove | Open accessEU Personal Protective Equipment RegulationEuropean UnionRemove | Free + paidThreadloop Sewing Pattern DatabaseGlobalRemove |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | ||||
| Primary job | Find patterns & fit | 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 | Patterns & fit | Yarn | Standards | Patterns & fit |
| Best for | Auditing inherited grade rules or controlling a new multi-size pattern release from approved targets through sample evidence | Building a substitution shortlist for a discontinued or unavailable yarn before checking quantity, availability, and a representative swatch | Starting an EU/EEA PPE scope and conformity review with the current law, Commission guidance, harmonised-standard publications, and official notified-body route | Searching current and out-of-print sewing patterns |
| 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. | 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. | 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. | 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 | Global | European Union | Global |
| Access | Open access | Open access | Open access | Free + paid |
| Format | Stitch Authority | Reference | Reference | Community |
| Source type | Stitch Authority | First-party platform | Government guidance | Community database |
| Account, payment, and exit | ||||
| Access scope | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Maker comparing a replacement for a named yarn before buying. | 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. | Search a named yarn, inspect suggested substitutes, and filter by fibre and approximate price band without creating an account. | 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. | The checked core substitution route does not require an account, and the FAQ does not offer user-entered yarn records. | 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. | 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. | 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. | There is no account or recurring plan to cancel for the core route. The newsletter has a separate unsubscribe link. | 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. | 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. | 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 | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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 27, 2026 | Jul 28, 2026 | Jul 16, 2026 | Jul 28, 2026 |
| Next review due | Jul 27, 2027 | Jan 24, 2027 | Oct 14, 2026 | Jan 24, 2027 |
| Inspect | ||||
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