Compare two to four resources
Compare textile resources.
Review access, scope, source evidence, and limitations side by side before choosing what to inspect next.
This is a working table, not a ranking, recommendation, or provider approval.
Selected resources
4 resources selected.
Swipe the table sideways to inspect all 4 routes
| Decision field | Free + paidThreadloop Sewing Pattern DatabaseGlobalRemove | Open accessEU VIES VAT Number ValidationEuropean UnionRemove | Open accessYarnSubGlobalRemove | Open accessYarn Database EU Dyers and MakersEuropean UnionRemove |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | ||||
| Primary job | Find patterns & fit | Check standards | Choose materials | Choose materials |
| Also useful for | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded |
| Area | Patterns & fit | Standards | Yarn | Yarn |
| Best for | Searching current and out-of-print sewing patterns | Checking an EU supplier's stated VAT number and saving the dated validation response as one identity and invoicing control | Building a substitution shortlist for a discontinued or unavailable yarn before checking quantity, availability, and a representative swatch | Finding independent EU yarn or fibre dyers with off-Ravelry purchase routes |
| Know before using | 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. | 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. | 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. | 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. |
| Practical access | ||||
| For | Makers | Apparel brands | Makers | Makers |
| Location or jurisdiction | Global | European Union | Global | European Union |
| Access | Free + paid | Open access | Open access | Open access |
| Format | Community | Reference | Reference | Directory |
| Source type | Community database | Official registry | First-party platform | Community database |
| Account, payment, and exit | ||||
| Access scope | Sewer searching pattern records or organizing patterns, projects, fabric, notions, and private files. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Maker comparing a replacement for a named yarn before buying. | Not yet reviewed at this level. |
| Before an account | Browse the pattern database, guide, designers, publications, and public community areas without creating 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. |
| Free-account boundary | A free account needs no card and supports a stash, wishlist, projects, reviews, and personal organization. | 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. |
| Payment boundary | 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. | 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. |
| Cancellation or exit | 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. | 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. |
| Saved work and data | 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. | 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. |
| Source and review | ||||
| What the source establishes | 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. | 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. | 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 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. |
| Linked page reviewed | Jul 28, 2026 | Jul 15, 2026 | Jul 28, 2026 | Jul 15, 2026 |
| Next review due | Jan 24, 2027 | Oct 13, 2026 | Jan 24, 2027 | Jan 11, 2027 |
| Inspect | ||||
How to compare
Use the rows to narrow your next check.
- Choose resources that could solve the same job.
- Eliminate access, scope, or jurisdiction mismatches.
- Read each limitation before following the source.
- Verify project-specific claims with the source or provider.