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| Decision field | Open accessYarnSubGlobalRemove | Free accountSwatchOnGlobalRemove | Open accessUnknown Textile Identification & Evidence RecordGlobalRemove | Free + paidThreadloop Sewing Pattern DatabaseGlobalRemove |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | ||||
| Primary job | Choose materials | Choose materials | Choose materials | Find patterns & fit |
| Also useful for | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded |
| Area | Yarn | Materials | Materials | Patterns & fit |
| Best for | Building a substitution shortlist for a discontinued or unavailable yarn before checking quantity, availability, and a representative swatch | Sourcing swatches and low-MOQ fabric options | Investigating an unknown textile without using flame, smoke, odor, or residue as composition, flammability, care, safety, or compliance proof | Searching current and out-of-print sewing patterns |
| 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. | SwatchOn's supplier status, counts, trust language, specifications, prices, availability, and account benefits are provider or supplier statements that can change. They do not independently establish fibre identity, performance, certification validity, mill ownership, production capacity, colour continuity, delivery, duty, or commercial fit. Review representative samples, test data, current certificates, the contracting entity, order terms, return limits, and landed logistics before purchase. | The record does not identify a submitted textile, provide a home burn procedure, turn an observation into a fibre or blend result, choose a laboratory method, establish flammability or market compliance, validate a care instruction, or replace qualified laboratory, textile, conservation, safety, compliance, and legal review. | 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 | Makers | Apparel brands | Both | Makers |
| Location or jurisdiction | Global | Global | Global | Global |
| Access | Open access | Free account | Open access | Free + paid |
| Format | Reference | Marketplace | Stitch Authority | Community |
| Source type | First-party platform | Commercial marketplace | Stitch Authority | Community database |
| Account, payment, and exit | ||||
| Access scope | Maker comparing a replacement for a named yarn before buying. | Business or individual buyer sourcing fabric, trims, swatches, or custom printing through SwatchOn's marketplace and order workflow. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Sewer searching pattern records or organizing patterns, projects, fabric, notions, and private files. |
| Before an account | Search a named yarn, inspect suggested substitutes, and filter by fibre and approximate price band without creating an account. | Read the marketplace scope, material-category pages, service explanations, help articles, calculators, and legal policies. The checked signed-out pages do not expose the full product library, wholesale ordering, or sample-purchase workflow. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | Browse the pattern database, guide, designers, publications, and public community areas 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. | After email verification, business and individual accounts receive product-library, wholesale-order, and sample-purchase access. A completed business profile and business proof add a sourcing manager and conditional swatch credits; the terms allow identity, business, or payment verification and account rejection. | Not yet reviewed at this level. | A free account needs no card and supports a stash, wishlist, projects, reviews, and personal organization. |
| 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. | The checked first-party pages disclose no recurring platform subscription. Buyers pay per sample or product order plus the checkout currency, shipping, duties, taxes, adjustments, and any agreed service fees; complimentary swatches or credits are conditional rather than universal free access. | 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 | There is no account or recurring plan to cancel for the core route. The newsletter has a separate unsubscribe link. | There is no subscription plan to cancel on the checked pages. The terms say a user may stop using the platform, while the privacy policy routes access, correction, portability, and deletion requests through support and permits retention for legal, accounting, dispute, and agreement-enforcement needs. | 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 | 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. | The platform can hold account and verification data, carts and orders, payment and shipping records, customs documents, artwork, supplier messages, reviews, and support tickets. The privacy policy offers copy, portability, correction, and deletion requests, but does not state a self-service full export, exact format, completion time, or complete deletion of retained transaction records. | 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 | 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. | SwatchOn's current marketplace page exposes fabrics, trims, and prints, with swatch samples, in-stock catalogue colours, low-order-quantity options, and global logistics support. Current account guidance places the full product library, wholesale ordering, and sample purchasing behind email verification, while the terms describe supplier-provided listings, per-order payment, cross-border charges, sample limits, and marketplace responsibility. | The guide cites current AATCC qualitative and quantitative fibre-analysis methods, the published ISO 1833-1 quantitative-analysis principles, ASTM's withdrawn D276 status and reinstatement work item, current FTC U.S. textile-label guidance, and current CPSC clothing-textile flammability guidance. | 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 28, 2026 | Jul 28, 2026 | Jul 16, 2026 | Jul 28, 2026 |
| Next review due | Jan 24, 2027 | Jan 24, 2027 | Jul 16, 2027 | Jan 24, 2027 |
| Inspect | ||||
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