Friday, October 12, 2012

Find My Fabric

Fabric Search EngineHave you heard about the fabric search engine called Find My Fabric?  I tried it for the first time this week, and I'm intrigued.  Think of it as a fabric-focused version of Google.  It's still in Beta, so there is some work to be done still.  I'm hopeful that it will become a robust tool for quilters. 

Here's the description of how it works from the company's website:



FindMyFabric.com is a fabric and quilting & sewing supply search engine. Search for products offered by hundreds of online stores to find exactly what you are looking for. Simply type your search term into the box provided. You can also search by uploading a photo.  

So, I tried it out, and I think it has potential.  One thing that should have been obvious, but wasn't to me, was how to begin your search.  Honestly, I wasn't exactly sure what to do.  It helps if you think of the page you get when you type in FindMyFabric.com as the Google search box.  You enter what fabric you're looking for into the empty white box and click on the magnifying glass.  


When you do type something in the box, you'll get a set of results that are all fabric-related.  That's neat.  Because, if you do the same search on Google, you'll get lots of unrelated stuff.

To test it, I entered "Owl" on FindMyFabric.com, and I got 10 pages of different owl fabrics.  Do the same thing on Google and you get millions of results, and have to dig into them to get to the fabric.

I also tried uploading a fabric photo and searching.  While I love the concept, this part still needs some work. On the plus side, it does provide results.  I just wasn't able to get the exact fabric I wanted.   That's probably because they're still building their database of fabrics and stores to make it perfect.  It was successful in generating a bunch of matching fabrics, so that's something.  

The best results arrive when you enter more terms - just like with any search engine.  So, when I entered "Riley Blake Dots", I got just that.

I also used it to search for cupcake fabrics, and even found a few that I don't own, which was surprising.


My advice?  The next time you're looking for a fabric, give FindMyFabric.com a try, see how it works for you.  


Please note:  I often do reviews here on the blog, usually of stuff I buy and try and want to share.  Sometimes, companies ask me to review things in exchange for either a fee or free products.  I'll always note when this is the case.  So, FYI, while this is my honest opinion of FindMyFabric.com, I do want to disclose that I was compensated for reviewing the site and sharing this post with you. 

It's important to me that you know that no matter what, you'll only get my true and honest opinions (if you listen to my podcast, you know that's my style.)  In fact, I turn down most of the offers provided.  I won't be wasting your time (or mine) with crazy off-topic stuff that has nothing to do with crafting.  

5 comments:

Michelle said...

This is so neat! Thank you!

Sandi Colwell said...

I'll have to give it a try! I was wondering how you are able to review products for companies that compensate? Do they seek you out or are you part of a group? It sounds interesting.
Thanks-
Sandi

landscapelady said...

oh goody! another way to buy fabric, my favorite thing to do:-)

Niki said...

Wait. There are cupcake fabrics you DON'T own? How is that possible? :-)

Jackie said...

Sounds like an awesome resource and I have the same question as Sandi.