Taunton's Threads - For people who love to sew
Sign up for our eLetter for monthly tips and advice right from the editors
 |
|
|
Site to See: PatternReview.com For up-to-the-minute feedback on patterns and more, PatternReview.com rules!
Designed by Deepika Prakash, a software developer in Acton, Massachusetts, the Web site aims to get far-flung sewers in touch with each other so they can exchange information in an organized and efficient way. This isn't a typical discussion board (although the site includes one); instead, Deepika has set up her site so that visitors can search by pattern company, number, style, or reviewer, and read the opinions of one or more of their peers who have used a pattern. Deepika, with less than a year of sewing experience under her belt, found herself going to discussion boards constantly to ask her virtual sewing friends about patterns she was interested in. After a number of such requests, she put her programming expertise to work and came up with an automated way for sewers to post and share reviews. Although most of the site's functions are automatic, once you start reading the reviews you'll discover a strong sense of community and camaraderie among its members. Got a question? Get an answer. Deepika says that the original version of the site took about three hours to create and was received with immediate enthusiasm. Since then, she's added an impressive array of features to PatternReview.com. With their pattern reviews, contributors can post profiles of themselves, which include personal information as well as specifics about their figure type and their usual pattern alterations. This way, you can more easily anticipate how your experience with a pattern will compare to the reviewer's. An added bonus is that digitally savvy reviewers can post a photo of their completed garment along with their review. And if you don't find the pattern you're looking for, you can post a request for it and hope that one of the more than 800 registered members of the site will write up a review. Along with pattern reviews, the site now includes book and Web site reviews, sewing machine reviews, and reviews and ratings of fabric stores across the country. Deepika has even made it possible for individuals to catalog their own pattern collections on the site. Should you decide to divest while cataloging your library, you can now barter your unwanted patterns at PatternReview.com, too. Chats and challenges As if the site weren't already interactive enough, Deepika has embarked on a series of live chats. In addition to sewing celebrities like Peggy Sagers and Heather Claus, chats are hosted by as-yet-unknown experts: Deepika herself has hosted an evening's discussion on choosing and using a digital camera, in response to questions by contributors wishing to add photos to their reviews. Finally, to keep members actually sewing, rather than just writing about it, Deepika came up with the idea of having contests. The most recent challenge encouraged sewers to use up as much yardage from their stash as possible. Prizes have been donated by the contestants themselves ($1 per person), and from commercial sponsors. The contests are run completely on the honor system, and seem to work beautifully. If you visit PatternReview.com, check out Deepika's reviews. You'll be impressed with her talent for garment construction and her sense of style -- I guarantee you wouldn't guess she's a novice sewer. What I wonder is if she even finds time to sew. However she manages it, she deserves a big thank you for creating a place where home sewers can share their experiences, learn about what others are sewing, and make friends with the only people who will ever truly understand their obsession -- other sewers. For more information, visit PatternReview.com at www.patternreview.com.
|
|
|
