Websites For Quilters is pleased to announce the launch of FindMyFabric.com, an innovative fabric search engine that finds fabric and quilting supplies from over 100 online quilt stores.  Visitors can search for products by either typing in a search term or by uploading a photo from their digital camera.  The new search engine uses cutting-edge image recognition technology to find the closest matching fabrics from the supplied photograph.

Dan Purcell and John Leith, co-founders of FindMyFabric.com, started developing the search engine over a year ago.  "Our goal from the beginning was to create a really good search engine that would help quilters such as my Mom easily find the fabric she's looking for," says Dan Purcell.  There were many technical challenges to overcome.  John adds, "developing image recognition software that's specific for fabric and keeping a large database of quilting products current from various online stores are definitely fun challenges."

The inspiration for FindMyFabric.com came from the complicated nature of trying to describe fabric in words.  "Fabric and quilting is so visual in nature its hard to communicate in words the fabric you're looking for.  If you don't know the name of the product line the fabric came from, its very hard to find online."  John describes a scenario of how FindMyFabric.com can help solve that problem.  He talks about a quilter frantically trying to finish a quilt in time for Christmas only to find out that she doesn't have enough of one print of fabric to finish the quilt.  The quilter doesn't know the name of the manufacturer, collection, or designer of that print.  It would be hard for that quilter to find more of that fabric, especially if the local quilt shops have run out of it or don't carry that line.  By using FindMyFabric.com, that quilter now can snap a picture of the fabric and within minutes locate an online retailer that has the fabric in stock.  Her quilt can now be finished in time for Christmas, making everyone happy.

There are other innovations employed by the search engine beyond being able to search by photo.  FindMyFabric.com gives you prices, detailed information and store reviews about the online stores that carry that fabric, and is fast at giving the searcher the most relevant products at the top of the search results.  The search engine's database is not limited to only fabric but any quilting-related product as well.

Any online store that sells fabric and quilting-related products can submit their products to FindMyFabric.com free of charge.  The search engine accepts various popular shopping cart system's formats including Key To The Web, Like Sew, Websites For Quilters, and FabShop Search.  Other formats are coming soon.

In May 2010, the FindMyFabric.com business concept drew attention from top business leaders in Utah when it was selected to be a finalist in an annual entrepreneur contest.  Dan Purcell and John Leith submitted the FindMyFabric.com business concept to the Concept to Company contest sponsored by Grow Utah Ventures, a contest awarding up to $65,000 in prizes for the best innovations.  From over 100 concepts submitted, FindMyFabric.com was selected as a finalist.  Dan Purcell gave presentations on the concept to a panel of 12 business leaders who were judges of the event.  "It was a great experience.  FindMyFabric.com was lucky be in the top 8 out of so many eligible business concepts.  The comments and excitement I saw from the business leaders gave me a huge boost of confidence that FindMyFabric.com truly is an innovative idea that could help many people." 

FindMyFabric.com is run by Websites For Quilters, a website development company based in St. George, UT that focuses on website services for the quilting industry.

For more information, please contact Dan Purcell at 435-673-9922 or info@findmyfabric.com.

Comments

• Would also help to use Facebook.
  by Gloria in Graham on 30 October 2010 at 11:27 a.m.

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