Community & Marketplace Rules

Last updated: June 10, 2026 Version: 2026-06-10

So You Sew is a community space for sewing hobbyists. These Rules apply alongside the Terms of Service and govern what is and isn't allowed on the platform. They are intentionally broad; we use reasonable judgment to interpret and enforce them.

1. Be kind, on-topic, and honest

• Treat other users with respect. No harassment, hate speech, threats, bullying, doxxing, or content targeting people based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.
• Be honest. Don't impersonate others, fake reviews or endorsements, or misrepresent the origin of work you post.
• Stay roughly on-topic. So You Sew is for sewing, fiber arts, and craft community; off-topic spam and unrelated promotion will be removed.

2. Universally prohibited content

You may not post, send, or list:

• Sexually explicit content, nudity, or pornography.
• Gratuitously violent, gory, or shock content.
• Content that depicts or facilitates self-harm or eating disorders.
• Content that depicts or sexualizes minors in any way.
• Content that promotes terrorism, violent extremism, or organized criminal activity.
• Content that violates someone else's intellectual property, including unlicensed copies of paid patterns, trademarked fabric prints, or photos that aren't yours.
• Spam, scams, deceptive promotions, or content designed to manipulate the feed or search.
• Malware, phishing, or content designed to compromise account security.
• Content that exposes another person's private information (contact info, IDs, financial info, location data) without consent.
• Anything illegal under applicable law.

3. Marketplace — prohibited items

Marketplace listings must comply with the universal rules and the following list. We may remove a listing at any time, and we reserve final judgment on what's allowed.

Prohibited categories (non-exhaustive — when in doubt, ask):

• Counterfeit goods — fake designer fabric prints, fake notions, fake patterns, anything that misrepresents brand or origin.
• Intellectual-property infringing items — unauthorized copies of paid PDF patterns; items made from licensed fabric that the license does not allow you to resell as finished products (e.g., many Disney/Marvel/Star Wars licensed prints prohibit commercial use of finished items); trademarked logos applied without authorization.
• Firearms, ammunition, gun parts, weapons — including airsoft, BB guns, knives sold as weapons, brass knuckles, tasers, pepper spray, body armor.
• Drugs and drug paraphernalia — illegal drugs, prescription drugs, cannabis or CBD products (regardless of local legality), kratom, nitrous oxide, drug paraphernalia.
• Alcohol and tobacco — beer, wine, spirits, e-cigarettes, vape juice, cigars.
• Hazardous materials — chemicals, flammables, corrosives, asbestos, radioactive material, anything restricted by USPS or your carrier from shipping.
• Recalled items — anything subject to an active recall by CPSC or your country's equivalent.
• Used cosmetics, toiletries, or PPE — anything that contacts the skin or mucous membranes after the original packaging is opened.
• Food, beverages, supplements, and live or dead animals — including taxidermy, ivory, animal parts that violate the Endangered Species Act, Lacey Act, CITES, etc.
• Human remains or body parts.
• Government IDs, currency, lottery tickets, stolen property, or anything that can be used to commit fraud.
• Items requiring a license to sell (e.g., certain medical devices) unless you provide proof of authorization on request.
• Used baby gear subject to recall (cribs, car seats past expiration, drop-side cribs).
• Real fur, ivory, tortoiseshell, or other restricted animal products unless lawfully and clearly labeled with provenance, and lawful in both shipping and receiving jurisdictions.
• Hate symbols sold as memorabilia (Nazi paraphernalia, Confederate flags as items rather than historical artifacts, etc.).
• Items that violate USPS or carrier shipping rules — even if the item itself is legal.
• Loose lithium batteries, magnets above certain strength, mercury thermometers, or other items restricted by air shipping rules.

Allowed with care:

• Used clothing and fabric — must be clean, accurately described, and free from mold/odors.
• Vintage patterns — copyright on pre-1928 patterns is generally expired; clarify in the listing.
• Indie patterns you legally own — but you generally cannot resell a digital pattern you bought unless the designer's license explicitly allows it. When in doubt, don't.
• Finished items made from licensed fabric — only if the fabric's license allows resale of finished goods. Read the selvage and the designer's website.

4. Sales and shipping conduct

• Ship within 5 business days of payment unless your listing says otherwise.
• Provide valid tracking for orders ≥ $50. Fake tracking is treated as fraud.
• Pack securely so the buyer receives the item in described condition.
• Don't ask for off-platform payment (Venmo, PayPal F&F, Cash App, etc.). All sales must run through So You Sew checkout.
• No misleading listings — accurate photos, dimensions, fiber content, condition.
• Honor accepted cancellations before shipment.

4a. Sponsored & gifted content

If a brand pays you, sends you free product, or compensates you in any way for posting about something:

• You must disclose clearly in the content itself (e.g. "Sponsored by @brand", "#ad — gifted by @brand").
• The disclosure must appear in the first line of the caption — not buried in hashtags or in your bio.
• You may not promote disallowed categories (counterfeit, weapons, drugs, MLM/crypto, etc.) regardless of who is paying.

Full rules and examples live in the Sponsorship & Brand Partnership Policy. Undisclosed sponsorships are treated as severity-2 violations under §6.

5. Buyer conduct

• Read listings carefully before buying.
• Use the dispute process before initiating a chargeback (see the Refund & Dispute Policy).
• Don't return-fraud — claiming items weren't received after they were, swapping items, or destroying items before claiming damage.
• Don't abuse the platform with rapid-fire purchase-and-cancel cycles, fake accounts, or scraping.

6. Enforcement — strikes, removals, suspensions

We use a strike-based system, applied at our reasonable discretion:

3 strikes within 90 days typically results in at least a 30-day marketplace suspension. Suspended users may not create new accounts to evade enforcement; doing so is grounds for permanent ban.

We aim to act on reports within 24 hours. We are a small team and may not always meet that target.

7. Reporting

Use the in-app Report menu (long-press or "•••") to flag content, listings, comments, messages, or users. You can also email:

• chambersjohn310@gmail.com — all reports: trust and safety, copyright (see the DMCA Policy), security, and formal legal notices. Put the topic in the subject line.

Good-faith reporters are not penalized for incorrect reports; repeat malicious reporting (false reports used to harass others) is itself a violation.

8. Appeals

If we take action against your account, content, or payouts and you believe it was wrong, you can appeal to chambersjohn310@gmail.com with your account name and the reason for your appeal. We will respond within 7 business days in most cases.

9. Changes

We may update these Rules. Material changes will be announced in-app and (for active sellers) by email.