One Forward, One Back

Well yesterday's issue turned out about as good as can be expected, though I didn't think it was going to for sometime. When the customer first responded they acknowledged that they must have missed the sizing, but didn't want to incur the shipping costs to return for an exchange or refund, so I feared that neutral was mine to keep. Then the oddest thing happened, they initiated the process to change the feedback and suddenly all my complaining was for nothing. Don't get me wrong, I still wish that I have been contacted before the feedback was left and I still wish more people would read descriptions more carefully, but that's more of a general complaint anyway. Another side effect of complaining out loud was the wonderful commiseration with others who'd had similar or in most cases worse experiences and the other nice things they felt compelled to share, so all's well that ends well.

I also got my rear in gear, decided that the new motif looked most interesting on it side and listed it as a necklace. Hanging from a corner it did resemble a lot of other motifs, not exactly of course, but the squared version I found to be more unique. I might do up the two color version as a choose your own colors listing, but I'll need to make up a few more examples before I do so. I don't have any big plans today, so there's a real possibility that it will get done.

Now, one more bout of complaining. I know you're getting sick of it, but remember I mentioned something that got to me over the weekend, well it came back this morning, so I must get it out of my system.

Even before I started to share some patterns, people would message me asking for patterns. Now sometimes people are very polite when they ask and I can tell they only hoped I would acquiesce, not assumed I would. Every once in a while they were in luck as I did have that pattern written up and didn't mind sharing. More often lately though I get requests all the time that run a little like this: 'Can you email me the pattern for this piece?' Yep, that will be the whole of the message, just GIVE ME. No greeting, no closing, heck sometimes there is not even a name except in the email address.

This is unacceptable. Have we really gotten so uncivilized that we can't write a proper letter especially when asking for something that one has no claim to. They barely ask and it seems they think they are entitled to have their request granted. Look, I love that I can sometimes share or sell a few patterns. I love that people are inspired by my work, that I have in any way helped people to learn tatting, but giving the world some, does not entitle it to all. So, I don't mind if you ask for a pattern that you really want to make, I have on more than one occasion actually had one written up to share, but don't go assuming since most of the ones I want to share are already out there and please I beg of you put some thought into requesting something of anyone you don't personally know. Do not let the art of polite correspondence completely whither and die because of the ease of the Internet.

I'm going to go make some lace now that that is all out of my system. I hope that's the last of my whining for a spell. I know it can be irksome when I get like this and I don't really want to annoy anyone out there. I do, however, always feel much better after I vent, so thanks for putting up with it.