Am I being too picky??

[Seraphina Suds]

My new fabric tail from Mermaids of Hawaii arrived yesterday and I've been wrestling with how I feel about it since then. I know this tail is going to look pretty in the water, but up close... it's lacking. I took some detailed pictures so you can see what I mean.

This is the front of the fluke:
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And the back:
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You can see that the lines aren't evenly painted. I am by no means a perfectionist or professional, but the fluke I painted for my first tail looks cleaner than this... I'm thinking about going over the unpainted lines of fabric with a darker purple to smooth everything out, but the paint is already starting to crack in spots (I haven't even swam in this yet and only tried it on once), so I'm nervous that adding more paint will make it worse. The whole thing is also asymmetrical; the point of the color band at the top of the ankles doesn't line up with the one at the center bottom of the fluke.

Here are the fronts of the little fins:
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And the backs:
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You can see that they're just sort of sewn ON to the tail. Not IN to it. I would have cut a line and sewn the fins into the tail... That aside, you can see how messy the paint job is on here too. There's even paint on the tail itself. I don't know if it's from the fins not being dry when they were attached or if she painted them after they were sewn on and was just careless.

Here's the monofin:
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I'm glad to add another monofin to my collection, especially one that's cut to shape. I had some trouble removing it from the tail (there's a "hidden" zipper on the side of the fluke. It's more noticeable than I would like, especially when the monofin is in) and it was covered with dog hair. I'm an animal lover and have a long haired cat, so I understand that can happen and wasn't too bothered by it. When I originally tried it on I had a hard time getting into the foot pockets and the heel straps because the tail is sewn rather tight around the ankles.

I also want to add that the top is not hemmed, although I think this is because she advises to tuck it into your swim bottoms or fold it down to your desired length.

What do you think? Am I just being too picky? After receiving this tail, I went back and looked more closely at pictures of other tails like it and it seems they are all painted this way and I had never noticed. So that's kind of my own fault there. But I honestly expected more for my money.

EDIT: For the record, here is the design I sent her -
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And here is the preview image she sent, which I thought was just to confirm colors, but it was the finished first side. This was the only picture update I had received.
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[Mermaid Lily_Pad]

I was thinking of getting one from her as well, but if I remember correctly she announced recently she is no longer making tails for people. She has become to busy with her own mermaid work to get them done so yours was probably one of the last ones she did and she "may" have rushed through it? That monofin looks like it is going to crack right down the middle. I am not a tail maker but all of the ones that I have seen have a rounded indent in the middle to make it less likely to crack. You may want to think about doing the same before you swim in it.

[AniaR]

I wouldnt say you're being too picky I can see all the stuff you're pointing out. But it's also really hard to manage our expectations (and I mean for everyone) when we have someone ELSE create our tails. I have found for my experiences it's best for me personally to not have any expectations and just be surprised lol. I think painting a tail is a very personal thing and maybe the person was rushed or whatever (not that it's an excuse). If you think you can touch it up yourself to your liking I'd say go for it. Otherwise I'd def give them feedback because you'd wanna prevent someone else from having something like this happening, and maybe they can take it back and fix it up for you. I don't think there's any shame in it. I have watched Raven pour her heart and soul into a tail and then someone send it back for touchups right after they get it. It sucks, but she just goes back and pours her heart and soul into it again until it meets what the client wants.

[Seraphina Suds]

Fablecat, I was wondering about the monofin myself. =/ I don't have any tools to touch it up with. Maybe I could just sand it down... This was one of the last tails made. I think she had a few more to finish after me. But she probably did rush it a bit since it was already a month late.

Thanks, Raina. I'm trying to tell myself that it's just business and I should provide feedback, but I don't want to seem rude or ungrateful. I'm going to see what I can do to fix it up, either with paint or accessories. But I'll also be making my own tails from now on. =/

[Seatan]

I don't think you are being too picky. The asymmetry of the fluke lines, especially is something that can be easily avoided by drawing them first in chalk. I would ask if she is willing to redo the paint job. It's one thing to have really high expectations and another thing to be sloppy. This looks like the latter to me, unfortunately.

[Mermaid Lily_Pad]

Check the monofin board. They may be able to help you figure out a way to make it so the fin doesn't crack. I am not sure just sanding it will help from what I have seen. You need an actual rounded off indent in the middle.

[Seatan]

I was able to cut a rapid with a pair of good, sharp sewing scissors. You should also be able to get a hand tool that can cut it at a hardware store for under ten bucks. Take it in, tell them you need something that can snip it, and they should be able to find you something.

[Seraphina Suds]

It does look so sloppy, but her other tails look just the same. I'm surprised I'm the first (that I know of) to say anything. I'll see what tools there are back at my family's house and check the monofin board for advice. Hopefully I won't have to lug the fin to Home Depot lol.

[AniaR]

Thanks, Raina. I'm trying to tell myself that it's just business and I should provide feedback, but I don't want to seem rude or ungrateful. I'm going to see what I can do to fix it up, either with paint or accessories. But I'll also be making my own tails from now on. =/

sucks to have those lessons. *big hug*

[PearlieMae]

It's very sloppy. I hope you didn't pay too much for it. A Dremel with a round sanding drum will soften that sharp corner where it is most likely to crack, don't swim in it until you fix it.

Use paint from the craft store to fix it up, all the Tulip brand fabric paints should work fine...and use them to seal in the parts that are already cracking. It's acrylic and formulated for fabric, so it's like painting a layer of plastic over it.

Ask Fifi for advice, she refurbishes tails for her company... maybe this tail is just a starting place for something fabulous! Good luck!

[Seraphina Suds]

*hug* Thanks, Raina <3

Pearlie, I certainly paid more than it's worth, I feel. My gf also suggested a dremel so I will definitely invest in one. I'll make a trip to Michael's and look for that paint too. I've already started stalking Fifi's makeover threads for inspiration. :p Thanks for the help!

[Merman Arion]

Wow! That's some harsh things to say :(
In my opinion, it's a very nice tail. It's even better than some I have seen on the internet so why isn't there much love here??
I don't know how much you paid for this tail but I honestly think you are being a little nit-picky. I'm sure Mermaid Citrine did her best to meet your expectations.

[PearlieMae]

Am I being harsh? I don't think it's being nit-picky at all.

[AniaR]

I think her opinions are fair, and I love Citrine she is one of my favourite people. But it looks like she got overwhelmed which happens :(

[Seraphina Suds]

I don't think I'm being harsh. I'm just being honest. I'm going to end up repainting it myself because I know I can do a better job than what was delivered, so I won't be returning it or asking for a refund, although getting my money back would be awesome. Citrine was great, I just think she took on more than she could handle and I suffered for it. I'm undecided if I'm even going to say something to her at all. She's not selling tails anymore so it seems kind of pointless. And like I said before, I went back and looked at her other tails and they all kind of look like this, so it's partially my fault for not noticing before buying.

For the record, I paid $300.

[PearlieMae]

For $300, I would expect better quality. If she was overwhelmed, she should not have taken on this job and refunded your money. She may be the sweetest, most loving person on the planet, but she was running a business. This is not good business.

I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings, and if I sound harsh, I sincerely apologize.

[Aquarianne]

It's ok Pearlie, I actually agree with you. For 300 dollars, I would expect the lines to be even and the paint job to be better. They're easily enough masked off with masking tape to keep them the same width, or use chalk, as Seavanna said. I'm a professional costumer, and I know that when you sell your work for money, especially in the range of hundreds of dollars, you have a commitment to your customers to make sure every item is the best it can be...EVEN if you're rushed or closing up shop. If an item comes out rushed, you should send a photo to the customer first to clear it with them and offer them a partial refund to offset the hastiness of the product. If they don't like it, you should totally refund them or do it again. I stand by my total customer satisfaction in my work, as everyone should. This isn't being harsh, it's just good business.

I remember first starting out and the quality of my work was low...customers were not pleased and I was frustrated because I thought I was making the best effort possible. Finally I realized that I just didn't have the skills to match the prices I was charging, so I put my costuming work on hiatus until I learned more and gained more skills, then tried again years later. Now I never get complaints, because my work matches the prices I want to charge. There's no shame in admitting that your skill level simply needs a little work...perhaps that's why she's closing up shop for now? She may reopen again when she feels more confident in her work, and there's nothing at all wrong with that.

I also have three cats in my house (and a turtle!), and I do many many costumes at home. I'm always careful to use a stickywand to remove any stray pet hair from an item before packing and delivering it. I never know if the customer has pet allergies or not! :)

On the other hand Seraphina, did she SAY when she sent that fluke picture that it was only to confirm colors? Or did she send it as a confirmation of the first side's paint job, and you just said "I like it, it's great!"? Because as a customer, you also have a responsibility to speak up during the creating process if something is not making you happy. Always speak up and ask questions, like "Is this the finished paint job? The lines are kind of uneven." You're paying good money for this, so you must let your opinion be heard and clarify whether or not this is the finished product.

I had customers early on say they loved something the way it was, then receive it and say, "No, I don't like it, I thought you were going to add THIS or THAT to it." It's very frustrating to a costumer when a client seemingly OKs the look of something, then only complains after they've received it. She may have thought that you were giving your OK to the paint job, unless she SAID it was only to check colors. What exactly did she say when she sent you the image? And what did you say back?

[jukumerboii]

I am so sad to see this because I was going to spend 800 on her latex tails! And now I can't get a tail from her!

[Seatan]

Aquarianne where do you sell your costumes?

[Seraphina Suds]

Aquarianne, here's the convo that took place with the one preview; she said "Here's a pic of the front side, just wanted to check it with you before I finish it :)". I responded with " Ooooh, very pretty so far!! Will you be making the color band at the top/start of the fluke a little thicker like I've seen in your other tails? Thanks for the update!" I admit I wrestled with if I should have asked about the lines. But I didn't want to insult her by commenting on all the obvious faults in an unfinished tail. She said it wasn't finished, so I assumed she would be touching up the issues. I didn't hear from her for a few days after and then all she said was that she'd finish the band like I mentioned and send me the shipping info. I obviously should have said something. I won't make the same mistake again if I ever order something again.

[Seraphina Suds]

I am so sad to see this because I was going to spend 800 on her latex tails! And now I can't get a tail from her!
I think it's only temporary! Originally she was just stopping the fabric tails, but still taking the latex ones every few months or so.

[jukumerboii]

I checked her site and there's nothing involving tail making on there anymore! But everything happens for a reason. Looks like this is what I needed to give me the confidence to start making my own tail!

[Seraphina Suds]

Go for it! I'm thinking the same thing for myself.

[Aquarianne]

Aquarianne where do you sell your costumes?


I used to sell on my Etsy and through a personal website, but now I mostly sell to local theaters that hire me as a wardrobe manager for their shows, and I do character company costumes for word-of-mouth associates. I do occasionally take private commissions, but I'm scaling back on that, because I have so much other theater work to do, plus my job as a character entertainer, and very little time. :)

[Aquarianne]

Aquarianne, here's the convo that took place with the one preview; she said "Here's a pic of the front side, just wanted to check it with you before I finish it :)". I responded with " Ooooh, very pretty so far!! Will you be making the color band at the top/start of the fluke a little thicker like I've seen in your other tails? Thanks for the update!" I admit I wrestled with if I should have asked about the lines. But I didn't want to insult her by commenting on all the obvious faults in an unfinished tail. She said it wasn't finished, so I assumed she would be touching up the issues. I didn't hear from her for a few days after and then all she said was that she'd finish the band like I mentioned and send me the shipping info. I obviously should have said something. I won't make the same mistake again if I ever order something again.

Well it looks like it may have just been a breakdown in communication. She may have intended it to be a final confirmation photo, and you may have understood it to be a work in progress! So stuff just didn't get clarified as much as it should have. It's hard, because the seller doesn't want to to say "ARE YOU SURE, MAKE SURE THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT" and possibly insult the buyer's intelligence, and the buyer doesn't want to insult the seller by saying it's not what they'd hoped for! So everyone kinda dances around the issue, and then womp womp, this happens.

I always say, "Here's the final product, let me know if this design is all right with you before I ship" when I send photos, to avoid this. It really needs to be spelled out. But I'm sure she'll improve on that and maybe open her shop again the future! Misunderstandings occur sometimes! :)

[Seraphina Suds]

There were definitely communication errors, but at this point, it is what it is. I'm sure she'll eventually start selling her latex tails again. I dunno about spandex though. I'm starting to plan out how I can fix the tail and also experimenting with silicone. Hopefully I can fix it up for now and maybe by next year I'll have a better tail in general.

[Seraphina Suds]

My gf took a dremel to the monofin for me and it's a much safer shape now.

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I was going to try swimming in the tail but my grandma's pool wasn't quite ready yet. So I just tried it on and splashed around on the stairs a bit.

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I find the asymmetrical fluke so distracting... I bought some paint and will start repainting it this week. My other issue with the fluke is that the zipper is very noticable in the water. Not so much in this picture, but in person you can see the zipper down the side and the little pull tag thing floats all out in the open. I don't know how I should try and hide it... The waist of the tail felt very loose but that's probably because I was wearing a tummy flattening bathing suit. I think I'm going to add an elastic waistband just to be safe. Once I start everything, I'll make a progress thread.

[Mermaid Fenicia]

I have zippers in my flukes too, but on the bottom edge of it. I just push the little pull tag into the fluke after closing the zipper to almost the end of it. Leave just a little opening big enough to push the tab in. ;)

[Seraphina Suds]

Thanks, I'll try it!

[Seraphina Suds]

Made a thread for fixing this tail! (http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?10253-Fixing-up-a-fabric-tail&p=174785#post174785)