About two years ago several UK tatters were asked to submit some of their work for an exhibition in the USA. I was very flattered to be asked. I duly sent my work off and had an acknowledgement when it arrived. Although I asked several times for pictures of the exhibition I never saw any which was a great disappointment.
I was lucky enough to get my work back safely a month or so ago but one poor lady didn't because hers was seized by customs and they wanted around £70 import duty. This was MOST upsetting and it really made her life miserable for weeks until she finally paid the money and got her work back. The good news is that she did get reimbursed eventually by the customs and excise people.
Now I'm showing you this label (below) because I don't think it's an appropriate thing to put on an exhibition piece. I know and admit I have a bit of a wacky sense of humour but this has quite upset me. The pictures below the label are of the piece it's referring to.
First of all I don't 'typically use one shuttle' (quite the opposite, in fact). I've never done a one shuttle design either. This doesn't make sense as in the same sentence it also mentions split rings which we ALL know needs two shuttles!!!
First of all I don't 'typically use one shuttle' (quite the opposite, in fact). I've never done a one shuttle design either. This doesn't make sense as in the same sentence it also mentions split rings which we ALL know needs two shuttles!!!
I know I don't like needle tatting and am not backward in coming forwards with saying so but to use this as a description of ME on a piece of exhibition work is rather odd. Also there's no mention of my pattern site either and the blog url is wrong!
All comments (whether you agree or not) are welcome as usual. Normal service will be resumed tomorrow.
So many Americans are all heart (in their words) and no respect. I see neither heart nor respect here. I'm surprised they didn't just put "Some Lady from that Shakespeare place". I am so sorry that you had this experience --and sorrier still, to the woman that had to pay for her own work, even if she got it back. This is craziness.
ReplyDeleteThey should have asked you for words, not just quoted blindly. They should have given you much more respect.
They were never worthy of your work.
Totally agree with Stephanie - it embarrasses me to see what happened. And your bag was glorious! (as is all of your work!) You're amazing Jane, and this American (Alaskan) is certainly thankful for how generous you are in sharing your ideas/ designs/ talents, and techniques with others.
DeleteThanks, BMDMom. You're making me blush now. I do what I do and I am what I am and at the age of 73 there's not much hope of changing that!!!!
DeleteThis person was neither a tatter or very nice person! They should have had someone with an understanding of tatting. Do you know where the items were displayed? I am so sorry Jane, there are so many tatters it seems like they could have gotten someone with some understanding. I apologize for it!
DeleteThey're probably a very nice person but made a few errors. Like me they're only human!! Just a shame that I didn't know about it before the exhibition when I could've made other suggestions.
DeleteNot the way to encourage future exhibitors I wouldn't think. That's a shame.
ReplyDeleteHere's a slide show of images from the exhibition...http://lacismuseum.org/exhibit/Tatting/. Your pieces begin at number 112. I am fortunate to live nearby and so was able to see the show on a number of occasions. I found it to be a very inspiring display of both traditional and contemporary approaches to tatting. I really learned a lot from seeing the work of so many stars of the tatting world, whose work I had only ever seen in books or on the Internet. Thank you so much for having sent your work!!
ReplyDeleteI can't thank you enough, Andrea, for that link. What some wonderful work. Interesting to see how the descriptions of the tatters had spelling mistakes too and some obviously gleaned from their published books!!! At long last I was able to see the exhibition. May I blog the link tomorrow for those who may miss your comment?
DeleteHi Jane; I just saw your post/ comment. I'm sorry I didn't respond sooner, but I only get to visit your blog during my "me time", in the wee hours after my family has gone to bed :) and this is apparently your morning...I read your blog religiously every day, and I am totally in awe of how prolific you are! I'm glad that I thought to send you the link...there really were some amazing, amazing pieces in the show!!!
DeleteCurmudgeonly? Jane, I have seen you get excited. More like an 8 year old girl!
ReplyDeleteI sometimes find it very hard to understand my fellow earth citizens. What was the point in that exhibition if they didn't intend to respect the designers and their work? This is nonsense.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it's finally behind you, and the lady who had the fight to get her work (and money) back.
That's certainly a very poor and insensitive description of you and your work. The bag, however, is beautiful! I'm sorry you had such a negative experience.
ReplyDeleteThat description is rather disheartening. They should have just asked you for a bio and saved themselves the effort. I suspect the person doing the typing wasn't a tatter.
ReplyDeleteI can only assume that the instigator of the wording was not, nor has had any dealings with, anyone who tats! (however the 'bit' in double " " is probably taken from somewhere on your blog!! VBG Of course, the URL is (and isn't) correct. It will work whether it's .com or .uk This I know because I've tried it in the past!
ReplyDeleteThat bag.... is it looking for a forever home???? (sweet innocent look, batting eyelids and hoping)
It's the missing www. that stops it working, Pigmini. Sadly the bag has a forever home in my cupboard!! I'm sure that's where they took the quote from but it would've been a few years ago.
DeleteJust looking at the top of my screen now... it reads:
Deletehttps://janeeborall.blogspot.co.uk
no www in sight!!
Jus' sayin'!! VBG
There's no s after the http in the link they gave so it doesn't work!
DeleteBreathetaking bag! Wow!
ReplyDeleteThe person that wrote that obviously doesn't know you or how to tat. Sorry for your awful experience, but people are just idiots. Much love and Happy tatting. Linda :)
Thank you, Linda. It wasn't an 'end of the world' experience but one that I felt needed to be told. I've sat on it for about a month so it wasn't a 'knee jerk' reaction.
DeleteI'm sorry for this-it's a clear example of very poorly done homework.
ReplyDelete-find out about Jane Eborall and write a bio
Student briefly looks briefly at your blog, has a very limited understanding of tatting and since the items are out of context, creates something distinctly opposite.
Ugh-but I'm sure many actual tatters were delighted by your lovely work and probably most knew you or of you already. They probably scratched their heads at that dopey description ( much the way I did years ago when a student turned in a report about the eruptions of a volcano on the Mississippi River!)
Thanks, Michelle. I'm sure that's what must've happened. WOW, that's ridiculous - a volcano on the Mississippi River!!!!! Next thing there really WILL be pigs flying!!!
DeleteI am appalled that anyone would say these things about Jane Eborall who is one of the sweetest and funniest people I've ever met and a lady who has done so much for the tatting community and shares her patterns asking nothing in return! Jane, I am so sorry this has happened to you! I am almost speechless. . .so you know I'm upset! Sending you fond regards from Jim and a hug from both of us! (Janet Smith)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Janet. I'm sure it wasn't meant to be like that at all - just lack of forethought. Water under the bridge and now it's upwards and onwards.
DeleteI'm sorry to read this, your bag is so beautiful that I think few visitors had their eyes on the label except for your name and I'm quite sure that less few people noticed the difference in the blog link. If they remembered your name, your blog can easy be found in google. Forgive them and forget, you're doing so much for tatting, generous affable lady.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, Ninetta, sometimes I forget my own name!!!! Thank you for the compliment too.
DeleteHi Jane,
ReplyDeleteI was lucking enough to see this exhibit the very last weekend it was up while I was taking Hook tatting classes for Mrs. Takashima. The whole exhibit was wonderful. I was very happy to see your work there, but must admit, I did not have the time to read the labels. I agree the label is inappropriate and description is wrong. I'm not sure who made the labels, but regardless, your work was an important contribution and I am glad you participated in it.
I'll send my picture via email, I can't figure out how to attach it here, Heidi
My first reaction is that it was written by a needle tatter who is overly defensive. I hope that bag doesn't stay in your cupboard all the time; it needs to go out for regular public admiration!
ReplyDeleteI think the comment was just picked at random from my blog and that the person who wrote it hadn't ever heard of me - lucky person. Sometimes I wish I'd never heard of me too!!!
DeleteWow, that bag actually looks like some traditional mirrorwork embroidery done in Gujarat & Rajasthan here ! Very creative.
ReplyDeleteYour huge body of work - inspiring, informative, innovative, fun - is too well entrenched in the tatting world for something like this bio to hurt you or your reputation. We got to see the slide show in the online tatting class & Craftree way back but didn't realise you weren't aware of it.
As for the blog url, now Chrome & such are so advanced that simply typing your name (which thankfully is correct ;-D) will give us links to you blog, etc. Don't sweat over it :-) We need BC3 to focus on other important stuff ;-P
What a strange comment to put on a exhibit piece. Glad you are taking it so well, but you are right, it definitely should be told, if nothing else, as a cautionary tale for future exhibitors. BTW, link for your blog works, with or without the www, with or without the 's', even with or without the http. Nowadays very few browsers would actually care if you put those things before the actual address, they automatically assume. But, it would have been polite to properly copy the link, and most of all to either ask what you might want as a comment to your gorgeous bag, or just clear with you that what they want to add would be acceptable. And spelling, let alone grammar is something many Americans seem to struggle with, sadly enough. But, what a gorgeous bag did you share with those lucky enough to have been able to visit the exhibit! I am sure it was an inspiration to all who saw it. Thank you for all your generosity, you are a wonderful woman. Cindy from Dallas
ReplyDeleteThanks, Cindy. I appreciate your comment very much.
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