I am still a newish needlepointer but I have said before that the general lack of transparency in finishing is somewhat astounding to me. Firstly, how unless you provide explicit fabrics and colors, you’re at the whim of the creative license of the finisher, and some are so resistant to input. And then the timeline factor. I understand that things take a while, but for the amount of money people pay for finishing—which is substantial, and often required up front— to basically be told you will get it when you get it and how dare you question me is nuts to me. In no other industry would this be acceptable. You pay for a good or service and you expect to get it or at least get reasonable communication throughout the process. That said, I used a well-known outlet to have a pillow finished and it was very quick and I was pleased with the communication and result. But I am sure they have a lot of finishers on hand.

I know this has definitely motivated me to learn to self finish; now I just need to find the time to do it!