PATCH #031

PLEASE READ THIS FIRST BEFORE ORDERING

The Ukraine Patch

After quite a long wait, the batch of F-16/F-35 Ukraine patches has finally arrived from China at I-Candy Patchwork in The Netherlands. However, this revealed a somewhat negative surprise.

First let me explain the whole I-Candy patchwork construction and MO. A few years ago Peter and I decided to have some fun cooperating in the 3D PVC fun patch business. This has resulted in I-Candy Patchwork, initially unofficially owned by both of us but today as an official business owned by me, with me acting as an external design source, in addition to me designing, helping out the shop wherever and whenever I can. Fun indeed.

As in the case of this Ukraine patch, a design is made, Peter and I spar about it, a final design is established and I show it around on Facebook, trying to find if there is a market for it. If there is, the patch design will go into production. This means that I will drop the design at a Dutch agent who acts on behalf of a Chinese manufacturer. The design is translated into a 3D PVC producible work drawing that Peter and I examine and either approve or reject.

When approved, the Chinese will produce a 3D PVC sample which is sent to The Netherlands, again for approval by Peter and me. That shipping may take weeks with the bloody nuisance of Customs issues. When approved, the patch production run will commence. Production and shipping to The Netherlands these days may take anywhere between 1 and 2 months. Way too long. Very hard to have an influence on. Very frustrating for Peter, me and the clients.

All the more frustrating in this particular case is the fact that the production run did NOT follow the sample one-on-one. A very unnecessary and uncalled for mistake slipped into the production patches which wasn’t there in the 3D PVC sample: a piece of yellow PVC in the F-35’s left horizontal stabilizer, which should have been grey like the rest. Needless to say that both Peter and I are “not amused” to put it mildly. I-Candy strives for the highest quality in their products.

I hate it when someone who is not supposed to is freelancing and altering stuff as in this case. Especially since we’ve invested so much into this Ukraine patch with revenue flowing not in our pockets but into a Ukraine-related good cause. But there it is. Now, Peter and I first apologize for the delay and this mistake. Second: I-candy will ship out these patches. Because it already has taken far too long, and a corrected rerun will take much, much longer.

I-Candy and I understand if people are disappointed and may reject the patch they ordered. Of course we hope that doesn’t happen. I myself am a royal pain in the ass and am somewhat autistic when producing and demanding the highest quality possible. Peter too. However, better be upfront about a nasty snag like this than shipping out in silence and losing one’s integrity and (hopefully still existing) good reputation. Please send I-Candy a message about this.