Making a Sequin Tail!

[LockandKey]

Hello! So I thought I would make a thread to document my process in making my first mermaid tail! :D I currently own a fin-fun tail that I bought last year to figure out if mermaiding was something I enjoyed doing. Many swims later in my ice-cold swimming pool , I've decided I wanted to make a tail of my own using the fin-fun monofin I already have (: I'm a huge fan of realistic looking tails but I'm DEFINITELY not ready to drop thousands of dollars just yet (or any time soon for that matter) on a silicone tail. So after doing a ridiculous amount of research and browsing, I've decided on making a sequin tail. This way I can get a realistic 3-D scale pattern and completely customize it to my liking (x

I'm planning to do a light-bluish-tealish color scheme. I want the waist to fade from a peachy colored scale (to match my skin color) to a light bluish-teal with light green accent scales. I'm also going to make a top with the left over sequins and that will most likely be predominantly teal.

I'm using 22mm and 12mm shell sequins from CCartwright.com. Initially I wanted to keep all the sequins the same size but I realized I could use the smaller sequins to fill gaps as well as add a little more realism to the overall piece. Plus they didn't have all the colors I wanted in the 22mm sequins so i had to adapt!(x I ordered them almost a week ago so hopefully they will get here soon! I'm really anxious to start working on this beast. :D

I'm going to be painting the fluke instead of putting sequins on it. Since I'm not incredibly fond of the shape of my monofin, (most monofins to be completely honest) extend the sides with either fabric or a fringe. I haven't decided yet. Right now, I'm leaning towards fringe, similar to what Hannah Fraser has on her light blue fabric tail (side note: That tail is absolutely beautiful :D It's the biggest inspiration for the way I want my tail to look). But yeah, I'm trying to make this tail look as realistic as I can with the materials I'm using. I've also considered overlaying my fluke with some tool or chiffon (attaching it where the scales stop and having it extend past the monofin with no sewing to anchor it so it flows freely) which would look cool in the water but would also cover up any painting I do. I'm not sure, let me know what you think!

I'm also torn on what kind of fabric to use. I want to use neoprene because it'll be durable enough to have thousands of sequins sewed on to it. It also doesn't hug the body as tight as spandex does. Hiding the forms of the legs makes the tail look more realistic in my opinion. The problem is, I'm not positive if the fabric stores in my area have neoprene. I went and looked a while back and I think they have neoprin but I've heard this is bad for tailmaking? Is this true for fabric tails or just silicone and latex backed tails? The solution would be to buy it online but I like to feel the fabric in person and make sure the color is correct and what not (I'm kind of particular that way). I thought about using spandex and possibly doubling it up so that it could hold the stress of all the sequins. The issue with this is it would probably add difficulty to the sewing (one layer wrinkling and such). I plan to go and check various fabric stores once the sequins come in and get an idea of selection. Anyway, I'm pretty lost on this part so suggestions are absolutely welcomed and encouraged!! (:

I also want to have some accessory fins :D I want a pair of side fins a few inches below my hips, (possibly) a dorsal fin, and ankle fins (idk if that's the actual name) to cover the bump/ledge that the monofin creates on back of the ankle (can you tell that I'm obsessively particular about my tail design yet?). I'm not sure what material I want to use for these but it'll probably match whatever I end up doing for the fluke. Again, suggestions are encouraged :D

So I think that just about covers everything! Sorry this post was so lengthy, the rest will just be updates and stuff. I'll post pictures when the sequins come in! Also, if you have a sequin tail or have made one in the past, I'd love to see it so feel free to post it here :D Let me know what you think!

-Tess (the girl who uses parentheses too often xD.)

[Mermaid Enora]

I've got a post following my sequin tail. The way I made mine sounds very similar to what you are doing. Might have some good tips for you.
http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?10235-another-sequin-tail

[LockandKey]

Thanks! I'll definitely check it out!

[OceanWhisper]

This sounds like it's going to be amazing! I really want to see progress pictures when you go along :D Also, welcome to Mernetwork :)

[LockandKey]

Thank you! I can't wait to get the sequins in and post some scale patterns (:

[LockandKey]

Update: So my sequins came in today! 27988 27989 27990 2799127992 and here's a quick scale pattern I made: 27987
The colors were a bit different than I expected but still really pretty! The only disappointment was the peachy-fleshy sequins. They are pretty much completely see through, just tinted peach. So I'm not sure how that's gonna go. I'm probably just going to sew them tightly packed ("densely" if you will x) to make the color more intense? We'll see how that goes! I'm gonna go look at fabric tomorrow and hopefully start sewing! Stay tuned!

[Maethor]

Make sure you get a heavy duty thread (like upholestry thread) or fishing line so that it'll last underwater!

[lynsea]

Where did you end up getting your large sequins from?

[LockandKey]

Yeah, I'll definitely get heavy duty thread! thank you! And I got the sequins from CCartwright.com. They're just the 22mm large shell sequins

[LockandKey]

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Alright! So I finally got my neoprene, thread, fin material and zipper! The picture is pretty blurry but you get the idea!

So I've spent the past 4 days scouring San Diego county for blue neoprene! A dozen phone calls and half a tank of gas later, I settle on royal blue/purplish neoprene. Since I don't plan on sequinning the fluke, I also bought the correct color spandex to sew over the neoprene on the fluke (the perfect color match was in remnants, score!).

I asked the lady who worked at the fabric store if she had any tips for the project. Her main concern was that using a sewing machine to sew on the sequins who completely eliminate any stretch the fabric had causing the sequins to pop off when I put it on. So I bought my supplies and decided to test it out. I took 4 sequins and machine-sewed them on a strip of neoprene. It ended up stretching anyway so it doesn't seem to be an issue. (phew...)

I also picked up some shelf liner after reading Mermaid Nyla's thread about her tail. She used shelf liner for her fringe/fins and I really like the way it looked! So I decided on that for accessory fins and fringe (:

So hopefully I can start this massive project this weekend! For anyone whose done this: any recommendations on stitch length, tension, etc? Thanks!

[JamesGunnels]

Update: So my sequins came in today! 27988 27989 27990 2799127992 and here's a quick scale pattern I made: 27987
The colors were a bit different than I expected but still really pretty! The only disappointment was the peachy-fleshy sequins. They are pretty much completely see through, just tinted peach. So I'm not sure how that's gonna go. I'm probably just going to sew them tightly packed ("densely" if you will x) to make the color more intense? We'll see how that goes! I'm gonna go look at fabric tomorrow and hopefully start sewing! Stay tuned!

Where did you order these from?

[JamesGunnels]

Also, where did you order your neoprene from? I need to order about two yards. I cannot wait to see your tail :D

[LockandKey]

The sequins were from CCartwright.com and I got the neoprene from a fabric store chain here called Yardage Town which seemed to be the only store that carried it. I went to several fabric warehouses and stores and some of the employees had never even heard of neoprene! I'm not sure if Yardage Town is just a California thing (or even just a San Diego thing?) but if you're looking for neoprene in stores, good luck! There are plenty of websites you can order neoprene from though! And thanks! I'm looking forward to making some progress this weekend and posting pictures! (:

[JamesGunnels]

well, I'll be in San Francisco next week! So, I might as well check it out when I am there. How much is it per yard? Oh WAIT! I know it. I used to live in San Diego :D

[LockandKey]

It depends on the thickness. What I purchased was about $15 per yard but I have the sneaking suspicion that its neoprin? I'm not positive. Every employee I talked to at all the fabric stores I went to didn't know the difference and hadn't heard of "neoprin" before. So it might be neoprin which would explain why it was fairly cheap but it's fine for what I'm using it for!

[JamesGunnels]

I have used neoprene before but never neoprin. Is it like neoprene just not as durable?

[Winged Mermaid]

From the Materials and Supplies page (http://mernetwork.com/index/content.php?139-Materials-and-Supplies):


Neoprin is a "spacer" material that has a similar look to neoprene and is a cheap alternative- however neoprin and neoprene are two very different materials. While neoprene is essentially black rubber backed by a layer of fabric on each side, neoprin's core is made up of many many tiny fibers that hold the two sides together.

This fragile "core" of the fabric allows it to stretch great amounts. However it lacks elasticity. Once stretched it does not return to it's original shape well, and instead it distorts easily. Many find that tails made from neoprin stretch too much for it to fit them properly, especially in the water- even after only one use. It will continue to stretch as it is worn, and a tail made from this material may require multiple size adjustments (taking it in). Also the fabric is very impressionable, making for permanent wrinkles, creases, and impressions from wear and other regular use (such as storing the tail).

Another downside to this material, is that becuase the water penetrates the core it can take much longer to dry. This is especially a problem when combined with tin cure latex, as the latex is damaged by the water.

Neoprin is a cheaper alternative, but it is also a much lower quality option. It is HIGHLY recommended that you not use or buy a tail made of neoprin. Invest a little more money and instead get neoprene- it is well worth it and will save you trouble down the road, as well as making for a much longer tail life.

You can find a thread with photos and a video on neoprin and neoprene here (http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?3374).

There's also a section on neoprene on that page I linked which includes good sites to buy from, and other info on neoprene :)

[Mermaid Wesley]

Would you describe it as rubbery? then its neoprene. if you wouldnt, or you're not sure, its probably neoprin. Also, Yay! Another socal mer! I hope to make a sequin tail too. we might have to meet up sometime for a sequin party. lol

[LockandKey]

Thanks for the links! and yeah i guess it is rubbery! Yay socal mers! (:

[LockandKey]

Update Time! So I spent my weekend working on my tail and its been challenging! Long story short, I made a lot of progress and if I didn't have homework and a speech to practice for, I would work all night (x I'm addicted to sequinning! Here's some photos of my process:
Drawing the pattern:
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Cut it out:
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Sewn up with spandex fluke cover and i think the monofin as well?:
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*I don't have any pictures of this but after I sewed it up, I added a zipper and a dorsal fringe to hide it*
Starting to sequin (like my messy table?):
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Sequins!:
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More sequins!:
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Even more sequins!:
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And that's where I ended for the day. Can't wait to make more progress on this beast (:

[LockandKey]

That last picture is just the fabric cut and in the process of pinning (I didn't mean to add it there but whatever!)

[Mermaid Jaffa]

Looking good!

[Mermaid Wesley]

<33333 it doesn't seem to be taking too long to sew your sequins :o what colors did you order? How many do you think you will need? I'm very very seriously considering putting the full silicone tail on hold rn. *starry eyes*
edit: Youre sewing with a machine? is it causing any breakage? *flail*

[Mermaid Enora]

looks great so far!

[LockandKey]

oh my (; I wish I had the money and skills to do full silicone! I'm using Crystal Iris shell sequins from Cartwright and I believe the colors are Bali Breeze (the darker) and Oceanside (the lighter)? I originally ordered around 1,500 22mm sequins but I think I'm gonna need more. I'm guessing I'm gonna need 2,000-3,000 sequins for the whole tail and the top I want to make as well. And yep! I think I would go insane if I was hand sewing them (x I've had two sequins crack (the lighter color ones are a tad thicker and stiffer) but only slightly, they are still very securely attached to the fabric so I didnt even try to take them off. The sewing has actually gone by pretty quickly. The biggest struggle was the zipper and the dorsal fin but all the sequinning has been fine. I just watch youtube and netflix while I do it and it goes by pretty quick (:

[LockandKey]

Thank you! (:

[Mermaid Wesley]

I think I would hand see, to be honest, but wow that looks beautiful.... *bites nails* I think... I'm going to do sequin/silicone first. Then go for full silicone after. *dies* it's just so pretty.


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[Mermaid Sirenia]

Looks beautiful! Cannot wait to see the finished product!!!

[LockandKey]

Thank you so much! I'd love to see how yours turns out as well! I don't think I've ever seen a sequin silicone tail! (:

[OceanWhisper]

That's so amazing!! It looks stunnnnnning!!!! :D :drool: What do you have inside the tail so you can sew it in the machine?? I've never used a sewing machine, so I don't know all of the tricks. once again, THIS IS BEAUTIFUL! I want to see it finisheddddddd!!

[LockandKey]

Awwww thank you! Everyone is so kind (x There's nothing special in my tail for the machine (and my machine is nothing special either, it's super old ;) I'm just sewing over the ends of the sequins which secures them pretty tight!

[OceanWhisper]

what I mean is- do you have to ( excuse the strange wording) 'shove' the bottom part of the machine into the tail to sew? lol you can tell I have zero sewing machine experience.

[OceanWhisper]

I just had a weird thought, I don't know if anyone else has thought of this- what about sewing a sequin tail with spandex instead of neoprene? or would that be useless because of the stretch and eventual bagginess of the spandex?

[Mermaid Enora]

Probably would stretch too much over time and be baggy

[Maethor]

I think I've seen people write that with all the time put into a sequin tail, they wouldn't want it to stretch and be worthless!

[LockandKey]

Update!:
I got a new sewing machine for my birthday from my lovely parents! They couldn't wait until Monday (my real birthday) to give it to me when they saw me working on my tail today. It's amazing and is saving me SOOOOOO much time! It also does automatic embroidery which I didn't even know existed!
Here it is xD. :
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With my new machine, I sewed for a few hours and made quite a bit of progress on my tail!
The end of today's progress (the dark blue margins on the side are there because I seam-ripped the sides to make it easier to sequin) :
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(sorry for the low quality, I just took the pics on my phone and didn't bother to see if it looked good)
I'm also running low on the darker teal sequins so I went on Cartwright to order more. Thankfully they had the colors I had been using in stock but they also had new colors! I totally would have used these colors if they were there when I started ): So I splurged and ordered another teal-y color that is between the light and dark colors I already have so the top that I make has some more color variation (I couldn't resist! x) I also ordered another peachy-flesh tone color of sequins to hopefully use for the top of the tail. I'm pretty sure they are near transparent like the peach ones I have currently which is problematic. Because my neoprene is dark blue, their colors would be tinted and not as pretty. I thought about adding tan spandex underneath the section they are on but this would be a hassle since the zipper is already sewed in. I don't know. I probably won't use them for my tail. I might make another top using them. They'll find a use somewhere. Anyway, that's my update for today. I think I'm gonna sew more tomorrow so stay tuned for more photos!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

What if you doubled up the skin coloured sequins? I haven't made a sequin tail myself, so I am not sure if it would be feasible, but it may help make them more opaque? Or even painting the backs of them with nail polish?

[LockandKey]

nail polish is a great idea! I'm gonna test that out right now and do a few water tests (: Thanks!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

No worries :) I was doing that for a costume of my own, not a water based one though! Hope it works out!


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[LockandKey]

The nail polish worked but I ended up just not using the peach sequins for this tail, but I'm sure they will find a use in my future projects(: Thanks for the tips though!

[LockandKey]

Update: The front part of the tail is done! I plan to hem the top margin and glue on the top row of sequins so you don't see any unsightly stitching (x
Ignore the bottom edge of the fluke; it's going to be trimmed up and have a fringe (as well as painted but that's not until the sequins are done!)
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[Mermaid Wesley]

Pretty!


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[Mermaid Enora]

Looking GREAT!!

[MermaidBrynley]

That is looking AMAZING!!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

This is looking awesome!! Keep it up!

[lynsea]

Do you have an estimate on how many sequins you used for the one side? Looks great by the way!

[LockandKey]

Thank you so much everyone! I've used around 1,200 sequins for the front. Somewhere around that number (:

[MermaidBrandie]

Love this. I started a sequin tail with the small sequins but was sewing by hand and gave up.
Maybe I'll try this with a spandex tail. I haven't had an issue with them stretching out. :)

Have you swam in it yet? I know that mono-fin doesn't get a ton of propulsion and since neoprene is slightly buoyant I'd imagine it would be a little hard to swim fast in.


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[Ashe]

I love how this is looking! Its actually one of the better sequin tails I've seen so far :thumbs-up:

[OceanWhisper]

This is looking absolutely incredible! I really want to see the finished product :D

[Winged Mermaid]

:jawdrop:

[LockandKey]

Thank you so much for all the sweet compliments! It makes all the hard work worth it (x
CoyoteWalker: I have not swam in this specific tail yet but I've used the monofin many times and it has worked pretty well. I'll definitely look out for that when its swimmable!

[Mermaid Aika]

It looks great so far!

[LockandKey]

Update:
Well it has been a while since I posted my progress on this project. I am finally on spring break and I have plenty of time to work on it. Anyway, I started the back of the tail on Saturday and then left for a 4 day road-trip. I was near the ocean on my trip and seeing all the ocean life and clear water had me itching to work on my tail so it could be swimmable! So, today was my first full day back and all I wanted to do was make some significant progress on the sequins. I bought some e6000 glue so I could fill in the seams and other places my sewing machine will not reach. It works great and it gives me a chance to work on my tail outside in the sun. Here's some pictures:
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waves of sequins (x
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So the back looks a little patchy in this picture. There is a patch of bare fabric on the right that will have sequins glued on it (I couldn't reach it on my sewing machine). It might be hard to see but there are also two parallel lines near towards the bottom which is where the two ankle fins will be. I plan to sew in the rest of fins/fringe once the sequins are done.
I'll probably post another update at the end of tomorrow since I will most likely be working on it all day tomorrow (x

[Tauriel]

That's so exciting and beautiful!! I'm going to be making a tail fairly similar. I'm just waiting for my funds to kick in to order and buy stuff :)) I noticed you went to yardage town and I live near the same area and that's my go to fabric store!!! Yay! Happy tail making! Looking forward to your finished design

[LockandKey]

Yay! I wish you the best of luck on your tail! (:

[Rett]

Exciting! This tail is actually like one I would like to make (just slightly different colors and I'd use a different monofin) and I'm happy to see they seem fairly simple to sew. Looks great so far!

[mermaid_lover]

waauw I normally don't like sequin tails, but yours looks stunning :jawdrop:

I can't wait to see how it looks finished!!! :)

[LockandKey]

Thank you so much! (:

[Tauriel]

how many sequins did you have all together?

[LockandKey]

I ordered around 3,000 but the number used will probably be closer to 2,000 of the 22mm sequins

[Bioluminescence]

This is looking absolutely beautiful so far! I'm super excited to see the final product!

[LockandKey]

Awwww thank you!

[LockandKey]

So scratch that on number of sequins used xD. The number will actually be closer to 4,000! I finished all the sequin sewing and I didn't have enough to cover the seam so I had to order more! So the project is pretty much on halt until the sequins get here. I also had a bit more shrinkage than I anticipated so I'll need to patch that up. This project has been insane and a bit frustrating so wish me luck as I endeavor to finish!

[Kishiko]

That looks fintastic!! Wonderful job!


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[Tauriel]

it looks freaking amazing!!!! it makes me super excited to start my tail! i just ordered my Monofin and I'm going to get my neoprene today :D I'm slowly collecting all the things i need and then i'm starting. its been a slow process for me so its so cool to see the progress you're making. very excited for you!! congrats :)

[LockandKey]

Thanks! That's so exciting! I'd love to see your progress on your tail!!

[LockandKey]

Update:
Here's some progress pictures from gluing the last few days. I've just been filling in the seams with scales:
288342883528836

[Mermaid Mystery]

normally I don't like big sequins, but this is absolutely gorgeous! can't wait to see it finished :)


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[LockandKey]

Thank you! (:

[OceanWhisper]

ooooh it's beautiful! I think this has inspired me to one day make my own! This is turning out beautifully!

[Rebekah.fish]

Hey its looking fabulous! ! Gosh that's awesome :) hey something I like about hannahs tail is the little details, Kariel does this well too. But they take some of those 12 mms and glue them to the bottom of the dorsal near the big sequins and on the fluke fringe. just a suggestion. Just something I noticed and really liked. If I can find as good pic I'll show ya :)

[LockandKey]

That's so funny you suggested that because that's literally what I'm doing right now xD I'm using both the 22mm and 12mm sequins to transition the fringe on the fluke to the spandex (: thanks for the suggestion! ESP!

[Mermaid Enora]

Hey its looking fabulous! ! Gosh that's awesome :) hey something I like about hannahs tail is the little details, Kariel does this well too. But they take some of those 12 mms and glue them to the bottom of the dorsal near the big sequins and on the fluke fringe. just a suggestion. Just something I noticed and really liked. If I can find as good pic I'll show ya :)
I did the same on my sequin tail also with the bigger sequins along the edges and around the zipper

[Rebekah.fish]

Oh cool! I'm doing all mine by hand like u did enora except more glue then sewing so it's taking forever!! Can't wait for mine to be done!!

[Mermaid Pickles]

I think sewing takes longer.....if you do it by hand.

[Rebekah.fish]

I think it depends on the person and the type of sequins cuz I sewed on a bunch when I started and then decided to glue because id use a lot less that way and for me it's taking like 3 times longer. I just now got the hang of how to do it a bit faster. I'm actually sewing and gluing many of them. I like how she's doing here sewing them with a sewing machine! I def couldn't do that lol I'm not great with a sewing machine. Keep it up chick!

[Mermaid Enora]

mine took 9 months to make total, but I didn't work on it every minute of every day.

[Mermaid Pickles]

I don't have asewing machine I could use anyway! XD Mine will stay as it currently is until I can afford more sequins.

[Sassenach]

:eek: That is absolutely gorgeous!!!! Congrats on being an amazing tailmaker, and especially for your first tail!!!

[LockandKey]

Thank you!!! (: using a sewing machine makes it go by pretty quick. However, if you're anything like I am, sewing machines can be incredibly frustrating. I was also anticipating having a few sequins pop off initially when I was trying it on but I haven't had any sequins come off at all. The sequins are really secured tight (x but seriously, I have mad respect for anyone who hand sews sequin tails. It was tedious for me using a sewing machine xD.

[Rebekah.fish]

I'm sure it's just as much work either way. Just depends on the person! I wish I could use a sewing machine for them! So far hand sewing is easier for me but sewing anything at all is not my forte haha

[LockandKey]

I feel ya (x plus being at the tail end of this project (excuse the pun) has given me so much motivation to finish it up so I can swim in it xD.

[Rebekah.fish]

I can't wait to see it finished!

[Sherielle]

New to this thread and I must say that this tail is beautiful. It inspires me to do something with my fabric tail.

[Mermaid Momo]

Did you end up using neoprene?

[LockandKey]

Yeah. Neoprene was just the more appropriate option for this project. It's much more durable than spandex and can take the stress of the thousands of needle punches. (:

[LockandKey]

Update-ish?:
I thought I'd just post a quick pick on the fluke since we were talking about it earlier (: I need to fringe out the plastic on the end and finishing my sequin gluing but this is what the work I finished last night:
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[Mermaid Alea]

Your tail is looking wonderful! I think someday I want to make a sequin tail. They are so cool!

[Tauriel]

OMG!! Amazing!!!! ❤️

[Tauriel]

What glue are you using? e6000?

[Rebekah.fish]

Looking great!! Beautiful progress. Keep it up!!

[LockandKey]

Thank you everyone (x and yep! the glue is e6000! The tail is almost done, just gotta put in the elastic waist band and cover it up with sequins! I want to swim in the tail before I do any painting on the fluke. I'm just so anxious to test it out! If everything holds up, I'll figure out if I want to paint the fluke (:

[Rebekah.fish]

Awesome! I'm so excited for you! Mine is almost half done :3

[Rett]

So excited to see it finished! :D

[Tauriel]

Aaahh! I'm so excited!!

[Tauriel]

how did you add the spine fringe on the back? did you cut and then sew it in? or glue it?

[LockandKey]

I sewed it in when I put the zipper in and then fringed it out afterwards (:

[Mermaid Mutiny]

This is looking absolutely stunning! Great job. I use the smaller peach sequins for the waistline of my tail and I know it's a pain but I actually have to double them as I sew in order to deal with the transparency. I'm not sure how well this will work on the sewing machine because all the sequins on my tail are hand sewn but it may be worth a try. Good luck, I can't wait to see more.

[LockandKey]

Yeah, I just decided to not do it because the color of my fabric is so dark that even doubling them up isnt enough but its fine (:

[LockandKey]

Update!: So I'm pretty much done with this beast; all I have left to do is paint the fluke and fix the waistband up a bit. But that didn't stop me from testing it out today! Here's some pics!
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[Maethor]

It looks amazing!! Also that pool!!! Is that your house??

[LockandKey]

haha yes (:

[MermaidBrandie]

This is just so pretty. ^.^


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[Mermaid Enora]

so pretty!!!

[OceanWhisper]

Yay!! When you have a video of it in action, I'd love to see :)

[MermaidBrandie]

Yes video!


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[lynsea]

How did the swim go?! Those sequins turned out perfectly. Better than any other I have seen.

[LockandKey]

I've been trying to upload a gif or two from the video I took but the max size for gifs on here is sooo small! any tips as to how I can get some larger sized gifs on here??

[Spindrift]

I love your work! And you can upload the gif to somewhere else - I normally make a private album on Facebook then I copy the link to the file over. Not sure if it will work with gifs though (it should, hypothetically).

How did you manage to glue on all the sequins without warping the tail or shrinking it?

[Rinoa Opaltide]

That looks beautiful! And I love how you left the majority of the fluke non-sequined neoprene too (personally not a big fan of sequined flukes...). Great job!

[Keiris]

It's beautiful! I agree with Rinoa about the fluke. I prefer them veined and finny as opposed to covered with scales/sequins. It looks GREAT on you!

[Moana.the.mermaid]

Yay for a fellow san diego mer! You look lovely in your tail! Can't wait to see gifs.

much love, one love - Moana

[mermaidopal]

Also a San Diego mer over here! (Are you on our FB page? Would love to see you at one of our local meet-ups or even the Long Beach Pirate Invasion!) I've been thinking about a neoprene and sequin tail too. I love the colors of yours, if I were to do one it would probably be similar colors but mine would be more blue green and then darker blue I think :) Your tail looks awesome! Can't wait to see what it will look like with the fluke painted!

[LockandKey]

Thanks everyone for the compliments! Sorry I've been gone for so long. I was finishing up school and my tail sorta took the back seat. But it's summer now and I'm getting the urge to finish up my tail! The only things left to finish are the waistband and the fluke.

I put elastic in the waist band last time I worked on the tail and left the dark blue fabric exposed (which doesn't look very realistic at all). Originally I was going to just glue sequins over the fabric but the fabric is bunched in places from the elastic and the sequins wouldn't have a sturdy surface to adhere to. So then I thought about making a belt sort of thing (with sequins glue or sewn on it) to hide the margin and make it more fitting. I tested a few things out but my main issue is sizing it correctly because putting sequins on changes the size (if they are sewn, it shrinks. If they are glued, it loses stretch). Anyone have any ideas on how I could fix this issue? They would be greatly appreciated (:

So the fluke is another area of mystery xD. I was going to paint my fluke with fabric paint, using its consistency to make the tail appear veined. After buying the paints and testing them on scrap fabric, I'm a bit nervous to try anything on my tail. The last thing I want to do is screw it up xD. Any tips or suggestions on techniques for painting of whatever would be appreciated as well.

Anyway, I have a few videos I'd like to put up somehow (still debating where to post them). Let me know if that's something anyone would be interested in (:

[LockandKey]

I'm not on the SD mer page! I'd love to be though, can someone link me to it? (:

[Mermaid Wesley]

Yes videos please! And she meant the pod of Cali fb page.


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[Mermaid Sirenia]

What type of small sequins do you suggest? I'm trying to figure out which ones are the most pigmented since I'm going with whites and light colors, I don't want it to be see through:)

[LockandKey]

The crystal iris ones are the ones I had the best luck with (cartwright)

[MermaidBrynley]

That looks SO GREAT!! I wish I had the patience and steady hand to sew haha. Great job, girl ;)

[Mermanda]

I'm new to this thread, and OMG!! This looks so amazing :jawdrop: i looooove sewing and you've inspired me to one day try this out :)

[LockandKey]

Thank you so much ! (:

[LockandKey]

Not sure if anyone follows this thread anymore but my tail is very close to being done! I've painted the fluke, made a scale belt to hide the waistband, and I'm currently creating a top to match! pics will be up later today!

[Mermaid Aika]

Cool! Can't wait to see your progress!

[LockandKey]

Here's some pics! I have a few more adjustments to make to the belt (I have to make it smaller and add clasps to secure it to the tail) and I'm probably going to add more to the top (straps of fishnet, pearls, shells, etc) but yeah! :D I didn't have anyone to help take pictures so I didn't get any of it in the water this time. It's coming along (:
31793317943179531796

[Mermanda]

That looks so beautiful!!!!
We must swim together soon :)
Are you near Orange county?

[Mermaid Crystal Shimmer]

Your tail looks beautiful! I'm working on my own sequin tail.. the base is already done.. Only need to save up for the sequins.
What paint did you end up using? I'm not sure if I'll cover my fluke entirely with sequins or paint something nice on it. :)

[LockandKey]

That looks so beautiful!!!!
We must swim together soon :)
Are you near Orange county?
That would be so fun! I'm actually farther down in a rural part of San Diego!

[LockandKey]

Your tail looks beautiful! I'm working on my own sequin tail.. the base is already done.. Only need to save up for the sequins.
What paint did you end up using? I'm not sure if I'll cover my fluke entirely with sequins or paint something nice on it. :)
Thank you so much! (: I just bought some cheap fabric paint at Micheal's (it's kinda like puffy paint but not as thick) and painted it on with some old paint brushes. It dries super quick if it's applied thin and its pretty durable. Nothing fancy but it totally worked. :P

[Mermanda]

That would be so fun! I'm actually farther down in a rural part of San Diego!

That's not too far :) I'm sure we'll figure something out soon!

[Seraphina Suds]

Gorgeous!

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[Mermaid Momo]

so pretty! how many bags of the sequins in total did you order?

[LockandKey]

oh my gosh I have no idea but the amount of sequins came to about 4000, so however many bags it takes to get to 4000 xD.

[Sherielle]

Here's some pics! I have a few more adjustments to make to the belt (I have to make it smaller and add clasps to secure it to the tail) and I'm probably going to add more to the top (straps of fishnet, pearls, shells, etc) but yeah! :D I didn't have anyone to help take pictures so I didn't get any of it in the water this time. It's coming along (:
31793
Simply gorgeous. I'm not normally a fan of sequins on a fluke, but this is just scrumptious. Beautiful!

[Mermaid Caspiana]

Yay! Another sequined mer! This looks fantastical!!! ;) Can't wait to see it finished and in action! :D

[mermaidgraceofthesea]

That is GORGEOUS!! Tail goals!
What were the colors that you got from Cartwright? i'm really liking the greeny-teal dark color

[Tauriel]

This is amazing! When you sewed on the sequins, how much shrinkage did you get? Sorry if you answered that already. I want to sew mine altogether to test swim but I'm worried that if I don't do the sequins first it will shrink too much.

[Keiris]

An absolute work of art!!!

[Mermaid Enora]

You did an amazing job on your tail!!!!

[just_d]

That's incredibly gorgeous!! I was already thinking ahead to a 2nd tail in neoprene, and had been kicking the idea of sequins around. This is amazing!! Let us know how it holds up. I'd be so scared to sit on it!

[Mermaid Wesley]

How is the durability in the water? Any breakage or anything yet?


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[Mermaid Sabie]

Wow your tail is so beautiful! Great job!! You should post your swimming videos!

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