Clara's Accidental First Spandex Tail

[Mermaid Clarity]

So I graduated college a couple weeks ago but the lease wasn't up in my apartment until the end of the month. I found myself with a butt ton of free time and a sewing machine and graduation money and since I was moving out of my apartment, I'd shipped a lot of the stuff for my planned betta fish tail home already. (Those plans here: http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?10222-Selkish-s-First-TAIL!)

Sooooo I was wandering through the fabric store looking for bias tape, wondering what to do with myself and then I remembered I still had my pattern from my old betta fish tail. And then I noticed spandex and swim fabric was on sale...

Soooo...

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that happened. (also forgive me, I forgot I can't resize images in the post.

Oops.

Anyway, with no real plan I started making my first spandex tail.

[Mermaid Clarity]

It turns out making a spandex tail isn't super hard, it's just two pieces to sew together once you have a pattern, but the pattern I'd made utilized my old Finis monofin and I didn't think that design fit the material for this tail, so I needed to improvise. I ended up looking up how to make my own monofin online and taking a lot of liberties. I don't know how well this thing is going to hold up in the water at all.

So monofin pattern:

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traced and half cut out on pvc sheeting:

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DUCK TAPE BOOTIES (these were seriously the most difficult part of the process.)

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Et, voila: Monofin:

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It is INCREDIBLY floppy.

[Mermaid Clarity]

Bonus post: I actually botched the spandex bit of the fluke piece while making it (the fabric was too big) but not before taking a video of the entire affair:




Flop... flop... flop... testing out the homemade fluke. Everything is so wrinkly :T #gold #mermaidtail #diy (https://instagram.com/p/4DWI3lhXsi/)

A video posted by Clara Goldstein (@clearly_golden) on Jun 17, 2015 at 6:36pm PDT

Yes, I just shamelessly put my instagram in there... Sorry guys.

[Spindrift]

Looks like a fun project!!! :)

[Mermaid Wesley]

You may want to replace the pockets with gorilla tape of it doesn't hold up :)


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[Mermaid Clarity]

This is sort of where I hit a wall. Since I started making this super impromptu, I didn't really think to create much of a design for fins or flukes. Sooo I sort of ended up just slapping fins wherever I hoped they'd look good. I actually made a lot of fins but couldn't figure out a way to use them.

Like with these ruffles:

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I also experimented with tattered ruffles, I really did like how it looked though so I set about making a couple sets of those:

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I kinda came up with a style I liked...

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But it doesn't seem NEARLY intricate enough. I might add a dorsal fin or something to add something more.

And that's basically where I'm at right now. I'm not sure what else to do and I make the drive home tomorrow morning. I just figured I'd share since... I dunno, it's my first tail and I feel like that's kind of a big thing for me. I definitely didn't expect this and there will definitely be modifications to come but I'm totally planning on taking the thing out for it's first swim VERY soon.

Lots of pictures to follow :3

[Mermaid Clarity]

You may want to replace the pockets with gorilla tape of it doesn't hold up :)


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I definitely will. I wrapped the duck tape around to try to eliminate the amount of exposed edges but I'm sure it won't hold up to multiple usages.

[MermaidAine]

Stalking this thread! Can't wait to see how it turns out!

[Mermaid Clarity]

Update: So I tested the tail last weekend and that fin was just WAY too weak like, it had no propelling power, it just folded in the water while I sank. Our underwater camera broke before I got to the party so I couldn't get a good shot of the tail but it sparkled like nobody's business and was super fluffy in the water.

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The level of done in that photo is high.

[Mermaid Clarity]

we ended up calling it the Showgirls tail because it was FRIGGIN' SPARKLY AS FUUUUUUCK and reminded me of that one movie...