Spandex Patch

[Mermaid Menanna]

While I was working to repair the paint job on my green tail we had one of those "family emergencies" pop up. I got distracted, ended up with a mess, and was so stressed I had an accident. While attempting to heat set the newly painted scales I forgot to recheck the setting on the iron, and it melted the spandex on contact. For those of you who have never melted spandex, it gets dark and shiny, and when it cools, very brittle. If you tug it just the slightest it rips easily. So, I ended up with this:

32439

Something else to note is the location where this happened on the tail... back of the hip about 1/2 way down 1 butt cheek, so near but not on a seam line, not somewhere I can hide it with a fin, or even a wrap unless it's long... The affected area measured out at about 6 inches x 10 inches, so this was a good size mess. First instinct was that the whole tail was ruined unless I replaced the entire back panel of the tail. I was in tears because I need this tail for a reunion picnic on Sunday. I ranted and cried on fb for a few hrs, listened to suggestions people were making, and then decided to go to bed and sleep on it before doing anything. Woke up just as upset as when I went to sleep but sat down and began to cut out that area... then I had an idea. My biggest worry was in having some big round or odd shaped "patch" in the middle of my butt, and have it look awful. As I started cutting I began following the scales I had painted, cut out the affected area using them as my outer border. Then I laid the patch behind the fabric and began to sew along those edges...

32440

Once the patch was sewn in I knew I needed to repaint the scales and at the same time hide the seams. Because of where I laid the seams I was able to paint over them to blend them into the tail. I have done a lot of patch jobs over the yrs, many materials, etc, but this is the one I am so far the most proud of.

32442

32443

The reason I am sharing this is because I have heard a lot of mers talk about how quickly they go through a fabric tail. When I first made this tail the goal was to make it last me at least 2 - 3 seasons. Many told me that wasn't practical, spandex doesn't last that long. Most would think that damage like this would mean the tail was trashed, not fixable without replacing the entire panel. So, I'm here to tell all of my brother & sister mers, spandex tails have another attribute that other materials don't have... they can be patched successfully. It may require some alteration and I'm not going to claim it was easy... it sucked getting that patch in there like that... but, it IS possible. It took approximately 5 hrs to fix that burn, but it didn't cost me anything and it will be ready once I finish repairing the peeled paint from last weekend's swim at the lake. I will have it by Sunday and it didn't cost me anything but time.
For those of you making your own tails, save your scraps, no matter how big or small. There is no telling when you may be able to use them to prolong the life of your tail. I am grateful I still had enough to pull this off.
Happy Swimming everyone!

[PearlieMae]

Congratulations on such an elegant solution!

[Mermaid Kate Silverfin]

You would never know the patch was there, you've done an amazing job! Thanks for sharing :)

[IllynReaver]

I'm so glad you were able to fix it.

[Celaeno]

That is magic! You can't even tell it was patched. Bravo!

[Dancing Fish]

Wow, fantastic job! Now I wonder if my paint is chipping because I didn't heat set it...? What setting do you use for spandex so you dont burn it? Thank you so much for posting this--I've never ironed spandex before and would've burnt a big hole!

[Celaeno]

I'd use the lowest setting, there's usually a low "synthetic" setting on most irons. Also, if you're unsure if it's too hot, layer some paper towels between the iron and the fabric to protect the fabric. Go slow, and stop frequently to check the fabric until you're sure you've got the right heat level.

[Mermaid Menanna]

when I heat set the practice piece I had the iron set for the acetone/nylon setting and it worked well. Do NOT iron directly on the spandex, always make sure there is a barrier between the iron and the spandex fabric. I typically use parchment paper for that, be it my tails or when I airbrush tshirts. Wax paper will leave a wax coating on iron and fabric and if you use fabric for a barrier there is a chance that paint will come off of your project and adhere to the fabric barrier when it gets warm. With parchment paper you remove those issues, but it is very thin so you need to keep the iron moving at all times, even at low settings. It is VERY easy to melt/burn spandex or any other fabric that is "stretchy" because of the elastic infused into the fabric.
The first time I painted this tail I tossed it into the dryer on medium heat setting for 10 minutes after the paint was fully dry. That was much easier but a little scarier because I had no idea if it was going to get too hot during the process. The iron gives more control.

Not all paints require heat setting, so check your labels and/or look up that brand of paint online to be sure. Paints that require heat setting to make permanent and then are exposed to water without heat setting don't tend to "peel" as much as they just wash away in the water, especially with movement and/or rubbing. One of the benefits to this is that if you goof you have the option of washing it out and doing it over before making it permanent. I keep paper towels on hand while I paint, along with a bottle of clean water. If/when I goof I wet a paper towel and just rub the area out until the paint is gone. It takes getting it pretty wet, but then it's easy to press on the wet spot with a dry paper towel to give you an almost instantly dry surface to start over. I usually give it a good 5 min dry time before painting over that spot again.

I have been painting/drawing/marking on fabric for over 30 yrs but this is the first time I have ever worked with spandex. It's "special" lol, and very intolerant of anything considered permanent in way of paint and even marker. The gold on this tail is screen printing ink and I have to repair the paint job to some degree after each swim. The thinner it goes onto the fabric the better it wears, but then I don't get the same depth in color. Like most other paints it lays as an extra layer on top of the spandex, thus it peels and cracks easily when stretched/worn. I am currently saving for a fabric medium to try. It's a medium that mixes with acrylic paint (any brand) to make it a permanent paint for fabric. I found one that is supposed to turn the paint more into a dye/stain consistency, so that is my next target attempt at a truly permanent paint job for my tails. Up to this point, sharpies were actually one of the best working options and lasted the longest with just gradual fading until it disappeared... but the gold sharpie ends up looking chocolate brown on my green fabric.

So the best advice I could offer (based on my own experiences over the yrs and general sewing and painting knowledge) is to either use a paint that doesn't require heat sealing, (for some there are additives you can buy to put into the paint/ink to eliminate the need for heat seal, but it can prolong or in some cases, speed up dry time).

My goal when I made this tail was to have a tail that would last me at least 2 - 3 years (seasons) with minimal repairs needed. I didn't (still don't) want to have to sink money or weeks of time into repairs after every swim. I am still seeking to make that happen so that in the future, any new spandex tails I make will be low maintenance.

I should probably also mention that this tail has never & will never see a washing machine. I rinse it out by hand after every swim and hang over the shower curtain rod to dry. I don't "fold" it either, it just gets bunched up lengthwise and loosely folded in 1/2 and set on a shelf. Thus far this tail has seen water a total of 4 times, tomorrow will be 5 and the last for this season. The only repairs it has needed are this one and touch-ups/changes to paint, and it still looks and feels and fits like brand new. I have stood on my fluke often in the neighbor's pool and spent a lot of time sitting on sharp rocks and in the sand last weekend, even kneeling in the sand a few times. Because I am still just learning how to swim in this thing it is taking quite a beating and holding up quite well. I'm having a hard time understanding why there are so many reports of spandex tails not lasting more than a few swims. :confused: My goal in posting all of this is so that all of those mers out there who toss a tail when it gets a hole or tear, now have some resources to draw from in patching it instead of scrapping it. It may mean the need to add scales such as I did to help hide the patch, but 5 hrs worth of work sure beats 2 wks and the expense of needing to make a new tail. I can tell by the response here that it was successful, though I will see what happens out at the beach tomorrow. When hubby came in to look at it he had a difficult time finding the patch, and that was him standing right over it. If someone actually spots it and has the nerve to ask about it I am going to respond by asking why they are looking that closely at my ass. That is truly the only way it will be visible.

[Mermaid Menanna]

I'd use the lowest setting, there's usually a low "synthetic" setting on most irons. Also, if you're unsure if it's too hot, layer some paper towels between the iron and the fabric to protect the fabric. Go slow, and stop frequently to check the fabric until you're sure you've got the right heat level.
Also don't forget to do this on a scrap piece a few times before your actual tail... just in case.
I would avoid paper towels. They are flammable (highly) and can stick to iron, fabric, or paint when hot. Parchment paper is much easier, cheap, and also allows you to see through it while you're working... and nothing sticks to it, from tape to glue to paint... and it won't absorb the heat from the iron. If the paint doesn't reach a proper temp it won't set as permanent. My tail is made of nylon/lycra spandex, 4 way stretch, heavy spandex... and the low acetate/nylon setting on my iron worked well on the sample pieces I have done, with only the parchment paper between iron and fabric and a towel beneath to help draw the heat away from the fabric.

[Celaeno]

Parchment paper is great! So many of my favorite craft supplies come from my kitchen...

[Dancing Fish]

(Since you asked) the wear patterns we've seen are all from scraping. My daughter is really hard on tails! We also use spandex with foil prints, and the shiny foil rubs off easily. The underlying spandex itself holds up well everywhere else. We also don't take great care of them, I have to admit. We rinse and drip-dry, sometimes in the sun. I think a spandex hybrid tail would be awesome and very durable, if only the paint holds up. I used Jaquard Lumiere paints and had a terrible time getting gold and green to look good on royal blue. The next tail will be lighter and have paint over the printed foil dots. The paint sticks well to the foil! I think a light coating of silicone would help preserve the foil as well.

Thanks for all that info!! I'm new to painting in general, let alone painting on fabric! This is incredibly helpful!

[Celaeno]

I can't remember who, but there's a mer on here who used Jones Tones paints on her tail and it's held up really really well.

[Mermaid Menanna]

(Since you asked) the wear patterns we've seen are all from scraping. My daughter is really hard on tails! We also use spandex with foil prints, and the shiny foil rubs off easily. The underlying spandex itself holds up well everywhere else. We also don't take great care of them, I have to admit. We rinse and drip-dry, sometimes in the sun. I think a spandex hybrid tail would be awesome and very durable, if only the paint holds up. I used Jaquard Lumiere paints and had a terrible time getting gold and green to look good on royal blue. The next tail will be lighter and have paint over the printed foil dots. The paint sticks well to the foil! I think a light coating of silicone would help preserve the foil as well.

Thanks for all that info!! I'm new to painting in general, let alone painting on fabric! This is incredibly helpful!

I have a very busy winter planned this year... including some experimenting with aquarium silicone sealant (very thin layer) over spandex & neoprene, to help create scales, or maybe to protect paint job... not sure what the outcome will be, but am going to give it a try. I also want to play around with some aquarium silicone scales (again, thin, not thick) made and attached individually. As I find solutions to the various issues I will post about them. I am also toying with the idea of spandex scales cut out, painted, and sewn on individually. It would be much easier to repair a few scales if all I had to do was snip a few threads and sew a few new ones in place.
Lots of ideas... just need the time and money to experiment. :-P