Starting my first tail!

[Taylor is a Mermaid]

Since I've lost 17 pounds (woohoo!), I decided it was time to start on my first tail. I've had the materials a while, but life got in the way of my actually starting for a while. I didn't get very far today, and I hit some snags; I have to go get the dremel from my mom's school or at least a sharper razor knife or something. I also think I messed something up in the measurements; they didn't turn out right at all. That's okay though! It was a practice run, and I snapped some funny pictures.

First of all, here's the stencil I made out of old wallpaper for my monofin. I haven't found something strong enough to cut it yet, but I'm really happy with the shape. And you can't see it, but the point in the middle is slightly rounded, which should hopefully relieve some stress.

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Next I started trying to make the pattern, but partway through my dog Sasha got jealous. She grabbed her favorite toy and plopped down in the middle of the pattern. I couldn't get a good shot of her when she had the tape measure in her mouth; she was moving too fast as she tried to kill the evil measuring tape.

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[APhishOutofWater]

Lol! Hope it turns out well. Can't wait to see it when it's finished.

[Taylor is a Mermaid]

Thank you! I'm very excited. I'm going to give the pattern making another shot today; hopefully I won't muck it up this time.

[gypsymer]

lol, I'm glad my dog had the sense not to get too much in my way. I laid out my tail and pattern on the kitchen floor since my parents' house doesn't have a giant cutting table. I have never had the courage to cut my monofin. Can't wait to see pictures!

[Taylor is a Mermaid]

UGH. Just so you know, cutting the monofin is a pain in the neck (I just realized I don't know what this board's rule is about coarse language). I tried a reciprocating saw, but my monofin is so rubbery that it flopped around the place and I couldn't get good enough control. I tried a jigsaw, and that was much better, but the blade I have for it is too jagged and doesn't make a smooth enough line. So tomorrow I'm going back to Home Depot and getting a different blade. I have learned some things that may be useful for other mers, though: reciprocating saws won't work, nor will scissors or, as far as I can tell, a box cutter.

[CoralMoonMermaid]

ah ah ah....snap I wish my dad was here or he would tell me the name of the tool he lets me use!! but its a shear... I can take a pic of it and post it but good god is it amazing!!! it will cut through that mono fin like no other!! we use it on sheets of ABS when we build armor...but if I can find them I will show you and you take the pic to home depot and tell then this is what you need, 'cause yeah saw blades and sizors will not work, good thinkin on the box cutter (to dangerous for this gall haha to many stitches with box cutters, we don't get along)

[Taylor is a Mermaid]

Thanks so much for your help CoralMoon! You're quite the costume guru. I did manage to figure it out, and I'm so excited. We got a finer saw blade and the jigsaw cut through it like a dream. I then used a regular kitchen knife that I'd run under very hot water to chisel away at any uneven places, and I'm very happy with the result. I have a picture!

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That's my fabric it's laying on, and up at the top of the pic you can see a little of my finally finished pattern. I'm pretty sure it is the ugliest pattern ever made, but it'll do the job well enough.

[CoralMoonMermaid]

If you have an issue again with cutting a mono fin again invest in some tin snip sheers....and they will cut through plastic and or metal (and a good set will cut through thick leather)

[Little_Orca]

Looking good so far hun. :)

[Taylor is a Mermaid]

You guys...I'm so excited! I didn't mention this before, but the only thing I had ever sewn before this project was a hand-sewn doll when I was a kid (with LOTS of help from my dad) and a pillow in junior high for a home ec class. I'd never used a sewing machine before, but my mom has, and I asked her to finally teach me. I used a zigzag stitch and after lots of practice on scrap felt comfortable starting. I managed to sew both sides today, and the lines are beautifully straight and even--I did it!

Now a bit of off topic story about sewing:
My mom learned to sew from her mom, who was one of the most amazing women I ever knew and a fabulous seamstress. Her family was a little poor, but she made sure her kids never went without by sewing her two girls dresses and even sewing custom-made suits for her son. So learning to sew today from my mom gave me this wonderful feeling of bonding with my mom and, through her, my wonderful granny who passed away when I was in high school. It was hard and very stressful (I was so afraid I'd screw up!), but an amazing experience.

[Taylor is a Mermaid]

I have a piiiicture for everyone!

I can't say the tail is doing really well; I majorly mucked up the waist. It's fixable, but it has set things back a bit. :( However, I am feeling really good about the scales, and I have a picture to show you of some practice scales I painted.

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The dark spots are where I tried a different color paint; NOT pretty. Also, you can see that I used differently-sized scales, but I don't think I like that. So the spaces where you see a bunch of light-colored scales of the same size all together are what I think my tail will look like. These scales are pretty big, which I think will help me get them done faster. What do you guys think?

[ryanneishere]

I like the bigger scaled:)

[Taylor is a Mermaid]

Thank you! Me too.

[CoralMoonMermaid]

Im liking them too!!! :) Good choice :)

[Taylor is a Mermaid]

I have another picture! My tail is naked right now; I have to add a frill to the top and finish the bottom (hem it, add velcro) and then I can FINALLY start painting. :) I also didn't intend for Sasha to be in the picture, but I guess she sees a camera and jumps right in.

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Please excuse the horribly clashing colors. Luckily the picture is crappy enough that my makeup-free face and frizzy hair are hard to make out. :P

[Moonflower]

Very nice! Keep up the good work!

[Blaze]

Looking good!

[Taylor is a Mermaid]

Thank you all for your support, beautiful mers. :) I have finished the frill which was a PAIN because the fabric I used, while pretty, is very temperamental. I have also started the scales. They are much harder to do on the tail, which I stuffed to stretch it out, and I messed one up as you can see at the bottom. Hopefully I can fix it.

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Also I have ADD and cannot stand to work on these scales for long at a time.

[gypsymer]

tin snips is probably the name of the tool you ladies were discussing. They're used for cutting through metal of all sorts. scales look awesome! I cannot wait to see it finished!

[julessweetie]

Looks Amazing! You have inspired me to make a spandex tail next time!!! lol :) A girl can never have too many tails! ;) Great Job!!!

[Princess Kae-Leah]

Lovely, Taylor! Good luck on painting all those scales, I would never have the patience to paint 'em all one by one like that.

[Little_Orca]

There is something fun about "naked" tail shots. It's like remembering what it was before it took on it's beautiful form... like a sapphire in the rough (not a diamond fan).

[Taylor is a Mermaid]

Thank you all! Your support makes me very happy and motivates me to keep going when I think I can't look at another scale.
@Little Orca: Yes, and you should see it now! I almost have one side done, and the more I paint the better I get at them, so I think it really looks good, despite a few spots where I've smeared the paint.

I have no idea how I want to do the fluke, though. I have looked at lots of pictures of fish and I would like to do line after line of tiny dark and light stripes to simulate the look of little fishy bones underneath, but I don't think that's going to happen.

[Taylor is a Mermaid]

Posting twice in a row, hope that isn't spammy... Anyway, I have 2 more progress pics to show you all. It's slow going but hopefully this will all be worth it eventually.

This pic gives you an idea of the scale (pun intended):
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And this one shows how far along I am:
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[Little_Orca]

Looking good! :D

[taom]

Oh my goodness! It is so beautiful! You've inspired me to start a second tail! I honestly cannot wait to see the finished product. Keep us updated!

[Taylor is a Mermaid]

Yay! I am on a deadline, so I am going to have to be a painting FIEND for the next few days. I am leaving for the WMAs Thursday and officially the paint is supposed to have 3 days to dry before getting wet...Yikes! Dunno if that's gonna happen.

[Winged Mermaid]

I can't quite tell by the picture, but did you cut it so there is a notch in the middle? If so you need to round this out or drill a hole at the notch or your monofin could tear.

[jukumerboii]

omg that looks so beautiful,,i love the scale work

[Taylor is a Mermaid]

I can't quite tell by the picture, but did you cut it so there is a notch in the middle? If so you need to round this out or drill a hole at the notch or your monofin could tear.
Thank you for your comment. It does have a notch, but the notch is rounded in a sort of U shape. Some of the very helpful comments on the old forum let me know that I shouldn't cut it in a sharp V because of that very problem. What would I do without you guys?

@taom: You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear that I've inspired you. Other tail makers on here like LindseyLu and Little_Orca inspired me to make a fabric tail after I saw how they can be personalized, decorated, and really just all-around pimped out. I love how customizable and durable fabric tails are, though at one point I'd like to get a nice realistic one like we all would.

@Juku: Thank you! :) It is very fun to do but much more time-consuming than I anticipated.

[Desert Mermaid]

Taylor, it's looking fantastic! the scales are such fine, painstaking work. Bravo to you for having the patience and the skill :)

[Spindrift]

Damn girl. That is a really good paint job!

[julessweetie]

Looking AMAZING!!! You are doing a great job on those scales. From someone who is making scales at the moment...I know how hard it is to make it look good! lol ;) But your's look PERFECT!!! Well done! :)

[LindseyLu]

Looking great Taylor :D the scale pattern is looking really fish-like!!! Can't wait to see it once your all done!!! ;)

[Taylor is a Mermaid]

You guys are so sweet. I finished everything but the fluke on the front side tonight, and...here's a pic.

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I hate it. Hate, hate, hate. I wanted to get it done and it was 2 in the morning so I didn't practice with the spray paint as much as I should have, and I got careless. I love the scales; they are painstaking work. So I don't know why I decided to do the fluke in 5 minutes. I am trying not to freak out or be overdramatic here, but I don't know what I can do to fix this mess. So please, tell me I am crazy or tell me I can fix it. Or tell me it will magically turn pretty when it dries. Also, the reason it looks so wide is that the whole tail is still suffed with rags etc. to stretch it out while I painted it.

[Little_Orca]

I can't wait to see it in action! :) It's lovely!

[Kanti]

You so crazay
It looks super-duper.
We better see some footage of it soon lol

[LindseyLu]

Taylor it looks great! The scales turned out soooo good!!! The fluke looks nice too, not sure what u don't like about it??? You could add more details and definition if you don't like it...? Can't wait to see more pics!!!!! ;)

[Prince Calypso]

what did you use to paint your scales with if you don't mind me asking?

[ryanneishere]

Girl, you must be crazy because I think it looks beautiful and detailed.

[Taylor is a Mermaid]

I truly believe that inside of every woman (okay probably every human being), longing to be free and just waiting to come out and show itself to the world...
is a crazy person. You all just saw mine; she freaked out over a costume mermaid tail last night. I got some sleep, looked at it this morning after the paint had dried, and decided I loved it. I do think I got a bad can of white paint the first time, but I got another can for the front today and it is looking beautiful. The tail is officially finished, and I could not be happier (except for some problems with the length of the fluke that I may fix sometime in the future; you may be able to see in the pic that the fabric is not quite long enough to always cover the monofin. Oh well.)

@Calypso: I don't mind at all. I used Scribbles fabric paint in opaque white (NOT the 3d kind). I made a stencil out of a sheet of clear plastic and used a stippling brush to apply the paint. I then repeated the process probably a few thousand times; I haven't counted how many scales are on this sucker. I have received some comments saying the paint looks sparkly or iridescent, but that is really the result of some faux painting techniques to make it look that way. I applied extra paint to the tip of several scales to make them look like they're shining in the light. Oh, and I was running low on paint, so some of the scales are painted using Createx opaque white paint. These scales are lighter and have a softer look in person, but it's a bit hard to tell in pictures and I've been told I am insane and no one else can tell the difference but me. But *I* know that Createx paint is harder to work with because it doesn't like to blend out as well and doesn't give the same crisp line at the edge of the stencil.

As to how this will hold up in water, I took a scrap of practice scales in the pool, got them wet, stretched them, scratched them, dried the fabric out and wet it again, and experienced no chipping. We'll see how well that holds up over time in a chlorine pool as opposed to a saltwater one. Sorry for the long post. I will have more pics and hopefully some video up of this tail soon; I leave for the WMAs in the morning! :D

[Little_Orca]

Have fun Taylor. I will be waiting for those pics....

*circles like a shark.*

[Taylor is a Mermaid]

Okay, here's a photo of the finished tail. I may still fix a few things later on, like the place where the scales end and the wonky lines that just did not work.

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[Little_Orca]

It's beautiful, Taylor :) *thumbs up!*

[New York Mermaid]

Ohh taylpr I like it very much :) its super pretty

[Lotus]

SO AWESOME! that's one fantastic paint job!!

[Syrenia]

It's gorgeous! I demand an underwater video!! You did an amazing job!

[AniaR]

so beautiful Tay :)

[Mermaid Jewel]

It looks simply amazing! :)

[Mermaid Lorelei]

The scales are absolutely stunning! The patience of a saint!

[Taylor is a Mermaid]

Thank you all so very much. Unfortunately, I have not swam in my tail in months because it's cold and I don't have a gym membership. I really need to get one, as well as a waterproof camera: I have access to several video cameras, but none of them are waterproof! Grr! Anyway, I know I haven't been around much lately because work is taking up a great deal of my time, but I am still alive and thinking of my mersisters and merbrothers.

[Mermaid Miel]

Most Gyms will let you trial their facilities on a one-day membership. (paid, of course) I usually dont because Gyms with Pools are 1) Rare and 2) Uber-expensive here in SA.
The beaches are closer (and Free) and there are three indoor swimming pools within an hours drive of home, and we live two hours drive from the city swimming centre. (4 if you hit traffic)

[Mermaid Saphira]

Taylor, your tail is so beautiful! I don't have much patience but you have proved to me that is possible! I can't wait to start my tail <3

[Taylor is a Mermaid]

Taylor, your tail is so beautiful! I don't have much patience but you have proved to me that is possible! I can't wait to start my tail <3
The hardest part was just that I made my tail on a deadline for the WMAs--and I have ADHD, so I couldn't stand to work on it for long periods of time. But really, the painting was the easiest part of the process. I think the hardest part is pattern making, then sewing. If you can give yourself time to work on it in short spurts, it's totally doable without sacrificing your sanity. I probably dreamed about scales, and I think I closed my eyes and saw scales behind my eyelids.

[Mermaid Saphira]

^ If you don't mind me asking...did you use royal blue or turquoise? Thanx :)

[Gem Stone]

question, which is better and what's the difference. Neoprene, neoprin, or fabric? i am about to make my fourth tail myself(my other three have been made by my grandmama for me) and i don't know know which one is the strongest because i want to take this thing to the beach and free dive in the ocean and everything.

[Stefanie Luna]

Hi! i really think you did a great job Taylor. I want to make my first tail too. I have the fabric and paint, but I need a fin. I think I will copy your scales technique ;) what kind of monofin exactly did you use? I've never had one. Thank you!! :cool:

[michellerobison]

This is so inspirational.I keep thinking I want to try to make my own tail but too chicken.... Been toying with an idea but I have no idea how to put it together...

[Taylor is a Mermaid]

Sorry I didn't respond to all this sooner. I used turquoise fabric and white paint. I have a Wave Monofin, but that's mostly because I had a low budget. I'm not 100% happy with it, as the straps don't stay on my feet and it sometimes is hard to keep on (though this has gotten better with practice). I cut my monofin with a dremel tool.

[Mermaasai]

about the straps not staying up, I have the same issue ^.^ I am wearing socks with the fin now, it helps to keep my feet from getting blisters AND the straps stay generally in one place.

I heard some one mention using neoprene socks to keep these issues from happening too, and the straps will stay in place even better.

The tail looks great btw! I love the lines on the fluke ^.^

[Mermaid Nyla]

so pretty! oh i love the scales they are so perfect! i also love the blue color. :) can't wait to see it in the water!

[Nim]

I love the scales,awesome work !