Neoprene Sequined Tail With a Theme [Archive]

Mermaid Galene

07-27-2014, 12:10 PM

I'm getting set to start on my first completely homemade tail: neoprene and sequins. This tail will be used for a multimedia musical theatre program we're putting together. It tells the story of the life of my first musical fish, Jor Jor, who became rather famous overnight when she did a little concert on BBC Radio and subsequently was profiled in newspapers around the world.

My tail plan is based on Jor Jor's colors:

22857

22858

22859

We aim to debut our show, The Fish Who Changed The World, for the library circuit next summer. I plan to write a children's book with Jor Jor's story, and we already have a tie-in CD: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/neptuneskeep

22860

I want this tail to be fully swimmable as well as pretty indoors. It's going to be a lot of work, but I'm looking forward to bringing this project to fruition!

Grey Gambit

07-27-2014, 01:25 PM

This is going to be an awesome tail when you're all done, and Jor Jor sounds like an amazing fish!

Mermaid Galene

07-27-2014, 02:39 PM

She was a really awesome fish. Sadly, I lost her a few years ago about two weeks after she got famous. That's happened a few times; now I get kind of superstitious and worried when my fish get publicity!

Mermaid Sam

07-27-2014, 02:43 PM

The tail looks like it will be gorgeous!! Which sequins are you using on it?

Mermaid Galene

07-27-2014, 08:29 PM

I haven't bought them yet, but I plan to get Cartwright 20mm and 30mm crystal iris paillettes. I used those on a top recently, and they were very easy to work with.

Mermaid Sam

07-27-2014, 11:14 PM

I've seen those and they look like they would be too difficult to sew onto something like a tail. Have fun! I hope everything goes well for you.

Mermaid Galene

08-04-2014, 04:41 PM

My sequins for the Jor Jor tail arrived today. And so it begins!

23124

Raayvhen

08-04-2014, 04:46 PM

How many did you order?

Mermaid Galene

08-12-2014, 04:10 PM

I ordered 7500 sequins - round paillettes, some 20mm and some 30mm.

And today I got my neoprene. I ordered at least twice what I'll probably need!

23307

PearlieMae

08-12-2014, 04:23 PM

Looks like you have enough for a whole shoal of mers! The 20mm and 30mm single hole sequins are easy to sew - two stitches and a knot! If the hole is at 12:00, one stitch at 10:00 and one at 2:00, and it'll lay flat...knot and snip and you won't have to worry about the thread breaking. But you already know that!

Those sequins are nice and big, it'll cover your tail in no time, Slenderella! I look forward to watching it progress!

Raayvhen

08-12-2014, 04:28 PM

I'm curious about where you got your neoprene. I'm still shopping around.

Mermaid Galene

08-12-2014, 05:18 PM

You are right, Pearlie! I don't know what I was thinking when I ordered two sheets! Hee hee, maybe a giant banana costume. :lol:

I bought the neoprene from foamorder.com. I originally wanted yellow on both sides, but they were out of that and had the yellow/green on hand. Just as well! Now I'll have neoprene for a green tail down the road.

Mermaid Galene

09-08-2014, 04:21 PM

I finished the theatre piece for which I'm making this tail, and now I'm starting on the tail. Whee! I decided to create a pattern on my computer so that I can reuse it for other neoprene tails in future. Here's what I've done so far.

I had the hubby take a photo of me, and then in Adobe Illustrator, I made a tail template from the photo.

24008

I then scaled up the template to life size, and altered it to fit the measurements we took for the tail I have on order with Finfolk.

24009

Today I printed out the template on 8 sheets of 13x19" inkjet paper and taped them together, giving me a life-size pattern.

24010

Next, I will make a mockup tail of cheap fabric to test the pattern and adjust it if necessary. Hoping to get much of that done yet today. If the mockup works, I'll be ready to slice and dice my neoprene!

Stay tuned...

Mermaid Galene

10-01-2014, 11:41 AM

I've finally been able to get back to the construction of this tail. Using the pattern I created on my computer, I cut and sewed a test tail in a cheap, slightly stretchy fabric. Found that I needed to make several "nip and tuck" adjustments in the pattern to get the fit right. After the third try, I used my adjusted pattern to cut and sew my neoprene:

24571

When I tried the neoprene tail on, there was a huge, foldover wrinkle in the ankle area:

24572

I surmised the fold happened because this area, where my Hydra monofin's foot pockets are, was too long and wide. So I took it in:

24573

Here's the result:

24574

Still a few wrinkles, but acceptable. I will need to alter my pattern on my computer to reflect the smaller foot pocket area.

Next: zipper installation.

Genevieve

10-01-2014, 10:03 PM

Taking shape! I feel like I might almost be able to make a neoprene tail myself, seeing each of your steps.

Mermaid Enora

10-01-2014, 11:06 PM

love seeing the progress, its looking great!

Mermaid Galene

10-01-2014, 11:11 PM

Thanks, guys! I'm really liking neoprene; it's easy to work with. I put the zipper in today, and it was way easier than installing a zipper in my thin fabric test tail. My only complaint about neoprene thus far is that the rubber off-gases and gives me a headache. I'm sure in time that smell will dissipate.

Mermaid Galene

10-02-2014, 10:19 AM

Zipper installed. Because the neoprene is so thick, I just sewed the zipper in down the middle back of the tail, then cut the neoprene on top of it. I'll put a double dorsal fin alongside the zipper to hide it.

24584

I made the back waist higher than the front so it wouldn't ride down, then I put in a couple of darts for a snug fit.

Vela

10-02-2014, 11:58 AM

ooh!! I can't wait to see what your tail looks like finished!! I am going to start my neoprene tail soon!!! Good luck!:)

Mermaid Galene

10-02-2014, 07:27 PM

Today I marked off boundaries for the yellow and chocolate colors, and I've ordered Lumiere paints. Tomorrow I'm off to the fabric store for fin fabric, then I'm ready to start sequinning! Woot!

24595

24596

AniaR

10-02-2014, 07:28 PM

nice work so far!

Miyu

10-04-2014, 01:00 AM

Oh goodness, Jor Jor was beautiful! Oooh just look at that fluke, so transparent :D

I can't wait to see how this turns out! You've gotten a great start thus far!

Mermaid Galene

10-04-2014, 09:59 AM

Thanks, everybody. Jor Jor was an amazing fish in so many ways. When I got her, she was a non-descript olive color with battered fins. But over the next two years -- with the combination of excellent nutrition, love, and the musicmaking she so adored -- her fins healed and her colors changed. She blossomed into a stunning lemony gold and chocolate piscine music goddess!

Mer-gal

10-04-2014, 10:04 AM

It is looking great I can't wait to see it all done.

Mermaid Galene

10-04-2014, 08:28 PM

Well, this is certainly a learning experience. I sewed a few rows of sequins at the juncture of the ankle and fluke. I quickly learned that it's nearly impossible to machine sew the sequins on the fully assembled tail - a very thick tube. I just can't stuff all that thick fabric to one side of the presser foot. So I spent half an hour ripping out one side seam in order to open the tail up into a flat sheet. The sequinning should go smoothly now. When all the sequins are on, I'll sew the tube back up again.

The next time I make a neoprene/sequin tail, I will baste it together to check the fit, then take it apart and sew the sequins on the two flat halves before reassembling.

Mermaid Galene

10-05-2014, 07:15 PM

Progress!

24629

Genevieve

10-05-2014, 07:29 PM

Beautiful, Galene!

Miyu

10-06-2014, 04:50 AM

That's gorgeous! I really love the colour of the sequins!

Genevieve

10-06-2014, 01:38 PM

Agree with Miyu. You see gold tails, but yours looks more coppery, at least in the picture. Unique!

Mermaid Galene

10-06-2014, 06:29 PM

The chocolate/copper sequins are only part of the color scheme. The rest is lemony gold. I'm basically duplicating the colors of my fish, Jor Jor, who is the subject of the show in which I'll wear this tail:

24648

Genevieve

10-06-2014, 06:58 PM

Love love love!

Mermaid Galene

11-22-2014, 03:05 PM

I've made some serious progress on my Jor Jor tail.The sequining is 50% done!

25574

After I'd done quite a bit of the brown scales, I realized my rows were not straight. So I drew guidelines across the rest of front and all the way up the back side.

25575

I'm hoping to finish this tail in time for my New Year's Eve gig. At this point I am seriously tired of sewing sequins, but I shall persevere!

PearlieMae

11-22-2014, 03:35 PM

Awesome work, Galene!

...Just keep sequinning, just keep sequinning...

SummerRogue

11-22-2014, 03:42 PM

Wow Galene, I wish I had the patience to sew that many sequins, can't wait to see this finished :)

Mermaid Galene

11-22-2014, 05:25 PM

My arms are aching from fighting that thick tube to get it in place on my sewing machine, even with one side seam mostly ripped out! I have certainly learned my lesson: the next time I make a sequined tail, I will sew the sequins on FLAT pieces and then sew those together. :phew:

Miyu

11-22-2014, 06:05 PM

Wow, that's looking beautiful!!! :swoon:

MarkF

11-22-2014, 08:49 PM

Oh my goodness, look at them all! that's almost as tedious as Miss Pearlie's work.

PearlieMae

11-22-2014, 10:30 PM

Ah, there is nothing tedious about my work! Each scale is a tiny work of art, and I am excited when I pull each one from their molds.

One of my parade tails was sequined, I sewed each sequin on by hand. THAT was tedious.

Mermaid Galene

11-22-2014, 10:58 PM

I would never have the patience to sew all this by hand. My hand couldn't take it, either; I've got chronic hand problems from years of puppetry. I do find the machine sewing a wee bit tedious, but I think with totally flat pieces of neoprene it would go pretty fast, and I would enjoy the process more.

Raayvhen

11-23-2014, 12:08 AM

It's looking so good!

Mermaid Alea

11-23-2014, 02:06 AM

This is great!:) Wonderful design and work!

Starfrit

11-23-2014, 10:12 AM

I can't believe I'm only now finding this thread! I'm loving all of your work so far, Galene! I bet Jor Jor would be proud. <3

Mermaid Galene

11-23-2014, 10:40 AM

Thanks, everyone! I think Jor Jor would have loved it if I could have sat by her aquarium wearing this tail and singing Barbra Streisand's version of "Moon River." She adored that song and always played her handbells when she heard it!

Mermaid Aika

11-23-2014, 10:44 AM

This is beautiful work, Galene!
And I love "Moon River"!

Echidna

11-23-2014, 11:01 AM

I can't believe I'm only now finding this thread! I'm loving all of your work so far, Galene! I bet Jor Jor would be proud. <3

same here, same here lol.
It looks beautiful!

And hand problems, ergh.
My hand finally healed after crocheting my 3 crochet tails (and 2 scale leggings...), but I still rather wouldn't want to sew sequins on by hand.
(My machine can't do squat, so I do nearly everything by hand lol)

Mermaid Galene

11-23-2014, 11:21 AM

Streisand's "Moon River" is the song that revealed Jor Jor's innate musical ability. I had trained the fish to ring a tuned kid's handbell suspended above her tank. She had a full octave of bells, and I gave her an hour of improv time each day to practice at her leisure. One day I was listening to "Moon River" on a speaker near the fish tank. I could see that Jor Jor was listening, too. The piece had a big, swelling instrumental intro, and then Streisand would start to sing. Jor Jor listened to the intro, and then, on the beat and in tune, she suddenly rang her F note handbell just before Streisand's vocal began. It fit so perfectly with the music that I wondered if Jor Jor just got lucky, or really knew what would sound harmonious. So, after the song finished, I played it again. And again, Jor Jor rang an F note in that same spot, just before Streisand's vocal. I played that piece 7 times in a row and 7 times Jor Jor played an F note in almost precisely the same spot, on the beat, just before Streisand began to sing! That's when I realized that this fish truly understood music. She blew my mind completely and forevermore. Changed my life.

Mermaid Aika

11-23-2014, 11:29 AM

I played that piece 7 times in a row and 7 times Jor Jor played an F note in almost precisely the same spot, on the beat, just before Streisand began to sing! That's when I realized that this fish truly understood music. She blew my mind completely and forevermore. Changed my life.

I am not showing the whole post, but wow! Jor Jor was amazing! That sounds wonderful, Galene!

MarkF

11-23-2014, 09:21 PM

Mermaid Galene, I could never do what your doing. I don't think my eyes could handle looking at things that small for really any length of time. You talk about stitching them on a machine, that's worth a picture right there. I believe every tail is a piece of art, sewing tiny disks is an another artform.
If you had someone there, making their own so you had someone to talk with would be nice. I think the smiles your tail will create when it's done will add to the fun. Good job.
Go Mermaid Go!

MarkF

11-23-2014, 09:31 PM

I couldn't leave the computer without acknowledging Jo Jo. I had Oscars which like to play but WOW. That would change anyone opinion that fish are smart and intellectually aware. ( More than me sometimes )
What kind of fish was Jo Jo?

Vrindavana Starfish

11-23-2014, 10:12 PM

One of my parade tails was sequined, I sewed each sequin on by hand. THAT was tedious.

I've done this with so many tutus it isn't even funny. I didn't even know you could sew sequins by hand! Galene, that tail is so stunning! Put on some music or a good movie you've seen a billion times and just sew away!

AniaR

11-23-2014, 10:22 PM

whoa man been a while since I checked in on this thread and I'm embarrassed to say before I checked I was thinking, well she's probably not too far along yet. and then BAM you blow me out of the water. Looks mer-mazing!

Mermaid Galene

11-23-2014, 10:56 PM

Thanks, Raina! I got another 18 inches or so of sequins done this afternoon. I expect to finish the sequinning tomorrow. I'll probably be sewing those dang things in my dreams all night, lol! =8-0

Mermaid Galene

11-23-2014, 11:00 PM

Mark, Jor Jor was a large Ryukin goldfish. When I got her, she was skittish and a non-descript greenish color. When she discovered music, she blossomed into this outgoing, affectionate, gorgeous yellow and brown piscine goddess. it was an amazing transformation!

Mermaid Galene

11-26-2014, 10:13 AM

The Jor Jor tail is nearly finished! All the body sequins are on. I just need to sequin a flap covering the zipper, install a dorsal fin and fluke edging, and paint the fluke.

Here are some crappy quality ipad selfies. I'll do a serious photoshoot later.

25651

25652

MarkF

11-26-2014, 12:20 PM

Galene, JoJo would be proud. That is easily the best sequin Tail I've seen. Wonderfull job.
I could just see a school of goldfish following you around, that would make a great video wouldn't it.
You just set the bar a lot higher in Hudson, Wi.
If I may say so, you look lovely in it.

Mermaid Galene

11-26-2014, 02:17 PM

Thanks, Mark! When I wear it, I kind of feel like I have Jor Jor back with me again.

SummerRogue

11-26-2014, 03:00 PM

aww that's so pretty :)

Azurin Luna

11-26-2014, 03:29 PM

Very nice :)

Mermaid Kelda

11-26-2014, 09:28 PM

Stunning! That top compliments it so well :) I can't wait to see full pictures of the completed tail!

AniaR

11-26-2014, 09:30 PM

stunning!!! you're so talented and FAST wowza!

Mermaid Galene

11-26-2014, 09:39 PM

Thanks, everyone. I'm hoping to finish the remaining work in the next week or so. Stuck with a nasty virus right now, and we have family visiting for the Thanksgiving holiday and weekend, so I may not get much done in the next few days. But I'm really anxious to finish the tail and then make a headdress to go with it.

Miyu

12-05-2014, 05:42 AM

Holy carp, that's BEAUTIFUL! I think Jor-Jor would be honoured :) Can't wait to see more pics and video! Will you be swimming in it anytime soon?

Mermaid Galene

12-05-2014, 09:24 AM

The tail is finished except for one last bit of trim at the edge of the fluke. It's kinda spectacular if I do say so myself! I'll get the trim done this weekend and post some pics. I hope to take her for her maiden voyage next week at the waterpark where we're booked for New Year's Eve. But since I've never swum there before, I probably won't try to get water pics yet. Need to get the feel of the place first.

Mermaid Galene

12-16-2014, 10:05 AM

The Jor Jor tail is complete! Hoping to take her for her maiden voyage this Friday. Probably no pics of that - a proper photoshoot in the spring - but for now, feast your eyes on these!

25980 front

25981 back

25982 sparkly fluke