Making a tail.

[Isla the tropical mermaid]

Hi guys i'm pretty new at this. i had an old fabric tail i bought on etsy but after like 2 months it stretched out. So i decided to make my own but i have some questions. If anybody can help me that would be great! Okay so first of all is there a scaly type fabric where the scales won't rub off after a while? Does anyone know a efficient way to make a cheap monofin or a place where i can buy a cheap monofin? Is there a pattern i need to follow to make the tail? Is it possible to use that same tail in both the ocean and the pool? and last but not least is there any proper way to take care of you tail so it lasts longer?

Thanks for your help -Isla

[Lostariel Telrunya]

Hey! Alright, I may not know the answer to all of your questions, but I'll try. Otherwise, there are a lot of threads by people who have the same questions as you. But I do understand, it's nice to have the info all in one place. :)

1. There are a few ways you can get a scaly pattern fabric, but some are more expensive than others. The first hting you can do is look for a pattern where the scales are woven into the fabric. Don't use ones where the pattern is printed or pasted on after the fabric has been completed. That stuff is was flakes and crumbles after a while. You want to get the kind of fabric where the colour that the scales are is actually part of the fabric. You can get this if you find a 'knit' fabric (very stretchy, and is you get the right mix, it is very soft on your skin. Off topic, if you use a knit fabric, you don't need to sew any loose seams, because the way the thread is put together, it won't ever fray). Another thing you can do is buy a good quality fabric paint and do the scales yourself. Unless you apply the paint correctly, it may wear off after a while, but what I did with my tail is use the spray can kind, and I mixed it with some water before applying it with a paintbrush. That got it to mix with the fibers of the fabric instead of just sitting on top. Also, if you do paint it yourself, make sure to stretch the fabric as much as it will when you're in it. If you paint it before stretching, it will crack and you will have holes in the scales you made.

2. It depends on what you call a 'cheap' monofin. I live in Canada, so the prices might be different here than where you are. If you are planning on making a monofin, my suggestion would be to use Lexan. DO NOT USE PLEXIGLASS. It WILL shatter and hurt you. Lexan can be fairly expensive, although not as much as buying a monofin itself. There are tons of tutorials on youtube (and some on mernetwork as well) on how to cut and shape a monofin. If you are wanting to buy a monofin, I would suggest looking at the Supplies page on the Tail Making section of mernetwork. It will have a lot more info than I can tell you. That will also have some info on what materials to use if you are making one.

3. There isn't one specific pattern for a tail, but you can make your own with some measurements. You'll need around the waist, hips, mid thigh, knees, calves, and ankles. You'll also need the length from your waist to your feet. The more measurements, the better! Just line them up on a big piece of paper so that you get a nice silhouette of your legs. You then use the fluke you want, and the shape you want at the end if the tail. Then cut two pieces of fabric using that pattern, and sew them together. Voila! A tail.

4. Yes, you can use it in both, bot would suggest washing it between uses if you have a fabric tail.

5. Don't use any harsh chemicals when you wash it, try not to wear it dry to often, that can stretch it out. Don't put it in the dryer. That's about all I can think at the moment.

Hope this helps :)

[Mermaid Fenicia]

http://users.telenet.be/the-mermaid/tutoral/meermin/meermine.htm ;)

[Lostariel Telrunya]

Yep, you can look at that too. That does work.^

[Ilyena]

On the note of painting scales, I used a fan brush to get the scale pattern with fabric paint. It's been in the washing machine a couple of times and the paint is still good :)

Most of everything else can be found here:
Tail making reference thread :D (http://mernetwork.com/index/showthread.php?2633-%26%239734%3B%26%239888%3BTAILMAKING-REFERENCE-INDEX%26%239888%3B%26%239734%3B-Look-here-BEFORE-you-post-any-questions!)

[Mermaid Clara]

I used a fabric marker to draw on my scales on my orange fabric tail... it worked pretty well but it will fade after being in chlorine after a while and if the pool is highly chlorinated it will fade after one use.
for monofins check on Ebay.com, I bought a slightly used discontinued Finis Tempo monofin for about $40... if you can't find what you're looking for the first time around keep looking, things change/pop-up on ebay all the time,
for spandex fabric I would go to spandexworld.com I have bought spandex for two tails on there before and they were very good price and I din't have to wait long. or check your local Joann's fabrics that is where I bought some of spandex for a few tails too, its about $7-$10 a yard depending if you get shiny foil or just plain solid color spandex.

[Isla the tropical mermaid]

Thank you all!