MinxFox's First Mermaid Tail (fabric)

[Mermaid Alea]

For Christmas I told my mom I wanted a Finis Rapid monofin so she ordered one for me. Eventually she told me she would just give it to me once it got here, because it was taking a while to get here. She tricked me though, it was already here but I didn't notice the big box, so yesterday when I went to pick through the presents to find mine, I figured the big box was my monofin!! I was really excited to put it on, and it feels awesome on! Of course, that isn't saying much for me because I use swim fins that are too small on me so they are never comfortable and give me blisters if I don't take them off soon enough, so I am not used to having a fin that fits! :p

Here is perhaps what I want my tail to look like. I don't think I will paint the scales that big. I am still always changing my mind with how I want it to look.
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Materials - I decided not to use the pink fabric and just save it for in the future when I know what I am doing:
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My mom helped me mark off every 2 in from my belly button to my ankles then we used the measurements to draw the tail.
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Then I cut out the tail:
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I have never used a sewing machine and I forgot that we even have one, so my mom showed me how to use it. She has been really excited about this whole process mainly because she has been wanting me to get into sewing. Eventually I was done sewing:
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The tail is too loose at the top so I guess we got the measurements wrong? Today I will probably be making it tighter at the top. I mainly want to get on to painting the tail. I don't know how to use a monofin yet, so hopefully soon I can go to my college pool and learn how to use my monofin.

[Mermaid Alea]

I fixed the way the tail fits on me, and I was going to paint it tonight but then decided to go buy something I can use to make into a scale stamp to just stamp on the scales so that I don't have to take as much time painting each scale on. I tested out the paints and some shine a lot more than I expected and some shine less. I might upload a photo of my test painting later.

[Miyu]

Nice! Good luck! No matter how many measurements I take, I always have to take parts of my tail in (particularly my waist). Also remember that most tail fabrics stretches both horizontally and vertically, so the waist can get funny when you try it on sometimes :p

[26494926bdgqifkwb]

Just so you know, swimming in the monofin the first few times will feel HEAVY because it propels in a totally different manner than fins. (I learned that at my college pool last year). I LOVE the design for your tail!

[Mermaid Alea]

Ahh good to know that you have to take in your tail as well. I had a feeling it would be too big at the top, but luckily making it tighter isn't a problem. I really love using the sewing machine I am going to have to get into making clothes now it is great!

Thanks Mermaid Kaitey for letting me know how the monofin will feel when swimming. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect. I don't know when I can try out my monofin. The day before Christmas I stepped on a piece of glass and it went into my toe (luckily I got it out)! Of all the times to hurt my foot it had to be when I get my first monofin!

It is so hard for me to decide exactly what I want to do for the scales...I really love green peafowl, they are an endangered type of peafowl from Asia. They have neck feathers that look like scales which are really inspiring. I love birds a lot, so I probably will end up taking some inspiration from them. Here is a photo of a green peacock. What I like about the neck feathers is how the inner part is a dark blue lined with a light blue, and the border of the feather is green. Luckily I recently got neck feathers from some green peafowl when visiting someone who breeds them, so I will have them to reference if I do decide to copy the feathers.
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[Mermaid Alea]

I will have to eventually get around to posting photos of the tail and the top I made to go with the tail. The sad part is right now I love the top more than the tail. Only one side of my tail is painted though so hopefully once I finish the other side I will like it more.

Friday I will get to swim with my monofin for the first time. Even though my tail is unfinished I am going to bring it too so I can see if it even works when wet. I used a 4 way stretch fabric, but it isn't swimwear fabric. It feels kind of like cotton I think.

The top I made I really love. There was a sale on bras so I got 1 skin tone strapless bra and a second one just like it for free! I have never worn a strapless bra, but it came with clear straps that you can put on it, which is how I have been wearing it so I will probably just keep wearing it that way. I got plastic plants and sewed them on to the top as well as pearls and beads. For the center of the top I used E6000 to glue on some glass jewelry my mom made.

Anyways I am super excited to try my monofin out at my college's pool on Friday. I really hope there will be few to no people in the pool. I am super happy that my boyfriend will come and help me. Hopefully he won't have to save me from drowning, but I will take it slowly and not rush into trying to swim right away. I won't put the tail on until I am fully comfortable with using the monofin.

[Mermaid Alea]

Friday I should be swimming in my monofin for the first time. It looks like the pool won't be closed this Friday, but we will see... :rolleyes:

I finally uploaded photos of the top I made! I haven't tested it in the water yet. I don't really want to wear it in chlorinated pools. I am reserving it for freshwater and saltwater swims (for now at least).
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[Mermaid Alea]

I had fun swimming in my monofin so much the first time I used it, that I forgot to put the fabric tail on! Yesterday I swam with my fabric tail. I am not sure if I should finish it or not. It isn't tight enough, but I do like it. The tail not being tight enough is probably from my Mom putting it on the form the wrong way, so the top got stretched out to be tail size when I was painting it.:( I might as well finish it. Only one side is painted. Oh and because the tail was put on the form wrong, the top part was painted as if it were the tail. I was really upset when I found out it was on the wrong way, but once I put it on and especially after swimming in it, I am much happier than I thought I would be. :)
So yeah I made a ton of mistakes...One being getting a 4 way stretch fabric that isn't swimwear fabric. I do like how dark it gets when it is wet though.
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I was tying the side of the tail to make it tighter in this photo. There definitely was a lot more drag with the tail on vs. just the monofin. I am thinking there is so much drag because I am not using swimwear fabric and because it is still a little lose?
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This is the photo in my avatar!
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I wasn't sure if mermaiding would be for me, and I wasn't sure how my family or my boyfriend would react, but everything has been super positive! I haven't told many friends though, although I am not really close to most of my friends anyways. I am super excited for the weather to heat up so I can swim at the beach, at the river, in the bay, etc!

[Mermaid Alea]

I was cleaning my room and found an Amazon gift card, so I used it to buy an old style round dive mask. I had previously seen it on Amazon and read through the reviews, which were very positive, so I decided to get it. I will see how it is for mermaiding. My mom thinks I shouldn't wear goggles when I swim, and I agree but I just like being able to see with clarity - for now at least.

I am already thinking about future tail designs, but I won't start on another tail for a while. I want to make good use out of this one for a while. I will probably take it in a little though.

[Mermaid Alea]

Okay well I like this tail but the fabric isn't the right kind since it is more cotton than spandex. I feel silly for settling on this fabric when there are so many options when you shop for spandex online! I made so many mistakes on this first tail. :doh:

I am on Spring Break right now, and so I will take this time to hopefully make a new tail, one that I can be more proud of and one that is actually spandex. I just bought this 4 way stretch spandex:
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I know it might fade some with use, but I think I really like this. I guess I might make a new topic once I get the fabric in. Not sure... I don't know when the fabric will get here so I am not sure if I will be swimming in a new tail before the end of my Spring Break, but hopefully I will be able to do that!