Tail coming out too big?

Okay so I love making tails. It's a passion of mine, I've made many for myself and for friends that I've had the chance to trace on a piece of paper. I swim at my local Y and have had multiple people ask if I sell them and I have to say no because I can't make patterns for anything. I've tried just about every method out there and it always comes out too big around the hips and waist. I have a friend who lives about two hours away from me, she sent me her measurements and her birthday is coming up. I've tried making a tail for another friend with just measurements using Sasha's method and I ended up having to take it in because it was so big. Help!


The crash of waves and salty air are the signs of freedom

You're making fabric tails correct? out of at least 2 way stretch material?

If you using 4 way stretch spandex, you can ask her to trace around herself from waist to ankles. If outline is drawn with a thick crayon, just seam along the furthest edge of the crayon, try it on, if still loose, then can seam again closer to the real trace outline. Try on.

That's what I did. It might seem a big waste of time at first, but after making a few tails, you don't need that extra big seam anymore and can just sew the tail like normal.

I've been using Spandex and would like to learn how to do it using just measurements


The crash of waves and salty air are the signs of freedom

Okay! here's what ya do! (I have experience pattern making, I usually make all of my patterns for any sewing projects)
Okay, get your largest measurements (I'm gonna assume the hip or fluke is the largest) and get a piece of paper 3 inches wider than that(if using anything other than fluke, the paper only has to be 1/2 of the measurement), and get the length of your tail (have them measure belly button to ankles) and add the length of the fluke to that and make the piece of paper that length+ a few inches. So your paper should now be as wide as the widest measurement+ 3 or more inches and as long as the length of the tail including the fluke and a few extra inches like so:
Attachment 26334
After you have that fold it in half hot dog style and draw a line down the fold after opening it back up
Attachment 26335

Here's where it gets a bit tricky with instructions.
Attachment 26336
Take the length measurement (belly button or wherever you want the tail to start at to tip of fluke) and starting a inch below the tip of the paper make a dot and call label it A. Measure from POINT A , the length measurement to POINT B and label this point too.
Attachment 26337
Take the measurement for where you want the tail to start (like a waist measurement) and cut it in half. Use 1/4 of this measurement to measure from POINT A to POINT C (I messed up and put another B. sorry)
Attachment 26338
Now measure from waist to hip. Use this measurement to create POINT D along the center line from POINT A.
Attachment 26340
Now take 1/4 of the hip measurement and measure out wards from POINT D to create POINT E
Attachment 26341
the distance between POINT D and POINT F is the measurement of hip to knee.
Attachment 26342
the distance between POING G and POINT F is 1/4 of the knee measurement
Attachment 26343
The distance between POINT F and POINT H is the knee to ankle measurement.
The distance from POINT H to POINT I is 1/4 the ankle measurement.

Now connect all the outer points (B,E,G,I) and draw HALF of the fluke design.
Attachment 26344
Fold the paper along the center line again and cut out the outline. When you unfold it you should have a perfect copy of the outline.

Oh, thank you very much! This helped a lot :)


The crash of waves and salty air are the signs of freedom

woops! I messed up! Everywhere where it says 1/2 of a measurement should say 1/4 of a measurement. When you cut out the piece, the measurment overall will be 1/2 of the measurements. I'll edit the post.
Oh and you might want to put some swimsuit/underwear elastic in the waist to keep it up/snug

And swimwear lining if its a light colored fabric.

Thanks draggersprez! This was helpful to me too! I'm assuming it'll work the same with neoprene as fabric?


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Originally Posted by Mermaid Sabie

Thanks draggersprez! This was helpful to me too! I'm assuming it'll work the same with neoprene as fabric?


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Yep! it will! but with Neoprene, make sure you don't forget to add seam allowance to it (about 3 cm or 1/2 and inch seam allowance)