Fabric Tail Appreciation Thread

[Princess Kae-Leah]

I decided to start a new thread where people can share pictures of their favorite FABRIC tails and discuss DIY techniques as to make spandex tails look more realistic and elaborate. It's so easy for spandex tails to get overshadowed by latex and silicone tails, so why not give spandex tails their own thread to shine in? Here's my Fin Fun tail:

[Mermaid Saphira]

Great thread! My contribution: I have to say that hand-painting scales (or just painting) looks so realistic!

[Odette]

i really enjoy the comfort and how easy it is to fix mistakes with fabric than any latex/silicone/urethane/acrylic products.they also make my performance much easier as i have a better range of movements when im scared my silicone tail will bunch up funny or possibly show a gap at the waist.

they are comfy and easier to clean too. =)

[Princess Kae-Leah]

Odette, you took the words right out of my mouth as I was going to list the advantages of spandex tails:
(1) Comfortable
(2) Lightweight
(3) Inexpensive
(4) Easy to swim in(doesn't apply to me personally, though)
(5) Low-maintenance

I'd like to see pics of peoples' favorite fabric tails! It's no secret that I had tail envy for the highly realistic-looking latex and silicone tails so many other mers here have, but now I've gotten to the point where I can admire the aesthetic beauty and realism of high-end tails without so much wishing I personally owned one, as while there's no denying that they generally look much more realistic than fabric tails, they are also heavy, hot, and highly constricting out of the water, so I wonder if for dry use, if the realism is really worth sacrificing comfort.

[Mermaid Saphira]

^^ STILL IN PROGRESS ^^


^^ THE2TAIL ^^


^^ HAND-MADE, NON-SWIMMABLE ^^

[Princess Kae-Leah]

Ooh the gold in-progress tail is lovely! The tattered edges are a nice touch. What makes the third tail non-swimmable?

[BlueMermaid]

I love sparkly tails! One thing you can't get with latex and silicone, is sparkly.

[-Annwyn-]

I love sparkly tails! One thing you can't get with latex and silicone, is sparkly.

Yes you can. I laid down a lot of glitter on top of the neoprene for my first pink silicone tail, and I've also done it for my purple silicone tail, and then I put the silicone on top it it. Worked really well.

[BlueMermaid]

Wow I had no idea! How wonderful Aela!

[Nim]

I'm thinking to make my tail in fabric with an Oceanika monofin...What do you think?

[OrcaMatt]

Wow I had no idea! How wonderful Aela!

There's air-brushable glitter too, I'm pretty sure.

Anyway, my Dream Tail(tm) is actually a fabric tail, though elaborate in the sort of ludicrous way Dream Tails(tm) are allowed to be. Most of my ideas for things apply more to fabric tails than silicone/latex, too.

[Tasha Mermaid]

I'm thinking to make my tail in fabric with an Oceanika monofin...What do you think?

thats what I'm doing, I'm waiting for the merfin to arrive this week.....i have my chosen fabric which is a very shimmer colourful spandex .... here it is


I can't wait to get strted on my design ...but i still have to wait for my blue merfin, i plan on covering the whole merfin with the fabric so it suites better
it will be my first tail ever and my first tail made by me :P

[Nim]

Beautiful colors!

[LittleTreasure]

Mermaid Lunali, that fabric is awesome! *drools* Your tail's going to turn out looking gorgeous!
Thanks for starting this thread, Princess Kae-Leah. My tail is fabric and I love it, even though it may not be as realistic as it would be if it were made out of something else. Spandex and other fabrics can come in so many colors and styles, and I think if I make another tail I'd still use that (ignoring my lack of money. I'm too scared of using the other materials). I have some fun ideas for it bouncing around in this head of mine...

[Bellasea]

My first tail is going to be faric. It is a sparkly purple color.

[Tasha Mermaid]

Thanks Nim and Little Treasure, it cost me $20 a meter and i bought 3 meters BUT i had to have it :P, the sparkly lines are actually silver so they change colour in the light i can't wait

[Miyu]

I'll be starting my first tail soon - it will be fabric (awesome scaly print non-swimwear spandex), and more of a "dry" tail - I'm worried about making a tail to swim in out of regular spandex, and I don't have a monofin, nor the funds for one right now - the spandex I found laying around the house, so I was thinking of making a very nice "skirt" tail.

[BayouMermaid]

Yay for fabric tails! Also, I just ordered some fabric from spandex world, and the scale print stuff is on sale in the clearance section for $10 a yard. I'm not sure if it is actually "swim wear", but it is 4 way stretch

[Merman_Ryan]

Long live FoxMoon Productions they allowed me to be the Merman I am today!

[Nausicaa]

Well with tails made from heavier less malleable material like latex or silicone I've found that in the realism and attractiveness departments, just like perfume;



I think they look best with more sleek designs, no extra fins and a broad solid fluke like the gorgeous tails made by merbellas.

But with spandex tails...



I swear, the more crap you sew on to those babies, the better they look. Even to the point where the more skilled of tail makers can add on extra "fins" to almost hide your heels completely. I have two good tails right now, both spandex with finis Rapid monofins. A red one that I made myself and painted, and a blue Angel tail from Aquatails.com

The red tail was one of my first attempts at painting ANYTHING other than a fence, and though the fabric up around the tushie area is pretty faded, the tail has held up really well for a two year old spandex tail, I did have to touch up the paint pretty much every time after I took it in the water because it flaked off worse than 25 cent nail polish but it never really bothered me. It was supposed to more or less resemble a Rainbow Trout (my favorite fish) but in red, I don't know if I really succeeded in that right, but I tried my hardest lol.




And a close up on the fluke, this is the part where I have a conversation just like this;
"Wow, did you go to art school?"
ME: "No"
"Oh....yeah I can tell."




My blue tail, was literally the same price as two months worth of payments on my truck, so it was a bit of a moral dilemma for me what with me just now learning how hard it is to be a grownup
I have a great job and cheap rent, so it wasn't like I was making a bad decision I had the money, but still....that's a lotta chinggie...
Luckily I was NOT disappointed with this beautiful piece of artwork!




And here's a close up on the huge dorsal fin, the whole tail is a bit heavy because of all the extra material there and at the bottom of the fluke, but the way that it flows through the water makes my heels disappear, I swear it looks more realistic that most silicone tails that I've seen just for that reason.