Made my first tail!

[Mermaid Delphinidae]

The cut was a little sloppy, and I intend to alter the flukes a bit, maybe add ridges or something. (I can't change the shape too drastically because of the shape of my monofin, but as it is right now, it's bland) I'm gonna test it out as soon as I can and then alter it, I'll probably have to make it tighter, but hopefully it will be passable for swimming. I'll make or buy a better one in the future.

[MerQueen Nerissa]

Where did you find the holographic scale fabric? It's gorgeous!

[Mermaid Delphinidae]

JoAnn Fabrics, it's part of their YaYa Han collection. But I don't know how well it's going to hold up in the water, it feels like it could rub off if I'm not careful. It's totally gorgeous, though! And the line has other colors too, (including iridescent purple and blue! I was really tempted to get one of those instead) along with another scale print (with smaller scales) in a variety of colors. JoAnn sells some other scale fabric in a Halloween line, but that stuff is only two way stretch, the Yaya Han is four way stretch. When I can get to a pool or something I'll report back on how the fabric holds.

[Mermaid Delphinidae]

Took it on a very short (like, twenty minutes) swim. The body actually has a good fit, and the print has held on (though that probably doesn't mean much for such a short time) but there's a LOT of drag in the fluke. The fluke is a lot longer than my monofin, so shortening it will probably help, though it does mean that I'll have less ability to change the shape. Still, function is more important than looks at the moment. I'll ask around for advice on reducing drag. The fluke has a hole in the side (to insert the monofin) sealed with velcro, there was another thread that suggested it, but as I suspected, velcro doesn't hold well in water. I'll have to measure for a zipper. I won't be able to work on those alterations until next Thursday, but when I do I'll test it out again and report back.