Top for a fresh-water mermaid

[Mermaid Melusinah]

I love it!
We need more freshwater mermaid stuff.

(I always wondered why there is no name for "freshwater mermaid" in English.
There are tons of different terms in other languages, depending on where the mermaid lives.
So inconvenient)

Actually, there is. It is called the Melusine. She, Melusine, is the original fresh water mermaid, depicted with two tails. (starbucks logo ) Her daughters often live in rivers, streams and lakes. They also carry the same name as her by definition, but generally choose alternate names to go by. I myself am a fresh water mermaid, I chose the name Melusinah as a descendant of Melusine. Though, I have spent time in the ocean and it is where my soul resides, I am a fresh water mermaid. Salt water dries me out haha

[Mermaid Wesley]

So cute!!


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[Mermaid Kelda]

I suppose I could call it a "nereid" top, though traditionally they didn't have tails. But it's a top, not a tail, so I think it works

[Mermaid Galene]

Love the top! I'm working on a freshwater sequin tail and accessories right now.

[Mermaid Kelda]

Finished sewing the netting on! Unfortunately, due to the large size of the netting and the fact that it's not sewn in a straight line, it warps a bit in some places - but, I don't think it's such a bad thing! It's good to have some quirks

Still haven't glued down the lily pads properly - that comes next.




The netting ties at the back, but is one long strip around the neck so as to maximise comfort. Hopefully, it's enough support, and the stitches don't break or give at all.

[Jadestone]

I really love this top!! As another mermaid who spends most of her time in lakes & rivers, I really adore the lillypad look

[Sonnet]

Ahhhh! Has anyone found anymore of these anywhere? Or something similar?

[Mermaid Kelda]

I haven't yet, but I'm always on the hunt! If I find anything, I'll post it here

[Nereid's Looking Glass]

@Mermaid Melaina, I too am looking for lily pads like @Sonnet. Your's top looks awesome btw. I squee'ed when I saw it because it looks ab fab! I don't know if you posted this upthread but where did you get those lily pads? They look like silicone. I've been searching at crafting stores and online for plain lily pads; all of them seem to come with an attached lotus or waterlily so, even if I can detach it, it would have the plastic socket where the flower stem goes in. Also, all of them look to green and dry. I want to make one for myself and my cousins. We're gathering the items for their first tails now so they can have them by the time the lake warms up. Cheers!

Nicole

[Mermaid Kelda]

I did link to the one I purchased in my first post, but they have since sold out. I'm not sure who made it - the ebay description just says "By Spectre", and my google-fu hasn't found anything yet. Perhaps you could message the shop? The top itself is latex, but Raven has made a lily pad top recently and she and Finfolk both offer seaweed tops.

Edit: I did a bit more googling and found two places that seem to offer lily pads on their own.

"Ponds, Plants and More" offers 6" lily pads in lots of 2 (I think?):
http://www.pondsplantsandmore.com/Si...73_p/jma73.htm

"Wild Wings Taxidermy" seems to have fake (or maybe just treated?) water plants that look pretty okay:
http://www.duxrus.com/contact.html

There were other hits but they all seemed to be sold out.

[Nereid's Looking Glass]

Woot! Thanks so much for the links. The taxidermy shop looks like a winner; nice and glossy and just the right green. I'll check out your link upthread too. Your google-fu is right on track!

Nicole

[Nereid's Looking Glass]

@Sonnet, I don't know if you're still looking but, as I am also part of the Midwest Pod, I think I found something. Besides the two links that Melaina did downthread, I found another option. Here. I don't know if it's a little too expensive for you (looks like it for me) but having this arrangement gives you (and me) the opportunity to make something else with the little accent grasses and the waterlilies. I was going to make the lilies into a hair something or the other and maybe the grasses could be used for another hair something or the other. (The golden grasses one of the mermaids has in her half updo in Peter Pan. Ever see that?)
Consider the thing, Zhu Li!

[Mermaid Kelda]

Glad I could help! If you do order from them please give us updates on the quality I do sort of worry that if they're real plants that have been treated, they might deteriorate in water/chlorine. But they're not too expensive for testing!

[Sonnet]

Oh awesome! I'll have to look into it! Where in the Midwest are you?

[Nereid's Looking Glass]

In the great Cheesehead state, Wisconsin! More specifically, Stevens Point. Little northeast of Wisconsin Rapids, which smells like a papermill nearly 24/7. And, I've been thinking about making my own lily pads, very similar to the ones that Melaina linked to in the taxidermy shop. Something like drying them out and then spraying them with a clear silicone sealant? I'll let everyone know what I get/make myself and how it works out, but I'm thinking some kind of sealant that will stick to it (even doing some kind of wax sealing) would be okay.

[Mermaid Nerida]

What about fresh water shells like these, if you would want to go for a shell top? There's some pretty big ones out there. BTW That top is gorgeous!!!

[Mermaid Kelda]

Ooh, those are very nice! Not large enough on their own, but one could layer them for a nice effect. I'll look into local freshwater shells - thanks for the idea!

On the lily pad topic, I've thought of getting two lily pads big enough to cover each breast, holding them against myself, and somehow covering them in some kind of sealant so they hold their shape, and then covering them in resin so they're waterproof. I've got a lagoon with water lilies near where my parents live, so I'll give it a go next time I'm there.

[Mermaid Galene]

There are a few older threads on MerNetwork about lilypad tops. Some have made them, and they generally turn out very well. It's on my to-do list...

Oh, wait. This is one of those threads. lol! Time to wake up, Galene...

[Mermaid Kelda]

Haha, don't worry Galene, happens to me all the time! Sometime's I'll have knowingly opened a thread and still forget where I am when writing a reply...

[Mermaid Nerida]

Ooh, those are very nice! Not large enough on their own, but one could layer them for a nice effect. I'll look into local freshwater shells - thanks for the idea!

On the lily pad topic, I've thought of getting two lily pads big enough to cover each breast, holding them against myself, and somehow covering them in some kind of sealant so they hold their shape, and then covering them in resin so they're waterproof. I've got a lagoon with water lilies near where my parents live, so I'll give it a go next time I'm there.

Thanks! I'm thinking of making one myself. And that's a really good idea about the lily pads...