Modest Mermaid Tops??

[Mermaid Dottie]

Thank you much! Yes I did make it myself. I have to admit that part of the construction came from http://www.firefly-path.net/?p=1272.
Really beautiful stuff she's got. I use her for inspiration all the time.
Shockingly, Ductape is pretty waterproof on it's own if you use grocery bags for lining....
I'll get back on later and explain exactly how I did it if you want, but I gotta go to work now. Day jobs are boring, no?

[ShyMer]

Oh hey, I know that site. I was really into their fairy wings for a while, back when I was trying to make mine with fabric. She has some nice stuff there.

[Mermaid Dottie]

Okay I promised I would come back and explain how I made my top, and today's my day off, so here you go.

First, I took an old-ish bra and stitched on some of the leftover fabric from my tail onto the boobs, then I added the nude color on the bottom (I hate showing my belly...) and onto the side straps (you know, the ones that go around your ribs).

I then hand stitch on leaves from fake flowers around all the edges that I wanted them on (I was going for cleavage coverage).
After that, I set it aside and used my dress form, though you can use yourself, if you can get a hand from someone, to begin making the duct tape.... shells?
I pinned a shopping bag on the form, but you can tape one onto a bra that's close to the same size as your other that your using. Grocery bags make the ductape water resistant. Carefully lay some base duct tape in as flat of strips as you can get over your boobs. They don't have to be perfect since you'll put another layer on later. it's also best to use regular hardware duct tape for a base. Coat each breast. Remove the bra (put a shirt back on, just in case) and lay your decorative duct tape over the top nice and neat.

Remove them from your good bra and add a couple more layers of tape for stiffness. Get a big, FAT tapestry needle and poke holes pretty much all the way around about 1/2 an inch in on each shell. Get some fake flowers and beads. get a slightly smaller needle, some good thick thread (like the stuff in doilies) and thread your needle.

Put a really BIG knot in the end of your thread and repeat the following as far around as you want your flowers:
1. Poke the needle through the bottom of the duct tape shell and pull until it stops.
2. Poke through the bottom of a flower and add a bead. Push both items down until close to tape.
3. Put the needle back through the flower and the duct tape.
4. Repeat with next hole.



When you get all the way around add a blanket stitch for greater sewing ease. Don't worry, the flowers will hide it.
Stitch the shells onto the bra using the thread you blanket stitched (or you can just use your holes you poked before, up to you) and then decorate your straps according to your desire. I crocheted strips of the nude material onto mine, and it ended up looking like rope.



And that's how I made it.

[Mermaid Dottie]

Oh hey, I know that site. I was really into their fairy wings for a while, back when I was trying to make mine with fabric. She has some nice stuff there.

Totally. The tutorial I used is for the bra she put on Traci Hines. Loved it!

[Mermaid Dottie]

I know I was the last one to post in here, but I just wanted to share these designs I came up with.
It feels wrong to keep them to myself when modest tops are so hard to find.



Please feel free to use or modify any of these designs for yourselves.

[Joy&RaptorsUnrestrained!]

What about fantasy-style armor? Maybe something resembling shells, coral, lobster, pearls, or greco-roman plate might be an interesting look for a mermaid.

[Thalassa]

Here's a picture of the mermaid top I just finished making. I'm trying to decide if I like the shells and net halter, but for my first attempt at anything mer I'm quite pleased with how it turned out! ^_^

[Mermaid Annariea]

i really like joy&raptorsunrestrained's idea about the armor-type thing. D

[Mermaid Saphira]

That is such a cute idea! Seriously, what can't duct tape be used for? LOL

[Mermaid Saphira]

Here's a picture of the mermaid top I just finished making. I'm trying to decide if I like the shells and net halter, but for my first attempt at anything mer I'm quite pleased with how it turned out! ^_^

That is so cute

[Mermaid Saphira]

I know I was the last one to post in here, but I just wanted to share these designs I came up with.
It feels wrong to keep them to myself when modest tops are so hard to find.



Please feel free to use or modify any of these designs for yourselves.

Thank you, dear! These are lovely

[Thalassa]

Thanks, Aqua! You can't see it because of the flash, but I made the edges of the layers raggedy so it looks like leaves/seaweed wrapped around. I'm excited to wear it! ;-)

[Mermaid Jewel]

Hey guys, I saw this swim top while I was on ModCloth...it's definitely modest but super cute and might work for those who want a little more covered up. I'd love to get this one!

http://www.modcloth.com/shop/twopiec...s-swimsuit-top

[babsannee]

I LOVE MODCLOTH. It's literally the only place I shop. They have another top like that is blue that would be really cool.

[Mermaid Saphira]

Hello my dear! of course you can, this the reason i made this thread..for inspiration and advice

How would you make a modest top on a budget? By the way, Mermaid Aqua, may I base a top off of your design?(Edit) :Yay! This is my first post!

[Mermaid Dottie]

Also, how well has your duck tape held up? Duck tape that is coloured typically doesn't stay in water very well.

It's held up quite nicely, actually, although it's a little small for me at the moment, what with a bulging baby bump and all. If you're thinking that I colored on it, I just bought the tie-dye patterned duct tape from walmart.
One of the best ways to keep duct tape from falling apart in water is to use plastic grocery bags as a base and then tape onto that.

[Thalassa]

@Thalassa-- HOW DID YOU MAKE THIS?! D:

It wasn't terribly hard. I went to a secondhand store and bought a halter tankini top for about $3 and some broken shell necklaces for another $3. I also bought some green swim fabric from a craft store for about $4 (I got half a yard), some green chiffon for $2 (half yard), and some netting ($10 for a LOT). I'm trying to remember what I did first...

1) Basically I cut a few strips of the swim fabric, about 4 inches wide. I didn't worry about the length or even cutting it straight in a line because I wanted a raggedyish appearance. In fact, later on I bunched the fabric as I cut it to make it look more like seaweed/leaves.

2) I then started at the bottom and sewed the strips to the tankini, overlapping them a bit and only sewing them at the top. The hardest part of this was the bra area because the top I was using already had bra inserts and I had to maneuver a bit to not sew over that. One of the strips I sewed a strip of chiffon and on top of it to get that lighter green.

3) Once I got all the green on I cut off the existing halter strings and replaced them by hand-sewing netting to the top. I actually mis-measured and and going to have to trip some netting off so the top stays up where I want it to, but better too much than too little! XD I did pre-wash the netting with fabric softener to try and soften it a bit.

4) I hand-stitched shells from the broken necklaces to random places on the top. I literally closed my eyes and tossed a shell, and where it landed I sewed it. XD

Anyway, this might not have made much sense but it wasn't too hard to figure out and do (and I'm definitely no seamstress)! Hope this helps others.

[Raayvhen]

The other thing you could do is make a longer tail! I've seen one or two that go all the way up and turn into halters instead of stopping at the waist.

[Mermaid Jewel]

I'm warning you, colored duct tape DOES NOT stay well when wet. However, I think it will stay when stuck to itself or certain surfaces and such. The reason I'm warning you is we use colored duct tape as toe tape at my dance studio, and it comes off fast when we get all sweaty (sorry for the icky lol). However, I noticed when it's stuck to itself it stays better, though it slides down. So make sure the ends of the duct tape is stuck to itself (I meant to more duct tape)! I'm just afraid that if the water gets into the fabric or underneath it, it'll unstick.

[Bellasea]

I used duct tape to make a temporary ankle strap for my monofin. It stayed stuck together (sticky side of duct tape to sticky side) when it was wet.