***Starting a Sequin Tail***

**Mermaid Saphira** · 02-25-2012, 09:43 AM

Wow @.@

**MafaldaMermaid** · 02-25-2012, 04:42 PM

Oh my god! I'm starting to sew sequins as well, on my tail from MagicTail!
This inspires me a lot! Thank you for posting this

**Mermaid Annariea** · 02-26-2012, 01:22 AM

wow

since we're on the subject of sequins on our tails, i thought id put up the sketch i made of my tail design.
http://briannamermaid.deviantart.com/#/d4jms7k
its based off of a purple fire dartfish (as says the label haha), although i have since made some changes to it in my mind, and havent gotten to putting it down on paper yet. like, around the side seams and the back dorsal fringe, its going to have red and purple sequins (fading into each other as it looks in the fringe, and theyre going to fade out into clear iridescent sequins, which will show the natural light tan color of the fabric, which will be neoprene. same thing with the fluke, it will be sequined a lot at the bottom where there's fringe, and then itll fade up into clear ones.
im quite excited about making this tail, i just have to somehow acquire money. -sigh- all travel and no work make me a broke girl. lol.

**Mermaid Nyla** · 02-26-2012, 02:21 AM

Cool idea! That's going to look so cool with the sequins slowly fading out. I also like the red you used on the dorsal fins

**Mermaid Saphira** · 02-26-2012, 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by Mermaid Brianna

wow

since we're on the subject of sequins on our tails, i thought id put up the sketch i made of my tail design.
http://briannamermaid.deviantart.com/#/d4jms7k
its based off of a purple fire dartfish (as says the label haha), although i have since made some changes to it in my mind, and havent gotten to putting it down on paper yet. like, around the side seams and the back dorsal fringe, its going to have red and purple sequins (fading into each other as it looks in the fringe, and theyre going to fade out into clear iridescent sequins, which will show the natural light tan color of the fabric, which will be neoprene. same thing with the fluke, it will be sequined a lot at the bottom where there's fringe, and then itll fade up into clear ones.
im quite excited about making this tail, i just have to somehow acquire money. -sigh- all travel and no work make me a broke girl. lol.

That is a really neat tail!

**Mermaid Annariea** · 02-29-2012, 06:33 PM

thanks guys

i cant wait to get started on it.

**Mermaid Saphira** · 02-29-2012, 06:37 PM

^ ur welcome

**MermaidSarah** · 08-25-2012, 01:46 PM

Interesting design!

That reminds me I should start drawing out my designs.It's always nice to see how creative mermaids get with their tails.I'm thinking about doing a koi sequined tail myself.I love koi fish for some odd reason.Maybe because my neighbors have a koi fish pond and when I was a kid I would sit on the side and watch them swim around.Their body movement is fascinating.But I digress hehehe Sorry for the random rambling lol

**Mer_Adella** · 08-27-2012, 11:22 AM

I have actually considered doing this after thinking about what I want my tail to look like. I talked with my mom and she said that if you sew the sequins onto a seperate (same color) piece of spandex/swimsuit material, reinforce the back stitches with waterproof glue and then sew it onto the actual tail form of spandex/swimsuit material, it will hold better. To prove to me that it will work..she took apart an old swim suit of mine and showed me that that was how actual swimsuits with sequins were made. I think it would work like that and it will be my winter project for next summer.

**Mer_Adella** · 08-28-2012, 10:00 AM

Mermaid Nyla,

how are you using the matting as fringe? I have looked throughout the forums and no one really explains what material it is and how they use it. also for the fins/fluke?

**Spindrift** · 08-28-2012, 10:08 AM

Originally Posted by Mer_Tory89

Mermaid Nyla,

how are you using the matting as fringe? I have looked throughout the forums and no one really explains what material it is and how they use it. also for the fins/fluke?

I'm pretty sure it's stated a lot throughout the forum that the fringe is shelf liner. And I believe most people just glue it on. I would suggest sanding the attachment part first though, so that it will stick better, if you are choosing to do this.

**Sea Pearl** · 08-28-2012, 01:34 PM

I love sequin tails! Keep us updated with photos

It looks like it's going to be lovely.

**Mer_Adella** · 08-29-2012, 08:01 AM

Name: 304532_10151049168627183_527139033_n.jpg
Views: 798
Size: 62.6 KB

here are 2 different designs I made I like them both but I think I will be doing the red and black on first. More to come

**Mermaid Saphira** · 09-03-2012, 09:18 AM

I really like both of them! However, I am a fan of purple and blue together

**Mer_Adella** · 09-07-2012, 08:13 AM

Name: 396016_10151061706337183_1149261393_n.jpg
Views: 758
Size: 96.9 KB

Design 1

Name: 383307_10151061706082183_1546770253_n.jpg
Views: 894
Size: 106.5 KB

Design 2

Name: 582689_10151061705882183_527058876_n.jpg
Views: 788
Size: 95.0 KB

Design 3

which one?

**Spindrift** · 09-07-2012, 09:31 AM

I like it without the black.

**Mer_Adella** · 09-07-2012, 10:34 AM

Thansk spindrift...I did too. The flash of my camera kind of distorted the color of the fabric a little since it is shiny. Its a bright fuscia. I am thinking of a lot of sequins at the base of the tail before the fluke starts and more at my hips and them dissapating throughout the tail. but I am not sure. My fabric should be here by monday. Then my mom will take a little time to trace, cut and sew it together then I can play around with the sequins on the actual tail to see how I would like them to lay.

**Mermaid Saphira** · 10-23-2012, 01:15 PM

I am currently trying to decide if I show make my next tail with lumiere paint or sequins... or even a mix of both!

**Mer_Adella** · 10-25-2012, 09:48 AM

[QUOTE=
Keep in mind you will need to sew each sequin individually- meaning you'll need to knot off your thread for each sequin you sew on. This makes things very time consuming but better to make the sequins secure. You'll have to do repairs for broken, missing, and sequins that have separated from their color film. Individual knotting makes this easier, plus if sequins break off and the thread is exposed and you have it as one piece and it breaks there goes a crap ton of your work, ya know?
[/QUOTE]

When doing my belly dance costumes I used this method (might be different depending on what kind of sequins you are using. so keep in mind this is how i used to sew sequins on that were round and had a center hole.

1. take your first sequin and hold it to the "start" point. knot your thread and enter on the opposite side of the showing sequin directly in the center.
2. pull the thread through until the knot is secure against the back of the fabric.
3. poke through the fabric on the left side of the sequin.
4. pull through, and put your needle through the center again.
5. pull through and put needle through on the right side.
6. pull through and place your next sequin on the right side of the other sequin just over lapping a bit.
7. repeat process but instead of going to the left of the sequin throug the fabric, loop your needle and thread throug the thread on the sequin on the left.

this gives each sequin a strong hold so that they wont move around while swimming. that is how i made most of my dance costumes that were filled with sequins.

otherwise: if you did sew each individual one it would give them a sense of motion (which could be interesting to see but you also dont want your scales to flop around when they are supposed to be "attached to your tail"

but that is my opinion and advice

**Moonflower** · 10-31-2012, 02:02 PM

My I also suggest that, if you haven't started already, you don't use spandex for this project? The weight of the sequins in water will cause an incredible amount of drag, causing the spandex to balloon and become distorted. A sturdy fabric like neoprene would be a much better base for all your hard work.