Hi everyone! I’ve been making progress with my fabric (spandex) mermaid tail! I’m sewing it entirely by hand, so the going is slower than I’d like, but I finally got the main body basted together and tried it on tonight!
Click through to see more pictures!
Please pardon the mess, I am a crafter with no storage space 😛
I still don’t have a proper monofin yet, so what you’re seeing is my cardboard mockup of the monofin I want (Hydra clear) with the spandex tacked in place.
I made it quite snug in the knees to help hold them in place when swimming – a problem I currently have while practicing with my friend’s monofin.
I’ve based the design off of the concept art for the Pirates of the Caribbean 4 mermaids. It was hard teaching myself to make irregular gathers!
I’m finally starting to feel like a mermaid!
I love the photos above… looks quite realistic! The interesting print of the outer spandex hides human anatomy quite well. The lesson: Always take advantage of the clearance bin at your local fabric store!
I have learned that I really dislike sewing spandex… it just stretches to infinity it seems! Well, lightweight spandex, anyways, but it’s what I could find so I don’t mind! I really love the pattern!
Want to help me get a monofin so I can actually swim in this beauty? You can either purchase items (or request a custom order) in my Etsy shop, or you can donate to my fundraiser (and get some awesome perks!) by either following the link I just posted (<—–) or in the badge at the top right of the page!
Now to go figure out this hand-sewn stretch stitch!
Moonlit Costumes 
P.S. Obsessed with your mermaid tail! Spandex is such a pain to sew but it just looks so good! Can’t wait to see more!
Thank you so much! It *is* a pain to sew, but it’s a good first tail before I get to sew neoprene scraps together 😛
The mermaid meetup is this weekend, and people are bringing underwater cameras, so hopefully I’ll get some good shots of it in action!