Mermaid Tail Blanket
I sewed a mermaid tail blanket for my 3-year-old honorary niece. I had left-over fabric from the “Boo” costume I made her (sorry, no picture of that, she won’t pose for it) and thought she might like a new kind of sleep sack.
I didn’t have a pattern, so I looked at examples online and made one from newspaper.
First I used fleece and made the main part, 16 inches wide and 35 inches long, tapering down. I cut a matching piece of the scale fabric for the front. Putting right sides together of the 3 layers, I sewed the seam, then turned it right side out. I cut one piece of the tail fin from fleece and one from the scale fabric and sewed them together (same method, right sides together)
I then sewed the fin onto the rest of the tail, tucking under raw edges.. I hand-sewed 4 lines leading from the base of the tail across the fin to make it look more fin-like.
I thought about putting elastic across the top but decided to simply roll the fabric hem to finish the edge instead. (If I put elastic in, I would make that bigger to create a channel to feed elastic through.)
I wish I could have been there to see her reaction- it was reported to be: “Aunty Jane knows I love mermaids!”
Well, doesn’t everyone?
She still loves it and keeps “swimming” across the living room floor in it. You have to see it. It’s possibly the funniest thing I have ever watched. Then she tries to walk in it while holding it up with one hand. This always ends in disaster. She’s told me if she can’t grow wings she will become a mermaid instead. I suggested maybe a veterinarian or, you know, anything that has two legs. She’s still really disappointed to learn she’s never going to grow wings, how can I break it to her that a mermaid is also not in the cards? LOL. Come over and watch her swim. By the way, we have a rule that the tail is not allowed in the bathtub. I had to make that rule earlier this week. Really, come over any time… 😉