Mermaid costume

When the princess mentioned that she'd like to be a mermaid for Halloween, I remembered I had 1 yd. of that spangly stretchy stuff in the stash and volunteered to make one. Online, I found some pictures for inspiration and some rather pricey RTW costumes e.g. $35-80. A trip to Jo-ann's yielded a plethora of fantasy fabrics, things I don't normally work with, so a little bit of a stretch there.  I did not find any nice patterns so drafted my own: the bodice was based on a too-small sundress I extended to a point in front and rounded in the back. The main fabric is a tissue lame (LAH-mey) with a sheer glittery organza over it, both cut on the bias. I used regular cotton muslin as an underlining to give stability.

 Back of bodice with muslin underlining

Front of bodice with half-underlining for stability and comfort.

 The lining for the bodice is a small piece (about a fat 1/4) of a stable silk blend in just the right color! It will feel nice next to the skin, too.

Finished bodice, still needs straps. That's the "fish tail" fabric pinned below it. Next: complete the tail and find straps for the top.