Miriam Mermaid

Well, I got miss Miriam done faster than I anticipated.

And I'm thrilled with the results.

Look at her, smiling so sweetly.

Maybe it's because I didn't make her pose in a pot of cacti.  (this pic is outside my office building--I normally take pics at home but it was too early for decent light this morning so I had to wait until I was at work).

Miss Miriam is ready for her closeup.

You may notice she's sporting a different hair do than the other two mermaids.  I went off pattern and made my own do for her and I have to say I'm pretty pleased with the results.

Yes, it has a noticable hump on one side.  At first I annoyed but then I realized it's kind of exactly what I want.  I know my hair is NEVER perfect (when I pull it back I can never get it perfectly smooth, there is always a hump hiding somewhere) and at least the hump is uniform (since I used the same template to make the front and back.

I was torn on adding a second row of scallop stitches to the bangs, so I left them off.  I thought they'd make the forehead area too busy (what with the head band).  I also didn't attach the head band all the way along the hair.  It's attached at the sides and then stitched down at the flower.  I did put a little stitch in it (at first) but hated the way it showed so I pulled it out.  I was going to not stitch it down at all but it kept sliding down so it needed some type of anchoring.

A bit of scallop stitching on the back.  Yeah, I'm really into this stitch (and it took a good five minutes or so for me to remember the settings I used to get it--you'd think I'd make a note but you'd be wrong).

The fabric is a very short pile plush (I think it's a polyester mix) that's only fuzzy on one side (and a bit thick).  I think I might need to change my needle, it seemed to have a little trouble with the hair (it's probably dull as hell).

I want to use this same brown fabric to make a monkey doll (after I change the needle!).  I think it'll make a nice texture.

Argyle tail!!!

This was a major must have for Miriam.  The minute I got this fabric I thought "mermaid tail".  That was long before I made the two mermaid sisters (and is why I made them first, so I could get a feel for the pattern so I wouldn't end up wasting any of the lone green argyle fat quarter I had).

The pic doesn't do the color justice.  It's a fabulous chartreuse color with blue dashed lines (which I top stitched over with white).  I used a ladder stitch to sew the two tail pieces together which made a much nicer join (though I need to remember to be patient and not take large stitches and to kind of back stitch with it, to avoid gaps and too much gathering).  I only stitched through one layer on each fin so the stitches wouldn't show through on the front sides.

Miriam is now happily paired off with Molly (the green ocotopus) and them make a fabulous pair, all matchy matchy (I see Miriam as a bit of a preppy gal, so color coordinating is a MUST).

Up next?

Well, I have black thread in my machine so maybe it's time to tackle that placemat bag I've been pondering.  Or I could spin up a brown bobbin and get to work on that monkey?  Or maybe that egg laying chicken?  Or maybe a birthday tin for my mother (who's birthday isn't until October--yeah, I have plenty of time for that one)?  Or (if there's something good on t.v.) I could finish up that robot?

Yeah, I think it'll be either the robot or the bag.