Today I’ll tell you about how to move another step towards merperson. But first, let me tell you about our week! The kids ended up getting sick in the first half of the week, which as usual was awful. Poor kiddos. Patricia vomited blueberries all over the couch while we were decorating the Christmas tree. Not ideal. So it wasn’t the most festive of Christmas tree decorating. Oh, also the tree fell on me while I was putting on lights. Will had to come rescue me because I was in an awkward position and couldn’t move without tipping even more water out of the base and making everything worse. We decided it was indeed too big a tree this year so I trimmed some branches off the back and tied it to the upper floor for extra security. So… we’ve had a slow start to solstice season. But this past weekend was quite festive! We went to multiple community holiday events and even went on a horse drawn carriage and saw Santa! And we’ve slowly been putting up Christmas decorations. We still haven’t gotten rid of the pumpkins out front though. Someday.
Oh and we watched a bunch of Christmas movies and listened to a bunch of Christmas music! Patricia is getting good at using the Alexa. A couple months ago it finally started to understand her and Patricia could ask it “play Hakuna Matata” and “play Paw Patrol” and it would understand and do her bidding. (Those happen to be 2 of my most played songs in Spotify in 2023, go figure.) The other day though this gem happened,
Patricia: Alexa Paw Patrol.
Alexa plays something that is not the Paw Patrol theme.
Patricia: Alexa stop!
Alexa does not stop.
Patricia: Alexa you’re being naughty!
Don’t be naughty! Make your little mermaids a tail blanket that they can snuggle into. Or do this, whatever this is. 
Honestly this would be a great gift and they are a snap to make! Especially if you have a serger! I made them as favors for Patricia’s party and I banged out 8 of them in just 2 evenings. I used any fabric I had on hand, which was mostly a bunch of fleece I had bought for a project that never materialized (pun unintended). I think the key is to make the fins and belt the same color and the tails a contrasting color. Patricia’s fabric is a sort of minky dot fabric I got from a friend cleaning out her fabric stash. It’s not quite as soft inside but it’s a cute texture.
Check out these tails!
Fabric Mermaid Tail Blanket (little kid size)
What you need:
- about 1.5 yards of tail color
- about .5 yards of contrasting fin and band color
- my pattern here
Note: All stitching should be done using a serger or stitch with some stretch such as a zig zag stitch.
- Cut out pattern pieces as indicated including a 8″x41″ strip.
- Fold strip in half the long ways, right sides in. Stitch (ideally using a serger or using a zigzag stitch for some stretch) along unfinished short side to form a belt.
- Fold belt in half to form a 4″ high belt so the stitching is hidden inside. Set aside.
- Pin tail to fin along the narrower end of the tail. Stitch.
- Repeat for other side of tail and fin.
- Place tail and fin combo halves, together, right sides in. Stitch along edges, leaving the top part opened.
- Place belt from step 3 inside the mermaid tail, matching the unfinished edges. You can gently ease the mermaid tail and slightly to conform to the size of the belt if needed. If sizes are too far off, adjust the size by restitching in step 2 or step 6 (whichever is larger)
- Fold the belt up!
- Wear!
One little mermaid
The other little mermaid (and 1/10th of first little mermaid on bottom left)
