My Little Merbaby
I have been dreaming of making a mermaid tail since I was a little girl. When I was young I used to stand beside my mother as she sewed on her old singer, waiting with excited anticipation to see what she was making. To me, a sewing machine was the ticket to the freedom of creation. If only I could use a sewing machine, I could make anything I wanted! My eyes would bulge at the possibilities.
I used to day dream during my “nap time” (in which I never actually took a nap, just ask my mom) about all the things I would sew when I grew up and was allowed to have my own sewing machine. I could sew a stuffed choo choo train with cotton batting for it’s smoke. It would have real wheels attached by buttons and my brother and I could ride on it!! I could sew a whole forrest of green calico christmas trees that we could decorate with ribbon and pin cushion balls..It used to frustrate me to no end that all my mother ever made on her sewing machine were clothes. Boring clothes. I used to dream up whole worlds of stuffed fabric things.
Then I finally grew up and took sewing in high school. I quickly realized sewing wasn’t so much fun after all. A sewing machine was a machine like any other machine and it was not an extension of my imagination after all. What a disappointment. I paid my dues and worked at it to became a marginally decent seamstress but sewing had lost it’s magic for me. It was just too much work for such a measly result. Why work all month on a dress, ripping out seam after seam to get it perfect, and then when it was done find out it wouldn’t fit right. What a colossal waste of time! Why bother when you can just go to the store and buy something for half the effort and cost?!!!
But somewhere deep inside me that little girl who dreamed of sewing things out of her imagination never died. I just learned to con other people into sewing the things for me. Mostly my mom.
So when Baby Bug and I were invited to a Mermaid Birthday party a few weeks ago, I longed to finally sew the mermaid costume I’ve dreamed of for years. YEARS!!!! It seemed simple enough. I drew out my idea and then I wrote that blog post and guess what… somebody emailed me and offered to come to my home and help me sew it!!! The wonder of the internet never ceases to amaze me!
Dreams do come true!
A blog reader, named Tammy, came over last night and she sewed me the most beautiful mermaid tail for Baby Bug that you’ve ever seen. It even has multicolored iridescent thread for the quilted scales. She also sewed some little puffy sea shell pillows for me to embroider and attach to Baby Bug’s onesie as the “bikini top”. It’s so perfect. I am beside myself with glee. Who cares about the birthday party. I’m just in it for the costume.
Baby Bug loves it too. She thinks it’s a cozy sleeping bag. And when she kicks her legs it makes her tail flip! It’s so cute I think I could die.
Getting a picture of it was another story. Today Baby Bug had FOUR poopy blow outs. I was so afraid she’d squirt orange guava poop all over her new costume, that is probably dry clean only…. But I couldn’t wait to tell you about it. I had to take a picture even at risk of ruining it. I also had trouble with my lighting and it’s so long it’s hard to fit everything in the frame, but you get the idea. It’s lovely.
I love my little guppie.
59 Comments
Amanda Brown
Too much cuteness to handle! What a fantastic costume!!
rosie
That gave me the biggest cute attack! ;-)
Hay Lady
What a gorgeous little mermaid! That costume is fantastic. She did a great job!
Shauna
What a perfect little merbug!
lauren
ohh.. i love the tail poking up from the stroller..
funny!
Molly
Oh dear. The little baby boobie shells are killing me softly.
weaker vessel
That is one of the cutest darn things I have ever seen. You could like tear a giant hole in the space-time continuum with that level of cuteness, so be careful.
Sue
OMG!!! Love it! Just tooo cute! Those old fashioned rubber pants (that they used to put over cloth diapers) work great over disposable diapers too. I used them under my daughter’s Christening dress because I was so afraid of the same thing.
Laura
The cutest thing ever! She’s going to be the mermaid of the party!
ginger incognito
Oh, the tail over the end of the stroller! Oh, the cuteness! Oh!
lolita blahnik
Good idea!!!
Dee
That is absolutely the cutest thing I have ever seen!
motherbumper
that is the cutest thing I have seen in a long time. Thank you for making me smile!
Stefanie
this is the cutest thing i’ve EVER seen…. Sooooo Cute!
Leah
This is EXACTLY why I wanted you to have a baby almost more than you wanted one yourself. I remember when you made Thing 1 and Thing 2 their superhero costumes and I thought, “Someone, please give this woman a baby already!” I’m so glad it all worked out. :)
Shanee
I normally just check your blog once a day in the morning. But today something told me to check it again just now and boy am I ever happy I did!
The little Merbaby is just the cutest thing ever!
Denise
Let’s be honest – that’s just bizarre.
ash pdx
What an adorable costume! You’ll have to keep in touch with Tammy for Halloween. (-: The bikini top is so funny. Baby Bug just keeps cuter all the time!!
LIsa
without a doubt – the cutest thing i’ve ever seen!
Courtney
what a beautiful little mermaid. it’s so cool when our dreams come true and we’re able to give our kids the magical things we dreamed of as children.
beck
SO CUTE!!!
andrea
that makes me want to cry “cuteness” tears, its adorable!! I have a 2 month old also….( born a few days before your baby bug) and I can only image how adorable it must look on her kicking her legs around in it…awwwwww.
justJENN
That’s slightly freaky that a stranger came to your house, but that is the coolest costume! Little girls are so lucky.
rebecca
That is so unbelievably cute. Maybe she can wear it again on Halloween… but I bet you have something else up your sleeve for that one. :)
josephine
I know I’m very trusting with my blog readers… but believe me, Tammy had to pass a very stringent email test before I’d let her come to my house. She passed with flying colors.
Laurie
Absolutely adorable!! I love it! What a cute idea and how fun to go to a theme party! You’ll have to tell us what everyone thought of the mermaid costume! She may get more attention than the birthday child!! :)
Daisy Mae
Now that is one cute mermaid! Don’t throw that one back. LOL
aunt kathy
What a cutie! I just love looking at your pics and today’s were too cute! I really like the one of H sitting on the sofa staring at the camera as if to say “I’m cute and I know it.”
Kathy
Way beyond cute. Love the teapot pincushion too.
Annie
I have seen some pretty cute baby cotumes in my day, but that is honstly the cutest one I have ever, ever seen!!! Do you think that Tammy would make more for other people to buy??? Or does she do other costumes?
Aunt Jaynette
What a great idea. Aren’t we all looking for that “one great idea?” She could market this. I would buy the pattern and that seems to be where the money is.
And it matches the blanket I made. Beck said that was the perfect baby color.
I received my photo card yesterday. Thanks for entertaining the family. I’ll have to start my blog to chronical my 5 day a week baseball/softball lifestyle.
Jill
That is angelic!
Milly
That is the cutest mermaid outfit ever!
Sarcastic Journalist
that is so cute. I want one for me! And my boy…but he is a Mer-MAN.
Anonymous
Wow! Thats one of the best baby costumes EVER. I was sitting here trying to think how I’d add to it. Cause I’m just like that and I decided it was perfect.
Lindsey
OMG Brenda!!! That is the cutest thing ever. I am sitting here smiling at my computer screen like a big ole’ dork! I just love it!
Kristen
Hi ~ I’m visiting via CityMama. That tail is amazing… you need a matching one. Although, then I’m not sure how you would walk… Hm… I’ll have to think about that.
jess
I LOVE that costume! You are a lucky mommy and she’s a lucky baby. Cutest thing i’ve seen in a long time! Thanks.
Wendy Mac
Oh wow, I am a first time commenter, but I had to write you and tell you how frickin’ cute that is! I wish I had done something that cool with my little one, but now my “little one” is 7 years old.
*sigh*
Thanks for making my ovaries kick into high gear! :-) Love it, have fun at the party.
liz
Holy Guacamole, that is a fantastic costume and she looks so delicious in it!
Nila
That is the best baby costume I’ve ever seen. They’re usually so chessy and made so badly. I can’t belive that baby bug has a party to go to already. And a theme party at that. What a social merbug!
Before you know it, you’ll be looking for someone to help make her prom dress.
deeleea
You don’t really need ANOTHER blogger to come out and say OMG how flipping cute is she?
You do???
OK…
She’s so GORGOEOUS!!!! And will fins down win the prize for best costume…
BeachMama
Ahhh, it has already been said, but the costume is amazing, Baby Bug looks great and I hope you have a fantastic time at the party!!!
DeeJay
A forever keeper. Baby Bug is adorable!
JenE
Made me smile on a sad day. How cute! Tammy’s a pretty person for doing that.
Jessie
That is just too adorable! She looks beautiful in it.
Jamie
That is the cutest thing EVER. Cuteness is oozing all over my laptop. Baby Bug is a natural mermaid! Now you realize you’ve got to come up with something fabulous for her first Halloween? :)
Karina
That is the most adorable little costume!! Precious!! Baby Bug looks as cute as can be!!!
DF
SAJ:
Every time I read about baby bug I can’t tell you how very happy I am for you and Toby. As a long time reader (I think one of the first) I remember all of the struggles to have a baby bug and I just couldn’t be happier for you. She’s beautiful and she’s so lucky to have you guys as her parents. I know I’ve said it before but all of best to you and your family!
Angel
That is by far the cutest mermaid costume EVER! I made my daughter one for her first Halloween (nowhere near as cute though!)