Down On the Boardwalk

The Coney Island Mermaid Parade was two Saturdays ago. It is a yearly must-see event for me. My memory is a blur of sparkles, sweat, seaweed, and sunscreen. To be honest, I don't remember seeing that many mermaids...or maybe we just didn't photograph them. You can get lost in a sea of scales and tails over here. My eye is more often drawn more to the cephalopods than the sirens. There was a girl out there who had a great beehive/pod hat and a tentacle skirt. It was very cute but too far away to photograph well. I missed the sea monkeys and the giant crab from last year. Oh well.

Everyone decamps to the boardwalk and the beach after the parade, including us.

Every year I always think "next year I'll dress up" but this year I at least finished a mermaid-themed dress. It's Heather Ross (Munki Munki?) fabric that I bought ages ago when it was on sale at Repro. I used the simplest of patterns but managed to make it an unholy, complicated mess. I believe it's been nearly two years in the making because I created so much extra work for myself. First I had the brilliant idea to add cutouts (long keyhole?) to the front and back. Since they're totally unsupported, they drooped horribly. Then I made double fold cotton bias tape to bind the edges and tried to sew it over a teeny-tiny seam allowance. The fabric is rolled sooo tightly and I really needed to use a thimble just for slip stitching. My fingers were terribly sore, but in the end it was worth it. I am especially happy with the orange crochet-trim inset. I have discovered within myself a dormant love of orange. Especially with pale blues and grays.
And finally—a little backyard action.
There were 8 of these guys originally on one lone fennel plant. I fear that they may have become snack for the birds, though. I haven't seen them for days. So no backyard black swallowtails for me this year, I guess.