Capt. Westyn Elizabeth Roberts

You bake Super Sculpey or Fimo Polymer clay for 15 minutes per 1/4 inch of thickness at 225-275 degrees. It only smells a tad while it's cooking, and then most of that is after you open the oven door after it's done. It doesn't smell at all (other than like plastic) after it's cooled. It's a nice medium to work with, and it's very versatile. You can also cover BIC ballpoint pens with the stuff. As a matter of fact, they were selling some in Key West that were covered with clay and had pirate heads attached (all made out of polymer clay). They looked kind of neat. I thought I would have to try that sometime. Anyway, the Super Sculpey that I get comes in a nude-flesh color, and it's the chosen material for dollmakers who use polymer clay. It hardens like plastic, and you don't have to paint it flesh-colored. Also, you can sand it after it's completely cooled. You can also find polymer clay in, like, a zillion other colors...even like stone, and there's also a fun one that stays bendable after you bake it. Yours, Capt. WE Roberts

There's a website called http://www.rolledlabels.com that offers a stamp and sticker check set. The check has a blank box where you can put stickers, if you're so inclined. That might be a fun idea if you can find skull-and-crossbones stickers...or even ones of Captain Jack! Capt. WE Roberts

When hubby and I flew to the PIP Festival in Key West, we only brought one sword. I called the airline ahead of time, and the lady told me that as long as I had the sword sheathed and in a hard-sided locked box that would go into cargo, there would be no problem. Since it was a small cutlass, I put it into a hard leather briefcase with a rolling combination lock, and it was fine. The only thing I had to do was tell them what the combination was so that they could check it. My advice is to call the airport and check in advance. Capt. WE Roberts

For local music, go to your local Irish pub. Sometimes the bands have CD's. My local Mulligan's has a great band who focuses on Irish music from years ago as well as newer stuff like U2 and Luca Bloom. Also, search in the cheap bins at stores like Sound Shop or Wal-Mart. Sometimes you can find stuff for three bucks or so, just because it isn't popular music. Also, go to your local Renaissance Festival/Faire. Most of the time, the minstrels have CD's or tapes, and they focus on music of the period. Capt. WE Roberts

Ohhh... Those are too cute. My thoughts about that is...those figurines at that link look like resin, so what I'd do (in other words, crafty and cheap) is get either a nice (small) figurine of a pirate (or skull) and affix it to a cork, which you can find at a hobby store. Or, I'd just make one out of polymer clay. If you make it and bake it correctly, it feels like resin when it's done. Well, hope that helps...in case you don't have any luck in finding what you're looking for in a store. Capt. WE Roberts

Don't quite know what you mean by that. Could you describe it or put up a pic or something? I have seen little ornaments that people make and jab down into the top of a cork to make it more decorative, but that's about it. Sorry. Capt. WE Roberts

Captain Wolfy Wench, Check out Dixie Gunworks online for some nice pistols. Of course, if you're like me and you don't want to chance being put in jail for having a working weapon, check out your search engine for replica firearms. Check the rest of our plunder section, too. Another idea is to question Cascabel and maybe Captain Flint about some good places to get quality firearms for your costume. They seem to be in-the-know about such stuff. Capt. WE Roberts

My best sash is 4 yards long. It wraps around twice with lots of excess to hang over my belt. I wanted to make it long enough to fit over hubby's tum-tum if he wanted to wear it, plus I wanted it to fit over a bodice for me and still be comfortable enough to bend over when I potty or need to pick up spilled doubloons. I'd say for a proper fit and look, measure your waist size and multiply by four. That should give you two good wraps and some end slack to play around with. Since my waist is not 36 inches--thank you--my sash fits quite well. So, hey...maybe multiply your waist size by five. The point is, you don't want too many wraps, or you'll have to get a bigger belt or suck in your gut until you turn purple. But, you do want enough wraps to safely hold your piratey junk in place. Also, a sash will definitely keep those firearms from being damaged by a belt buckle, if you choose not to have a holster of some sort. Want an example of the type of damage inflicted by a belt buckle over time? Take a look at the back of a guitar player's favorite axe. Scratches! Capt. WE Roberts

Dreamie, you're a gal after my own pocketbook! I love thrift stores! I found a full-sized brownish-gold bedspread for $3 at Goodwill. It wouldn't fit my bed, but it's a huge chunk of material that I intend to get good use out of. I've already made some small pillows out of part of it. I might just make a sash out of part, too! In fact, I believe that my hubby wore part of it as a sash in last year's RenFest. Capt. WE Roberts

Nigel! Naughty, naughty. I knew this thread would get the lads all "unthreaded." Capt. WE Roberts

Good idea about the Wal-Mart accessories department. I found some wonderful head scarves from there (with fringe!). Most of my piratey stuff is red, black and white. I have a black sash that I made on a whim with satin, hot glue and fringe. It works well. I wear my sash underneath my belt with one free end hanging over the belt. I have found several chunks of cheap velvety material at Wal-Mart and Goodwill that are definitely long enough to make a sash...and now that I have a brand new sewing machine, I might just have to haul out the material and make one. However, college isn't the place to wear piratey clothes, unless I'm doing a play. So, I'll probably wait until closer to the RenFest here in TN (May) to make it. The black satin sash was made the day before the RenFest. Good luck on your sash quest! Capt. WE Roberts

You can look through Ebay, if you're willing to spend a chunk of money, or you can just hop on over to the Simplicity pattern site, or any other pattern site. Chivalry sports has some nice patterns, for example. If you're an advanced seamstress, you can make your own. Here's some starting places... Check out: http://www.simplicity.com http://www.renstore.com Also, have a look-see into our PLUNDER section with the hats and boots and jackets and ebay finds. We're all pirates on a budget, so we're always happy to help when we can. Check out your local Salvation Army and Goodwill stores for some odds and ends to add to your costume. Sometimes, those stores are the best for finding some awesome pirate goodies. I found a beautiful black brocade frock coat for my hubby for about $7 at my local Goodwill. Cheapest new one I've seen=$300. I saved about $293! Capt. WE Roberts

"Lace it like you hate me!" hehehehe.... Well, anyway, that thought about leather vs. something else, I'd have to say that I've never had a corset laced with leather laces, but I have had pants laced with leather cords. Two words...they stink. Two more words...they break. Also, it didn't seem (to me) that leather laces as tightly as a softer fabric lacing. I usually try to get the longest heavy duty shoestrings known to man and lace up a corset like that. Plus, I use the metal grommets in my corsets, and sometimes that tugging against the metal sides of the grommets wears ANY lacing thin. So, unless you can find some industrial strength leather laces made for work boots with the metal speed lacers, your best bet is probably some type of fabric laces. But, if you do decided to use leather laces, lace up your corset one day...say while you're doing laundry and wear it around the house. If it doesn't break, it would probably be safe to wear to faire or festival or whatever. Hey...just don't want any of you to run around the faire with "the girls" hanging out. What with these "my tongue got run over by the mailroom trolley" quotes that the pirate lads have been posting! The ground at the faire is usually treacherous enough, without having to slip around on all of the drool. Blackheartedly yours, Capt. WE Roberts

Ewww... Don't buy a sash, unless you wanna get gouged hard. The best advice I can give you...unless you know some kind folks who have one for a good price...is to get two yards of material and make one for yourself. Two yards makes the sash more economical this way: Cut the material in half lengthwise. Make a straight, running stitch to sew the narrow ends of each piece together into one long piece that's actually 4+ yards long. Then, turn the right sides together and make another long running stitch down the free ends. Turn it right side out. Basically, it's the same pattern as a long, skinny retangular pillowcase. Then, sew fringe to the ends. This way, you don't have to settle for something that "almost" matches your outfit. Also, if you want a sueded look without the suede hassle or cost, get buttersuede or ultrasuede or moleskin. All pretty much the same fabric, but much less expensive and much easier to sew. Craft stores and Hancock Fabrics online carry sueded material and fringe by the yard. http://www.hancockfabrics.com Hey...I used the same method, only I hotglued mine, and it's held up for about two years now. Don't worry. I fully intend to force my lazy self to make another one with my new sewing machine that Mom bought me for Christmas...eh, sometime this year. And ask Dark Rose. He has some mighty fine garments. Top quality. Low price. Nice guy. You can't lose. Capt. WE Roberts

My corset lesson: I'm 36C, so I can't say I can really feel your "ample" pain, but here's some advice that I use when fluffin up the girls. The bra idea was great, no matter what anyone else in the "biz" tells you about being or not being period. If it works and if you do end up keeping the bra, don't tell anybody. They won't know. Put on the corset and lace it tight. Bend at the waist. Use your hand to scoop the girls up. Hanging upside down from the waist helps this, so make sure you dip over enough. Gravity helps a lot. Then, hang on to the corset at the top, right where you want it to fit, and have someone tighten it. Readjust. Wait about 20 minutes until the corset "gives" and then readjust and have some very large man re-tighten. I always tell my hubby, "lace it like you hate me." It does help when you have a custom corset, because it's built for your own measurements. Even if you don't have a very nice, high-quality corset, you should be able to get some sort of fashionable style from it. I have one corset that I have to keep running to the loo to readjust from time to time; especially when I've worn it for a while, and it has loosened up. Remember: When you get the corset on properly, it should have a "nice" feeling of tightness. If it's too uncomfortable, you may be doing damage to nerves or other vital parts, so watch out. Then again, some folks just aren't meant to wear corsets. So, fun it up whatever way you choose, whether it is by a corset or a plain old sash and bodice. FUN is what the job's about. Capt. WE Roberts