Maggie Crowe

The Master Replicas necklace doesn't open, from what I can tell. I sure wish they'd make that music box, though. I'd scrape up the money for that.

Stays on Jas-Townsend website

This is basically the same thing as my cincher. I made mine long enough, that I could wear it both ways, under breast, or just over, like a traditional stays

Rum

I think it's personal preference, but this is an interesting link

I prefer to lace mine bottom to top, as it's easier to adjust and fluff when I'm doing it myself. It's always preferable to have a lacing assistant, though, for several reasons

I think the best way to get the best fit is to do the t-shirt/duct tape method I linked to in an earlier post on this thread. It's certainly the best fit I've ever gotten.

If you're buying and need to tell someone your size, for larger ladies, using the rib cage measurement seems to work better than your standard bra size.

Whichever, make sure to inhale while lacing up, or you could find yourself fainting halfway through the day.

Alright, once you have your pattern (and don't forget to add seam allowance), you're going to need three layers of fabric. Outside, inside, and an interior inner lining, where you're boning is going to go.

For boning, I used duct ties. Like cable ties, only thicker and a bit wider (about 3/8"). These work nicely, since you can trim them to any size, and they're less likely to poke through your fabric.

You're going to want to lay out the boning on either side of the grommets, then, depending on how much support you want, some on the inside, in a fan shape. The back of my cincher is one solid piece, so I have four pieces of boning, excluding the boning around the grommets:

In the front, I only added the one piece in the center, and I wish I had added one more, for better support:

Sew your innerlining to the back piece, then mark out where you want your boning. Sew channels for your boning, making sure to leave enough room for your grommets. I suggest buying your grommets ahead of time so you can see how much room you'll really need.

Sew your top piece on along the sides and the bottom. I say bottom, because your chemise/shirt will blouse a bit over the top of the cincher, so it will hide any hand stitching, if that's something you're worried about.

Turn the pieces and slide in the boning.

Turn your seam allowance on the top to the inside, then whip stitch the top closed, or if you're not picky, machine sew it closed close to the fold.

I realize this aren't exact instructions, since I was pretty much making it up as I went along. So, any questions?

either way you don't need a bodice.

I'm not sure that's 100% true. I just read 'Seafaring Women', and at least some women wore, well, a corset (which is basically what my cincher is) to flatten themselves to look more like a man.

Well, first, to get the initial pattern to fit right, I made a t-shirt and duct tape pattern using these instructions. I used freezer paper to transfer the pattern to, rather than pellon, and that seemed to work just fine.

Remember when you pick out fabric, that you want something 100% natural (cotton, silk, linen, etc.) ... any polyester or somesuch, and you'll overheat, and I mean FAST.

I'll write up more on boning and lining later, I need to take the little pirate to school.

McCalls has a few good patterns for bodices. Unfortunately, I can't remember the number because my dog chewed up the pattern.

HOWEVER, I just made my own pattern for a cincher (bodice, no sleeves) that worked wonderfully, and it fits perfectly. If you'd like instructions, let me know.

Here's the one I made, and the vest I made afterwards:

I'm not one hundred percent happy with the vest, but considering it's the first time I've ever made a pattern, and lined something, pattern or no, it's not completely horrible.

Hmmmm, and then there's that comment that Jack and Tia had between each other..."I thought I knew you"....knew as in Biblical sense...but they dispell that....then how well where they aquainted...just friends.

Why do you think that? After all, she's as changeable and untameable as the sea. I think that's exactly what Jack meant by 'I thought I knew you', as in, 'the Biblical sense'. Just because she loves Davy Jones 'truly', it doesn't mean she's chaste.

And wasn't she the fourth person who tried to kill Jack? to which she said, "don't tell me you didn't enjoy it at the time."

Ship Shape

Thanks so much! That's exactly what I wanted to know. Great! idea about the bamboo (and someone new to research).

When I was a young lass in me prime

Away Santianno

I'd have those Irish lads two at a time

along the coast of Mexico

Ah, Maggie, you're a pirate after my own heart!

Aye, indeed, it was recorded by The Pyrates Royale

I just finished reading "Seafaring Women" by Linda Grant De Pauw. I'm not convinced of it's 100% accuracy, but it was a fascinating read. The chapter on pirates was woefully short, although it had some interesting bits about Mary Read and Madame Ching that I hadn't known before.

I particularly enjoyed reading about how involved (or not) the women were in actual ship operations.

It's out of print, so you may have to go to the library for it, or ebay.

Actually, I am. I realize I should have been more specific.

It seems to me that there were some books they might have wanted to protect as much as possible, like, say, the Ship's Log or a journal. I was wondering how one would do that. Would they put it in some kind of waterproofed envelope/satchel? Or wrapped in something like oilcloth?

diamonds

Is linseed oil or wax the only thing for waterproofing fabric or leather? or am I way off base?

I made a book of all of the letters my father wrote home to my grandmother during WWII. It's not difficult, and it's fun picking out the materials. I've been thinking about making a journal for part of my garb, but haven't decided on what to use for the interior paper.

I've marked me locale. A pyrate on the Rio Grande, that be me

Thanks for sharing those Lady Alyx, I love Barbossa's hat and I just noticed, his hat is rough around the edges.

Very rough, and full of holes, too. This is the first time I've noticed the pheasant feather, though.

LOL, That's actually how it came up in conversation. I was saying the 'hang-gliding' scene in POTC3 (my son's favorite scene) was the most unbelievable scene in the movie, and that's sayin' something. My husband said he thought it was the chained together cannonballs, to which, of course, I said, 'No, no, those were a real thing'

Thanks to you all, I know WAY too much about pirates

Monday it 'Wrong Company'

Tuesday and Wednesday it was 'Tobacco Island'

Today it's 'If I Ever Leave This World Alive'

What I really want to know is if there will be T-shirts with only Barbossa on it?

Well you could always take an image of him that you like, print it on transfer paper and iron it on a t-shirt you like :)

Naw, it's more about getting Barbossa out there, the way Jack and Wil are on pretty much everything. His time has come to appear on T-shirts, just like Jack.

I picked one up for my little pirate at the Disney Store yesterday that had Sao Feng, Davy Jones and Barbossa on it. The adult t's were all Jack and Will, though.

The navy would never have a lass at sea

Away Santianno

so I went in search of pyracy

along the coast of Mexico

And now we sail the southern seas

Away Santianno

and we'll have those navy lads on their knees

along the coast of Mexico

So heave her up and away we'll ago

Away Santianno

to Mexico where the warm winds blow

along the coast of Mexico

In Mexico I want to be

Away Santianno

with a cask of rum on a drinkin' spree

along the coast of Mexico

Those native lads I do adore

Away Santianno

with eyes that shine and coal black hair

along the coast of Mexico

So heave her up and away we'll ago

Away Santianno

to Mexico where the warm winds blow

along the coast of Mexico

When I was a young lass in me prime

Away Santianno

I'd have those Irish lads two at a time

along the coast of Mexico

But I'll never leave the sea to settle down

Away Santianno

when I can have a lad in every town

along the coast of Mexico

So heave her up and away we'll ago

Away Santianno

to Mexico where the warm winds blow

along the coast of Mexico

Oh the times is hard and the wages low

Away Santianno

But we pirates all must roll and go

along the coast of Mexico

I saw the bar shot in one of the links Littleneckhalfshell posted Those had to do some SERIOUS damage.

Thank you very much. That's been bugging me all night