OK so I think some of you guys might have been waiting for this so here it is...How I make my sails. I will be making an Aft sail for my ship The Lotus which is in desprate need of one. And I am taking pictures step by step. ________________________________________________________________________________ ______ Step 1: So to start I will be making a medium that we can make stencils with. What I am doing is simply taking two peices of basic white print paper and glueing them together with an ordinary glue stick. As so And putting them together Now rub them nicely together... wait a minute or so and on to the next step. ________________________________________________________________________________ ______ Step 2: Now we need to take sails from our previously bought LEGO Pirate sets or what not and trace them onto our medium we made in Step 1. Take your time and also make sure you trace out the holes. Now cut out the outside and poke the holes out with anything sharp (Doesn't need to be perfect) Here is what i got..I am going to be making many little merchant ships from the imperial trading post so I need these and the other of course is my aft sail from the wonderful Armada Flagship. My holes on the stencils are rough as you can see but work just as well. ________________________________________________________________________________ ______ Step 3: Now run over to you grandma's and get some old cloth... Anything you like as long as it is not too thick. Now what we are going to do is trace the stencil we want unto the cloth. I like using a pencil because it is quite easily removed...and doesn't show as much as a black sharpie or a ballpoint pen. Anyways trace that on there along with the holes. Now cut out around the outline, roughly leaving 1 inch of space around the outside. Like this ________________________________________________________________________________ ______ Step 4: In this step we are going to be strengthening the cloth so that it does not shred when we cut it...To do this I use a 1:4, water:White glue solution which I brush around the edges of the cloth and on the area where you will be punching out holes. Like so This is the solution I use...Which I keep in a little ziploc container, so when I need it, it's there. Make sure you apply this to both sides, afterwards let it dry for and hour or so. ________________________________________________________________________________ ______ Step 5: Now that its nice and dry we need to cut out that sail of yours! Use sharp cloth scisors from you moms sewing kit and cut on the inside of the lines (So that you do not see them) The result of a nicely cutout sail ________________________________________________________________________________ ______ Step 6: Now! You have cut out you sails and made everything nice... We are now in great need of holes! To make these I use enscence...I find it is the best way because it burns through nicely, making a good hole the size that u need! Do this on every hole you need, take your time..Do a good job! Believe me its all worth it in the end :D Cool isn't it? You are now done your sails! Hook them on and yell out Arr! For you have done a great job, I hope you're proud ;) ________________________________________________________________________________ _____ Step 7(Optional): And for those of you who want a real old look to the sail(s) then brew up some coffee, enjoy it...And use what is left of it to dye your sail(s). Now what I do is poor it into a tray of some sort (I believe it is ment to make cakes) and soak you sail(s) in it... Hang them up somewhere and let them dry. (If they arn't dark enough for you then dye them again) Dyeing it Aft Sail Front Sails Sometimes you may need to repeat Step 4 after this because the coffee may or may not take away the glue solution. ________________________________________________________________________________ ______ I have now finished making the little merchant vessle's sails..Here it is! ________________________________________________________________________________ ______ Well I hope this has helped you on your quest to making sails for your huge fleet of ships! PM me if this was helpful to you, I always enjoy comments and post pictures of sails that you have made! Enjoy ;) Yours Truly, William Poulin (Evil Willy)