Sewing, skinning and draping your own art car

skin_robertIt pays – and I mean *really* pays – to have experts among your friends.

Robert DeHart – a wonderfully talented clothing designer and expert human – stepped in again to help finagle the rough fabric patches onto the body.
skin_wheelcoverThe swaths of fabric covering the front quarter panels and doors proved especially tricky. I had fabricated quarter-spherical shells of aluminum strap to make armatures that carried the fabric out from the front wheels, to allow for safe turning and lend a soupcon of style.

yellowcordRob helped me by slitting the fabric just so to allow the gongs to slip through to a playable position, then I sewed stout nylon cord into channels in the fabric edges so that it could be tied to the doors and anchored around the wheel covers, quarter panels and front bumper.

skin_eyeletWe anchored a lot of this stuff with steel eyelets screwed right into the bodywork.

skin_robRob working on the doors and more.
skin1And lo and behold, it’s starting to resemble my sketches!

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skinned_front

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