365/2013 - Day 149

another glorious Wednesday Morning with Joan and Leann

I cannot express how much I love my friends and our mornings together.  Man.

Leann arrived first -- and headed for the coffee

awwww

Okay -- I was having a LOT of trouble understanding how to make the hole/fabric tube/sleeve that will allow my soft sculpture "Quillz" to sit on its stand for display at West of Center at the Northville Art House.  The drop off date is quickly approaching.  This morning Joan and Leann convinced me to just let Joan whip it together because she can do it so effortlessly and beautifully.  After much discussion they helped me to understand that this is how artists learn from each other and that she wasn't doing this as a collaboration or that I wasn't passing the work off...it was just one artist was showing another artist how to do something so that the other artist can do it herself next time.

First "we" went into the seam by the tail...Joan made a long tube/sleeve and attached it to the inside of the hole that was created by opening one of my seams. 

Then she worked the creature down over the pole, positioning the stuffing and making it work...but it wasn't quite right.  The hole and tube needed to be inserted into a bottom seam.  Joan just took the seam out again and redid it in the new spot.  She is amazing.

ta-daaaaaaaaaaa

This is the second insert/tube/sleeve -- look at those smooth, even stitches.

This is the first seam that I will close back up.

and this is the pole/base/stand that I will sand and repaint...but it is much too humid today.  I did go out and get the paint, though!

It was very difficult for me to let go of my white-knuckled control over this project/problem.  Now that it is done (and I watched Joan do it so easily) I realize that if it had been something that Joan needed to plaster cloth or a tiny magazine image that needed intricate cutting I could have done that for her (and think nothing of it) just as easily as she did today's work for me. Duh.  

Thank You SO much, Joan (and Leann) for your help and guidance and patience and friendship and...and...and...