Stitch and Flip Jacket Progress

My reunion weekend jacket is progressing nicely and should be finished by this weekend.  Here are a few more pictures of my progress and how I put shoulder pads into this "quilted jacket."  Those of you with strong, straight shoulders I hate you can stop reading soon.

Before I start the quilting I needed to mark the location of these small petal shaped shoulder pads on the back and front of the jacket lining.

The shoulder pads are from Linda Lee's online store The Sewing Workshop  Petal Shoulder Pads  They are not cheap but are worth every penny.  I use them carefully when deciding which garments deserve these high quality pads.

Once I have marked the jacket lining, then I can start more quilting.  This picture shows my jacket with three of the

four sections quilted (I stopped so Mr. Lucky and I could go kayaking on a lovely afternoon)
Once the front section was quilted, then it was time to sew in the sleeve.  This part required me to look back at that turquoise jacket and work out how I had done it previously.  

 The sleeve is set into the armscye that has two different sections....the bottom part is quilted to the lining and the top section is left open for a shoulder pad insertion.

I pinned the sleeve in place then as I sewed the sleeve I stopped and clipped right at the intersection of those two areas, folded back the lining and continued stitching until I did the same on the sleeve back.  

Clipped quilted lining, folded back and sleeve insertion continuing on unequaled part of the jacket

Sleeve is sewn in place and that clip is folded back before inserting the lining

The sleeve lining is hand stitched in place around the entire armhole so that clip will be folded back and the sleeve lining will cover it and keep it from unraveling.

Sleeve lining pinned into place and ready for hand stitching while I sit on the back deck

Close up of sleeve lining pinned into place and covering that clipped section

Oh, the kayaking?  It was a beautiful late afternoon day and we drove up to Cold Cabin Park near Delta, PA on the Susquehanna River.  All these years living in the area (including the decades ago Three Mile Island power station scare) and we have never been here.  There are two dams on the Susquehanna and this is the "pool" area between them.  What a great wide expanse and wonderful wildlife sighting place.  We saw herons and kingfishers and four bald eagles at once swirling and swooping in the skies.  Stopped at a barbecue joint on the way home and saw a field of sunflowers across the street at the sun was setting and starting the blaze into a red, red sky.  

I love my sewing projects but I was glad I stopped so I could enjoy a beautiful day outside.  Winter will be here soon enough and I will be looking back longingly at these pictures.  Here's hoping you get to fill your day with some beauty in your sewing room or in nature.