With all the fabrics cut to size for the pattern pieces, I loaded the longarm with the backing, added Dream Orient batting, and arranged the fabric pieces on top. I’ll quilt these in black thread, and the right front fabric will be done in blue thread as it is lighter. I’m using Sulky Rayon Thread for the shine it will add to the project.

Quilting on your domestic machine can be done with straight lines or freehand designs, doing one piece at a time. I would recommend quilting your fabric first, rather than cutting out the pattern pieces first. Quilting will take up a bit of yardage in length and width, and this will ensure your pattern still fits. If you do strips, you could use a Quilt-As-You-Go method to assemble the strips and quilt at the same time. That method would work for covering a sweatshirt with patchwork as well. I am quilting mine with a leaf pantograph to complement the floral print.

As I get to the next piece, I just quilted over both edges in the same pass.

Then I got to the strip piecing, and just continued quilting. The leaf design looks nice across all the prints.

When I finished all the black, I added the blue fabric piece that will be the right front of the jacket. Then I loaded the longarm with blue, Sulky rayon thread.

Using the same leaf design, I quilted this piece.

On the back, I used black in the bobbin for both colors on top. The black thread embedded well in the lining print. I checked the quilting and removed it from the longarm.

Cutting the pieces apart, I lay out the pattern to be sure things were still good.

I put the pattern for a sleeve on the quilted fabric, and moved it around a bit to get the best placement of the print on the piece. Then, I cut it out.

Next was the other sleeve. Be sure to flip the pattern wrong side up to get a right and left sleeve. I moved this one around as well to get the best placement I could.

For the back, I decided to take out the center back seam. I want to be sure you know that usually center back seams are not straight. They are straight from the neck edge to about the mid-back, then they taper inward slightly, to give a bit more shape through the waist. But my shape can use that little bit of extra, so I remarked the pattern to remind myself to place it on the fold. This will also put the seam allowances into the jacket, so I may need to add a dart for fullness later. We’ll see. It may fit OK as it is.

Next, I want to be sure that the seam joining the two prints on the right front will be straight. Using the long ruler, I pinned the pattern piece making sure the seam was parallel to the bottom.

Then, the last piece to cut was the left front strip pieced section. I placed the pattern piece on the piecing, making sure the pattern was wrong side up. I barely had enough through the middle, but it made it.

Next week, we’ll assemble the jacket and adjust the fit. Share your jacket progress in our Friends of From My Carolina Home facebook group.

How are you doing with your jacket? Are you using a sweatshirt for a base, or maybe finishing a jacket started some time ago? Or did you start from scratch like I did?

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