White denim jacket

If I can put the sleeve in around the shoulder, before I sew up the underarm seam, I will. It makes the finishing flat fell so much easier. And flatter.

I flat fell the underarm seam as well. Here, I have trimmed off the seam allowance on the back part of that seam, in preparation for ironing it so I can finish it. First I iron the seam open. Then I iron it closed, with the untrimmed seam allowance overlapping the other. Then I turn it right side out and iron it all again with the clapper. Then I turn it back, wrong side out and iron the untrimmed seam allowance folded over the other trimmed seam allowance, and also use the clapper. That's four separate presses of the same seam.

I haven't shown this shot in a while. To sew down the flat fell, you have to have the garment turned right side out, even though you are sewing from the inside (or wrong side). You start at the bottom edge of the jacket and, up to the armpit, the sewing is easy. Then you have to keep sewing the folded-over seam allowance but now you are sewing inside a "tube" which is the arm itself. Once you get to the wrist (which is where I am in the photo), you are done but you are also down in a "well" of fabric that is the inside of the arm. I was quite excited the first time I ever did that!

I like it when a garment starts to look like what it is supposed to be. That usually isn't until after the sleeves go on, with a jacket. The jacket is hanging in front of the first one I made in this pattern. It is all wrinkly from being bunched around under the needle of the sewing machine - but the seams are good and flat! Next - cuffs, the rest of the hem, buttonholes and buttons.