This jacket took forever. People ask me how many hours went into this thing, truth is, I don't want to know. I feel like the corner of my cutting table was a pile of leather scraps and pattern paper for months. I did do things pretty inefficiently but for my own sanity, it did help to see constructed components (the hood was first), in order to push me to work through the rest of the garment. 

I thought I could simply deconstruct the jacket, then sew the leather pieces on top of the various panels. Turns out the construction of the jacket was more complex than I had anticipated. I ended up having to make a whole new pattern to simplify how it all went together. This helped to avoid bulk from all of the criss-crossing panels.

The sewing was pretty straightforward. I'd take the smaller pieces first and start putting them together, working my way outward, trimming pieces as necessary to make them fit together. It was sort like of like sewing together a big puzzle, where none of the pieces fit but you could make them fit. Once I had panels that were big enough, I'd cut out the redrafted pattern pieces. 

The slingpack came once I finished the back panel. I thought if I was going through the trouble of constructing a storm flap, I might as well make it have more of a purpose than just a consistent design line. 

My hands are thankful this thing is finished. Not from sewing, but from all of the missed hammer hits in an attempt to flatten top-stitching lines...