Time to tie the quilting loops. These loops stabilize the insulation and keep everything in place.

Approximate time: 2 hours

I don't know why, but this is the only part I dread. Put in between 7 and ten rows of quilt loops with 3 or 4 per row. If your shell is camo, you're made in the shade. Position the loops in the black splotches. They'll be all but hidden and you won't have to worry about making neat rows and columns.

If you used a solid color, you'll need to plot out a grid. Start with the corners of the darts. Those will each be a row. The middle row will go in between them. I use pins to mark the points, but have been looking for a very impermanent marker. You could use chalk, but it's sometimes hard to mark nylon.

Make a mandrel out of cardboard. For two layers of insulation, mark it off to 2". That's the max height of the insulation. I don't think it ever gets that high, but that takes into account the nylon and a little room for error. Put the needle in on the liner so that the knot will be on that side. For each loop, tie it around the mandrel to get the size right. I triple knot each one very tightly and trim the ends to about a half inch.

Quilting complete.

If using a solid color shell, it's easier to insert all the loops first, then flip it over and tie them all. That makes it easier to keep the pins undisturbed while you work and makes the whole thing seem faster to me.

Okay, you're all but done. Just small stuff left.