Hallo. Hallo.

I couldn’t mention it in my last post…what with pattern testing being top secret and all…but the Blanca Flight Suit was foremost in my mind when I bought this railroad striped fabric from Blackbird Fabrics.  Yep…mechanics coverall meets street wear perfection was where my head was at. True, my Jenny Overalls are a dream come true…but…my coveralls dream came true first.

I had just received the invite to pattern test and….gah, the timing…sweet but almost impossibly tight. I put in an SOS to BF and pleaded for my order to be expedited if at all possible. Laura and the birdies graciously accommodated me…whew…I buzzed into the city for my order and was able to complete my assignment in the allotted time.  Not long after, Canada and the rest of the world pretty much slowed to a halt. Montreal, where Closet Case Patterns is headquartered, has been particularly hard hit in relation to other major Canadian cities. The Blanca Flight Suit was temporarily grounded.

With safety and compliance at the top of their list, Heather and her team rallied. The printers are closed and as a result the pattern is currently released in PDF format only with an anticipated hard copy release in July. One lovely upside…we get to see Heather herself as the lead {and temporarily, only} model.

All righty…onto the new pattern…the Blanca Flight Suit, named after the deeply creative woman behind Blak and Blanca on Instagram. Blanca is so very inspirational. I love her makes, her thoughtfulness and her inimitable sense of style. The Blanca Flight Suit suits her perfectly.

My coveralls {I can’t help but call them coveralls rather than a flight suit….those that know me well, know I’m happier grounded than in the air} came together without any turbulence. I didn’t find them to be a difficult make, however I highly suggest making a rudimentary muslin before cutting into your good fabric. I wouldn’t bother with sleeves or full length pants…it’s the fitting of the torso that’s key. As with any onesie, you want a good fit…enough length and width in the torso so you can sit down/bend over freely. Also….ideally…you don’t want so much length that you end up with an exaggerated dropped crotch. Me…I’m very short and I always have to alter my garments in multiple places. My test version here is 2 3/4″ shorter in the torso alone. {The final version of the Blanca pattern has been shortened 3/4″ in the torso.}

My usual CCP size is an 8 with a full bust adjustment. Because I wanted the option of wearing a t-shirt or long sleeved knit top underneath, I sized up to a 10 with an FBA, grading back to an 8 at the hips.

Sewing test garments is always interesting. The only visual you have is a line drawing to go by…in addition to written instructions…you can’t scroll Instagram or the CCP blog scrutinizing details. For some reason I had it in my head that the center zipper was exposed…I was relentless in my search for a perfectly matching zipper. Well. The zipper is a center lapped zipper, complete with zipper facing to protect your skin. You don’t really see much of the zipper tape unless your zip is open.

We sewing peeps love a back view, amirite? The back bodice has a subtle pleated detail. Please note that the shoulder has been narrowed on the final version and the armscye has been moved up to allow for better mobility.

My denim is a 10oz weight. I opted to face both my collar and back waistband with a contrasting cotton fabric. Easier to sew….plus…gimme some pink please. I’ve got way too much blue in my wardrobe….NOT. I love blue. I just love pink too.

There were some minor changes to the pattern after testing. The hip pockets are longer. The breast pockets are a little smaller.

I toyed with the idea of shortening the sleeves a little…the sleeve cuffs are turned  up twice for reference. I ended up leaving them as is because the length works well when worn with a long sleeved top underneath. I may shorten them when I sew a summer version.

Options for the Blanca Flight Suit include….short/long sleeves, cropped/long pants, zippered breast pockets {which I tried, but found too heavy looking}, optional button tabs at sleeve and pant hems and unattached tie or clasp belt.

For once I kept it simple. I think I was channeling my Dad who wore coveralls every day of his working life.

For further pattern details please check out Closet Case Patterns blog post here.

Wearing : :

Blanca Flight Suit : : Closet Case Patterns