Notes on Matter / Sewing the Blanca Flight Suit by Closet Core Patterns

Admittedly, I was somewhat daunted by the prospect of making this pattern. My first version had been sitting on my sewing table—fully cut and interfaced—for over a month. A whole lot of thought and planning went into this phase, so I assumed that sewing the thing would be similarly onerous. But it was not.

Let me back up. I knew from the get-go I wasn’t going to make a toile because it seemed like too much work. While fully acknowledging the flaws in this reasoning, I did attempt to mitigate the likelihood of a sewing flop by reading lots of notes about the pattern by other sewists. I scoured photos, compared measurements and landed on some modifications with a good degree of confidence.

Here’s what I did:

General sizing: Many reviews described the hips as relatively narrow compared to the bodice, so I cut a size 6 at the top and graded out to an 8 at the lower hip due to my particular body shape. I then tapered down to a 4 through the leg for a slightly more streamlined look.

Waisline: I wanted the waistband to sit closer to my natural waist, so I shortened the bodice by an inch and increased the rise by the same amount. Keep in mind that this causes the hip pockets to sit higher.

Back waistband: I cut these pieces entirely from the main fabric, but skipped the interfacing on the second version (pictured) to lessen the stiffness.

Breast pockets: I moved them up about 3/8” as they sat a little low for my taste. I also found raising them to be more optically pleasing as they were encroaching on the now higher waistline.

Hip pockets: The hip pocket lining was slightly visible on many of the Blanca photos, so when I read how Martha (Buried Diamond) omitted the lining and bias bound the pocket curves instead, I followed suit. Pun intended.

Sleeves: For the sleeveless version, my original plans for the garment included a short sleeve, but I tried it on just before adding the sleeves and really liked the sleeveless look. I was nervous that since the armscye was drafted for a sleeve, it may not work well without, so I slightly tweaked the shape before binding to finish. For someone with a larger bust, I’d caution against the sleeveless mod without a more intentional re-draft of the armscye and/or the addition of a dart.

For the short sleeve version (pictured), I decreased the sleeve length by 1/2” before hemming.

Zipper: I omitted the zipper shield.

For reference, I am 5’5” (165 cm) tall. My current b/w/h measurements are 33.5”(85) / 28”(71) / 38.5”(98).

After the changes, I’m elated to report that I achieved a good fit! I’m happy with the rise adjustment and the subtle hip and leg grading. Overall, it fits like a dream and the fact that I’ve made two (thus far) speaks for itself.

If I’m to be picky, there’s some excess fabric around the small of my back; however, I’m not sure that there’s a good solve without compromising the functionality of the garment. For my second version I kept this area as-is, accepting it as a part of the design.

Ultimately, this pattern was a joy to sew: it is perfect for using well-behaved wovens that sew up easily, there are ample opportunities to flex those topstitching skills, the hardware is a fun touch and can be played up or down depending on one’s preference, the instructions are well-written, and simply put, all of the pattern pieces fit together perfectly.

Again, the hardest part of this project was the planning phase. The excellent instructions and well-drafted pattern made for a really satisfying sew. I took care to ensure each element was as nice as possible and I’m really proud of its professional-like quality. Now I feel primed to make more workwear—more denim, topstitching and rivets, please!