Finally! I've been meaning to get around to taking photos and doing this blog post for ages, and I've finally found the time and energy.
Back at the end of February/ beginning of March right before everything changed due to COVID-19, I was asked to be in the tester group for the Closet Core Blanca Flight Suit!! I had signed up earlier in the year to be added to the group testing the 14-30 size range for Closet Core and I was SO excited to get this email. It's been nearly a decade since I really wore a pair of coveralls (if you went to University for Engineering in Ontario/ Canada, you know what I'm talking about!) so I was stoked to make my own pair. There have been a ton of coveralls/ jumpsuit/ boiler suit patterns out there recently... but none of them caught my eye the way Blanca did. [...]
I've never been part of the pattern testing process before, so I was also really curious how it would go. I received the pattern and instructions, with just over 2 weeks to sew, take photos, and fill in my assessment form. In return, I received the finalized pattern upon release and a $25 gift card for the Close Core Patterns shop. There have been some really interesting discussions on pattern testing in the sewing community recently, especially around whether testers should be paid in some way. Love to Sew had a great episode about it back in March, right when I started testing the Blanca. I'm fortunate that I was able to spend $100 on fabric and supplies from my own pocket and spend the time sewing, which definitely puts me in a position of privilege that others may not be in... so it's a tricky spot. I haven't totally formed my opinion on it but I'm certainly not against pattern companies choosing to remunerate their testers in some way.
SO! Based on my measurements I made a straight size 16, and added 1" to the length of the bodice. I'm 5'7" with a long(er) torso, and Closet Core drafts for 5'6", so it made sense to add the extra length there. I also wanted to make sure there was plenty of ease for bending down and sitting so these would be fully-functional coveralls I could wear out & about, or in the garden this summer. The fabric is Robert Kaufman Ventana Twill in 'Smoky Pink', purchased from Needlework in Hamilton. Once finished, I added some patches - including a customized one with my name!! The Peony Patch and the Custom Name Patch are both from Atelier Monday on Etsy, and the "Avocato" patch and "Girl Power" patch have been hanging out in my stash for ages waiting for just the right garment to adorn!
Overall (har har), the fit on this flight suit is fantastic. I can bend and sit and squat and move around with ease! I do find that the Closet Core pattern block fits me really well without any major adjustments - especially now with the addition of D-Cup pattern pieces for the 14-30 size range. I probably could have graded the hips down to a size 14, but I'm still pleased with the fit. The back is a bit "blousy", but I believe with the final pattern version they've removed some length from the back bodice. I made the short-sleeved version with regular pockets and cropped legs. The sleeves are a bit long, so you'll see them rolled over 3 times in the photos, and I've rolled up the legs, too. Despite having so many pieces to cut out and sew up, this came together pretty quickly! I did find the pintuck along the back a bit tricky at first, and the zipper insertion was REALLY difficult. I also didn't quite follow the instructions for the belt, since I had some d-rings in my stash I shortened the belt from the tie length and used the d-rings for a closure instead of a tie. I definitely call this pattern test a huge success, and I hope to test more in the future!!
Without further ado, pictures!! Scroll to the bottom for an old picture of my "original" coveralls ;)
And of course, a photo of my Coveralls from when I was at the UofG studying Environmental Engineering! You get your coveralls as part of Frosh Week, with the intention of painting them up and personalizing them throughout the 4 or 5 years you're studying. I still have these hanging up in my closet!
Back at the end of February/ beginning of March right before everything changed due to COVID-19, I was asked to be in the tester group for the Closet Core Blanca Flight Suit!! I had signed up earlier in the year to be added to the group testing the 14-30 size range for Closet Core and I was SO excited to get this email. It's been nearly a decade since I really wore a pair of coveralls (if you went to University for Engineering in Ontario/ Canada, you know what I'm talking about!) so I was stoked to make my own pair. There have been a ton of coveralls/ jumpsuit/ boiler suit patterns out there recently... but none of them caught my eye the way Blanca did. [...]
I've never been part of the pattern testing process before, so I was also really curious how it would go. I received the pattern and instructions, with just over 2 weeks to sew, take photos, and fill in my assessment form. In return, I received the finalized pattern upon release and a $25 gift card for the Close Core Patterns shop. There have been some really interesting discussions on pattern testing in the sewing community recently, especially around whether testers should be paid in some way. Love to Sew had a great episode about it back in March, right when I started testing the Blanca. I'm fortunate that I was able to spend $100 on fabric and supplies from my own pocket and spend the time sewing, which definitely puts me in a position of privilege that others may not be in... so it's a tricky spot. I haven't totally formed my opinion on it but I'm certainly not against pattern companies choosing to remunerate their testers in some way.
SO! Based on my measurements I made a straight size 16, and added 1" to the length of the bodice. I'm 5'7" with a long(er) torso, and Closet Core drafts for 5'6", so it made sense to add the extra length there. I also wanted to make sure there was plenty of ease for bending down and sitting so these would be fully-functional coveralls I could wear out & about, or in the garden this summer. The fabric is Robert Kaufman Ventana Twill in 'Smoky Pink', purchased from Needlework in Hamilton. Once finished, I added some patches - including a customized one with my name!! The Peony Patch and the Custom Name Patch are both from Atelier Monday on Etsy, and the "Avocato" patch and "Girl Power" patch have been hanging out in my stash for ages waiting for just the right garment to adorn!
Overall (har har), the fit on this flight suit is fantastic. I can bend and sit and squat and move around with ease! I do find that the Closet Core pattern block fits me really well without any major adjustments - especially now with the addition of D-Cup pattern pieces for the 14-30 size range. I probably could have graded the hips down to a size 14, but I'm still pleased with the fit. The back is a bit "blousy", but I believe with the final pattern version they've removed some length from the back bodice. I made the short-sleeved version with regular pockets and cropped legs. The sleeves are a bit long, so you'll see them rolled over 3 times in the photos, and I've rolled up the legs, too. Despite having so many pieces to cut out and sew up, this came together pretty quickly! I did find the pintuck along the back a bit tricky at first, and the zipper insertion was REALLY difficult. I also didn't quite follow the instructions for the belt, since I had some d-rings in my stash I shortened the belt from the tie length and used the d-rings for a closure instead of a tie. I definitely call this pattern test a huge success, and I hope to test more in the future!!
Without further ado, pictures!! Scroll to the bottom for an old picture of my "original" coveralls ;)
And of course, a photo of my Coveralls from when I was at the UofG studying Environmental Engineering! You get your coveralls as part of Frosh Week, with the intention of painting them up and personalizing them throughout the 4 or 5 years you're studying. I still have these hanging up in my closet!
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