The Little Cyclist: Switching Up An Old Pattern For A New Look

Sometimes making a few slight changes can make a pattern more interesting or easier to use.   I had this McCalls 2500 (circa 1986) from a stash of old patterns my mom gave me:

I thought it would make a fun summer outfit for my little miss, since the back is so nice & breezy:

This sweet bicycle print fabric seemed ideal (you may remember it from my Upcycled Hair Accessory Board).  It's a lot cuter in person - the fabric is so pastel it doesn't show up well in the photos + the not-so-hot evening lighting wasn't doing me any favors.



The pattern wasn't complicated, but I wasn't thrilled at the thought of spending a bunch of time fiddling with facing pieces for the neck and curved back.  It seemed easier & more versatile to completely line it and trim it with a contrasting FOE that would add some nice detailing too.  Faster to make AND provides two looks!

Since I made mine fully reversible, I cut out two of each of the top pieces and shaved a bit off the neckline & armholes since I wasn't going to need a seam allowance:

Then after sewing the front & backs of each set together at the shoulders, I pinned the necklines together (with the wrong sides facing):

I encased the armholes in FOE (my old friend, fold over elastic) and did the same from the back around to the other end of the back.  Then I did the same for the entire neckline.  It's a lot easier to it this way than to try to get around the corners, which would make the FOE a bit thick.

And to make it easy to reverse, I used matching plastic snaps:

For making the shorts I followed the standard method, but to give them the cyclist bloomer-look, I finished them with FOE that I pulled taut as I stitched it in place:

This creates a nice which created a nice rounded look and by leaving the hem allowance, it gave them a cute knicker length:

Using a bright teal FOE as the trim really set-off the print & brought out the little teal bike seats:



Now I want to sift through my pattern stash and see what other changes I could make to re-invent some old designs!

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