It’s been awhile, folks! After a—gasp—eight-month blogging hiatus, I’m back. For the past several months, I had resigned myself to the duties of being a bride: Sending save-the-dates, reserving hotel blocks, creating what was deemed to be an acceptable registry, making a wedding website, booking vendors, following up with said vendors, choosing music, buying wedding favors, deciding where in God’s name everyone will sit… and about a bajillion other tiny decisions that I’ve already expunged from my memory.

The wedding came and went this June. It was fantastic, and I’ll post photos here when we receive them from our amazing photographer.

In the meantime, I am thrilled to share this goofy little Nikko top.

I bought this parrot-printed knit remnant from Oak Fabrics with the intention of making matching honeymoon tanks for me and Marc. When that didn’t happen, I figured I might as well make something equally as impractical and fun. Because who doesn’t need a bird-printed mock-turtleneck sleeveless shirt in their closet?!

I’m familiar with the Nikko pattern from True Bias, as I made a Nikko Dress in 2018. The shirt you see here is technically just a cut-off version of the Nikko Dress, since I couldn’t be bothered to print out the Nikko Top. I believe the top pattern is a bit more fitted through the waist and hips, but I don’t mind a little extra breathing room here!

I made this in a size 8 and sewed the side seams and mock turtleneck with my serger. Per the instructions, I used a stretch stitch on my regular sewing machine for the armhole facings, and then I hemmed it with a twin needle. This top came together super fast and is a great scrap-buster if you’ve got a stretchy, sturdy knit lying around.

Now I just have to figure out how else to wear this… tucked into my MN Flint Pants, maybe?