I was in love with the Nikko Top by True Bias when it was released and I had this exact version (short sleeved) in my head. I was nervous to make it, though, because I completely hated turtlenecks when I was little. I also don’t really like things around my neck most of the time, except for some necklaces, and I like scarves for the most part. Eventually I decided that the only way to know if I would like it was to try it!
This fabric is THE MOST amazing tencel ribbed knit from Indiesew. Allie knows a good ribbed knit, and this one is incredible. It’s the perfect weight, has excellent recovery, and it is SO soft because it’s fiber content is tencel. I’ve been shying away from fitted shirts lately because I just don’t feel good in them, and the looser tops are more my style, but this fabric makes it so that you don’t see any lumps and I love it!
I could not have made this as good as I did without Allie’s excellent Indiesew blog post about serging with bulky knit fabrics. This blog post is the most helpful thing I’ve read when it comes to serging thick fabric. She explains all about the different settings and since Allie uses the Brother 1034D like I do, it was really easy to understand. I used the blog post last year when I made some clothes for my mom out of french terry and a thick ribbed knit, and it worked so well! I took a picture of my machine before and after I changed my settings so that I could easily get it back to whichever settings I need. It’s also really helpful to have a picture on my phone of my serger settings because Braden loves to turn all of the nobs on my machine when I’m not looking. (GAH!)
The only sewing tall alteration I made was to lengthen at the waist by 2″ – but then I decided not to hem it because this knit is so nice and looks great unhemmed. So, I ended up cutting off 1.5″ because it was too long. If anything, adding the length just moved the hip curve down, which is what I needed anyways.
I ordered 2 yards of this fabric and had enough to cut the long sleeves…so I did – even though I knew I really wanted short sleeves. I just hadn’t seen anyone else do short sleeves, and I was failing to find inspiration. But a few days after finishing this top, I saw a picture of someone wearing a short sleeve top similar to this, and I immediately went into the closet to chop the sleeves off! Ugh. I should have just cut the short sleeves first to save fabric, but oh well.
Usually with ribbed knits, you’re supposed to size down, but since this fabric has such good recovery I just stuck with my size. The Nikko Top pattern is designed really well, and I was able to trace, cut, and sew this shirt really quickly (even quicker because I didn’t have to hem!). I had never sewn a turtleneck before, and it’s not much different than sewing on a cuff, so it was a really fun thing to sew!
I have only worn it twice – once for Halloween, and the second time to take these pictures. I hope to get more wear out of it now that I cut the sleeves short. I like that this fabric makes it so that the neckline isn’t super tight, since I didn’t size down. To be honest, this fabric is so perfect for the pattern. The only thing I need to remember is to make sure I do my hair and makeup after I put it on because since the neckline is more snug than a normal tee, your look might get slightly/completely ruined after you put it on. Just FYI.
If you’re like me and you’re on the fence about turtlenecks, or if you love them and want a really good pattern, the Nikko Top is a great pattern to try.
What do you think about short sleeved turtlenecks? Is this something you would wear?
The pattern and fabric for this post were provided by Indiesew. All thoughts and opinions are my own.