The Nikko Pattern Hack: One Fabric, One Pattern, Two Looks

Hi everyone!!! I hope you had a happy Thanksgiving!! This is my favorite time of year. Why, because growing up, this was the one time where my family (on my father’s side) got together under one roof. At this point in my life, our home is not filled with family from all over, but it is filled with the family my husband and I created, which is enough for me. God has also blessed me with a great group of friends that have become my chosen family. These days, I am grateful for the little things, because they will one day become the big things. I hope that you have at least one thing in your life to be grateful for not just during the holiday, but everyday.

I have made a decision to start focusing on adding more capsule pieces to my wardrobe, staple pieces that can be styled a variety of ways. I have made so many print pieces with nothing to pair them with in my closet. I want to be more intensional in my sewing journey from now on. For Thanksgiving I wanted to wear something simple but cute, and I already had the perfect pattern and fabric in mind. Keep reading to find out how I used one pattern to create two new items to add to my self-made wardrobe.

Fabric Used

I was in Walmart minding my business and buying stuff I did not need as usual, and then I found this beautiful creamy knit rolled up in the discount fabric bin. I got about 3.25 yards of this fabric of about $6.00. Do not sleep on the Walmart fabric section you guys, there are hidden gems in there. This fabric has a four way stretch and great snap back. It is a little transparent, so you may want to line it with a knit lining or wear something under it to protect your privacy, if you know what I mean. Use a stretch needle to sew on your machine, or sew on your serger. I sewed this project with my Baby Lock Accord sewing machine and finished it off with my Vibrant serger. My favorite part of the serger is the firm hold of the presser foot and the built in thread cutter.

Pattern Used/Size Cut

You know you love a pattern when you reuse that pattern over and over again to make a variety of clothing options. Am I right? A pattern that has been added to my “pattern on repeat” list is the Nikko top and dress from True Bias. I cut view A for the top (sleeveless) which is cut to resemble a racerback, but with enough coverage to wear a regular bra, and I love that about this pattern. Racer backs are usually annoying to me because I could never find the right bra to wear with them. I also cut view D for the dress, both views were cut in a size 10.

Thankfully I had more than enough fabric left over, because I decided to hack the pattern to make a ruffle dress. I cut view D and shortened it to where you have the option shorten or lengthen the dress. I then cut two pieces of fabric, one double the width of the front and one double the width of the back of the dress and about 4 inches in length. Next I hem and stitched both pieces together at the sides and gathered to the width of the bottom of the dress. Lastly, you will stitch the ruffle to the bottom of the dress. To say I love this dress is an understatement. It is pretty, feminine, and fun to wear.

Review & Final Thoughts

The one thing that I had to correct with this pattern before sewing it again is the armhole. It was a tad bit wide for me, but it was not a big fix. Other than that, I love this pattern, and if you know me, you know that I love any pattern that is easy to hack. I have many more ideas on how I want to recreate the Nikko pattern to build my wardrobe, so you will be seeing more of this pattern on my instagram feed.

Thank you all for taking the time to read my blog, I truly appreciate it. I hope that this blog was informative and that you learned something that will help you in your next sewing project. I also hope that I have inspired you to look beyond the pattern photo to create your own design that fits your style. Comment below and let me know your thoughts or questions. Also, please make sure to subscribe to my blog.

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