megan nielsen design diary

Curve looks are here!!

04.18.2019 by Meg // 1 Comment

Megan Nielsen Curve Tania culottes Megan Nielsen Curve Jarrah sweater

After so much hard work I am thrilled to be able to share the images from our recent Curve lookbook shoot with you! The team has been planning this shoot carefully since before we announced our extended sizing last year, and it’s such a wonderful feeling to see what we’ve been dreaming up become a reality.

I’m so thrilled with the results and couldn’t wait another second to show you what we’ve been working on! These are a few of my favourite shots from the shoot, but it was so hard to narrow down – there are honestly so many amazing looks! Please go check them out on my website and let me know what you think!

Megan Nielsen Curve Dawn Jeans Megan Nielsen Curve Tania culottes Megan Nielsen Curve Flint pants and shorts

I just want to say thank you to everyone who has been waiting patiently for these images. It took longer than expected to get here, but I’m glad we didn’t rush and that we took our time to put together something I’m really proud of and love. We made over 50 samples, which was an epic undertaking and took a lot of hardwork from my sample makers and myself. Looking at the results it was so so worth it. I’m so excited to share more over the coming months as we release more patterns into extended sizing!

Megan Nielsen Curve Axel skirt Megan Nielsen Curve Floreat dress Megan Nielsen Curve Virginia leggings and Floreat tee

This is the culmination of a long term dream for me and so much hard work and I honestly just feel so overwhelmed to be able to share it with you now. I truly hope you love the results of this latest shoot as much as we do!

Happy sewing!

Megan Nielsen xo

Megan Nielsen Curve Brumby skirt Megan Nielsen Curve Jarrah sweater Megan Nielsen Curve Virginia leggings

Photography by Jessica Wyld
HMUA by TXC Collective
Models: Steph Teudt and Ella Pascal
Shoot assist and general awesomeness: Anita Dorizzi

Chambray pleated Wattle skirt

04.12.2019 by Meg // Leave a Comment

Megan Nielsen pleated Wattle skirt in chambray + pink River knit top

It feels so good to sit down and write a blog post today. I’m coming off the back of a couple of weeks of very intense sewing leading up to our lookbook photoshoot for our Curve range, and I feel like I’ve spent almost every waking minute behind a machine. I love sewing, but it was a bit much i must admit. It feels good to write again! Our shoot was an absolutely amazing day and I can’t wait to share the images with you all. We shot 57 samples on two gorgeous models, and have been working towards this shoot for over 9 months. It was a lot of work, but so so so worth it. These photos will help show the details of our Curve range better and just from peeking over our photographers shoulder during the shoot i’m exciting for how everything looks! I’ll make sure to post here when they are live so you can check them out. It’s so hard to wait!

Anyway, until then, back to my Wattle skirt! This is View C of the pattern, the pleated skirt. We made it as part of the testing process from a really lovely cotton chambray from Materialise in Perth. I got the end of the bolt and we only had just enough fabric to squeeze this skirt in. I really love that feeling when you squeeze a make out of what doesn’t seem like enough fabric. Why is that so exciting?! Is this the sewing equivalent of living on the edge?!

I’ve been wearing a lot of shorts or midi length garments for the last few years and not much in between that length, so I have really enjoyed wearing this above the knee skirt. The say a change is as good as a holiday, and it’s amazing how a slight change in skirt length is really refreshing.

Here I’m wearing it with my pink knit River top. I’ve gotten so much wear out of this top. It has definitely become that top that I throw on when i’m not sure what to wear because it just seems to go with everything.

I’m looking forward to sharing the results from our photoshoot in a few days!

XOXO

Megan Nielsen pleated Wattle skirt in chambray + pink River knit top

photography by Bronnie Joel

slubby linen Wattle midi skirt

03.18.2019 by Meg // 1 Comment

Megan Nielsen Wattle midi skirt in printed linen

Now that the Wattle sewalong has wrapped up I’m really thrilled to be able to share some favourites from my wardrobe!

This Wattle midi skirt has got to be my most worn Wattle skirt, and I don’t think that will change any time soon. Krystal made this sample during testing and it was love at first sight. This linen is actually digitally printed, so the underside is white! The texture is what I really love about it, and I think that lends itself really well to bias cuts. I bought it at the Potter & co warehouse sale a while back – that really was an amazing sale, I feel i’m like constantly using the pieces I bought.

The top I’m wearing is a River top sample from testing that I don’t think i’ve shared before? It looks a lot like the Banksia blouse I have from the same fabric, and is a great testament to why you shouldn’t make two tops from the same fabric – I get confused all the time!

After taking these photos I decided that the skirt wasn’t sit as snug around my waist as I like, so I simply moved the buttons further toward the side seam on the waistband to get a closer fit. That’s one of the things I really love about Wattle – there is a little bit of flexibility in a crossover closure. If you need to give or take a bit of room in the waist, you can simply move the buttons a tad. I really like that!

There is a small amount left of the skirt fabric and I’m thinking of making a Eucalpyt tank with so i can have a matching set/faux dress. What do you think should i do it?!

Megan Nielsen Wattle midi skirt in printed linen

photography by Bronnie Joel

Wattle Sewalong // how to sew the hem

03.11.2019 by Holly // Leave a Comment

how to sew the tie waistband on the Wattle skirt by Megan Nielsen Patterns Here we are friends! On the very last step of our Wattle skirt construction! All we have to do now is hem.

Views A+D have a narrow hem, and views B+C have a wider hem. But if you’d like a narrower hem on B or D, just simply shorten the skirt by the difference between the included hem (2 1/2″) and your desired hem. But I’ll show you both below!

Ok, let’s finish this up…

[Read more…]

Wattle Sewalong // how to sew the tie waistband

03.10.2019 by Holly // Leave a Comment

how to sew the tie waistband on the Wattle skirt by Megan Nielsen Patterns It’s time for my favorite waistband version of the Wattle skirt – the tie waistband! It’s such a unique waistband closure, and oh so sweet!

If you’ve sewn the tie waistband on the Flint pants before, this process will be exactly like that, but the ties are just longer. I personally love the longer ties paired with the skirt, but I’d love to see someone use the shorter ties from Flint on their Wattle skirt! Just an idea ;).

Either of the waistbands can actually be attached to any of the style skirt options for Wattle. For this tutorial, I’ll be attaching the tie waistband to a gathered version (view C). But it is the exact same process if you adding it to a pleated (view B) or bias cut (views A/D) skirt.