Finding Inspiration in the Valley
People often ask me how i get inspired.
I’m sure it happens different ways for different designers – but for me, it happens outside.
It’s no secret i am in love with the natural bushland of my hometown. It’s the blue sky, the blazing sun, the wind, the red dirt, the rugged bush. The pretty wildflowers that are somehow hard and delicate all at once. The trees, gnarled from bush fires, and beaten by the sun and lack of water. The winding river, the rolling hills, the ocean crashing on sand, the air full of salt. I love this sunburnt country.
The thing is, it’s not just the nature itself i love. Its the way i feel when i’m there. That’s what i like to design for. That feeling.
Right now, we are very lucky to live in the Swan Valley – right where the Swan river meets the Darling Ranges hills. It’s an area known for wineries, horse farms, and beautiful bushland teeming with native wildlife. It’s where i grew up, and where i developed my aesthetic.
Honestly, I couldn’t be more inspired right now. And that’s just the way i like to be.
Dress: Megan Nielsen, Darling Ranges dress with fishtail hem (tutorial coming soon!)
Jacket: Myer
Boots: Dolce Vita
Necklace: Merl Kinzie // Clydes Rebirth
Meg
Meg is the Founder and Creative Director of Megan Nielsen Patterns, and is constantly dreaming up ideas for new sewing patterns and ways to make your sewing journey more enjoyable! She gets really excited about design details and is always trying to add way too many variations to our patterns.
9 comments
So glad you’re happy back home! Btw I found a UK stockist for your patterns, now just waiting to have an excuse to buy them!
Thanks Kiri!! And i’m so glad you found a good UK stockist! Here’s hoping for a good sewing excuse soon hehehe :)
Love that dress!!
Thanks Annelise!! I am literally living in it at the moment! miss you!! xoxo
I’ve been following your blog for a long time now and while I’ve always thought you were brilliant – seeing these images makes everything about your designs really click. Of course this is where you get your inspiration! You look so at home here! I’m so happy for you.
Thanks so much Sallie, you are so sweet! I really do feel so linked to this area – it’s amazing what it’s done to get the creative juices flowing :) it makes me very excited!
Hugs honey! XOXO
You must live so close to my husband’s parents place.. we have almost exactly the same view of the escarpment from the vineyard.. I’m certain that I will run into you one day having tea at Taylor’s cafe or bump into you and your kids at the cuddly animal farm! ;)
You know what, i think we must be really close!!! How cool is that?? Perth is such a small place – i’m sure you’re right, and that one day i’ll see a girl and say “Katie?? is that you?” heheehe. We are at the cuddly animal farm a little too often hehe and Caversham :)
Or maybe we should just meet up for a coffee sometime after baby comes and bed rest is done with hey? hugs XOXO
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