Behind The Scenes Archives | Megan Nielsen Patterns Blog

Fabric Stash Storage Ideas!

02.24.2021 by Naomi // 2 Comments

Fabric Stash Storage ideas Whether you’ve been sewing for decades or have only just recently joined the party, you’ll have realised that sewing and collecting fabric go hand in hand! You might have a fabric stash because you like to plan ahead or maybe because plans change and projects get put on hold. Maybe it’s because you fell in love with some fabric and haven’t quite decided what it’s perfect for yet…and sometimes all you know was there was a sale and you walked in and next minute you’re on your way home with a big bag of fabric (it happens!). The fact of the matter is, if you sew, you’re going to have a fabric stash! So how do you store your fabric stash?

Do you have a meticulously organised and categorised collection? Or do you take a more relaxed approach to all? So much depends on the space you’ve got, the amount of fabric you have, and the way you interact with your fabric – whether you need to be in and out of it all the time or only once in a blue moon.

Today on the blog we’re delving into the stashes of our team! Each of us with our own way of organising and storing. If you’re looking for inspiration on how to manage your own collection you might find some useful tips and if you’re looking for reassurance that you’re not the only one with a big stash – you’ll definitely find that too! We love sharing hacks & knowhow here at MN so don’t forget to get involved in our comments section if you’ve got any great advice to share! [Read more…]

The 40 Under 40 Business Awards

09.20.2020 by Meg // 4 Comments

Megan Nielsen winner of the 40 Under 40 Business Awards in Western Australia

It’s been a big week for me. Earlier in the year I was nominated for the 40 Under 40 Business Awards here in Western Australia and this week was the big awards gala evening. It was such an honour to be nominated, and I was incredibly blown away to win a place in the top 40 out of over a hundred nominees. To be honest I just feel so humbled and grateful to be included amongst so many amazing young entrepreneurs. This is a definite career high for me.

It was so wonderful to have my husband Chris, and my parents there for this special event – three people who have supported and helped me from day one and made everything possible.

Of course I just want to be gushy for a moment and say thank you to all of you wonderful makers of the sewing community. I know I say it all the time – but it’s still true – without you I wouldn’t even have a business, and I’m grateful for your support and encouragement over the years! And yes, I did make my dress for the event ;) I promise I will share more about it in a few weeks once I have some photos to share!

40 Under 40 Business Awards winner Megan Nielsen

Sewing Community Project: Behind The Scenes

09.04.2020 by Naomi // 1 Comment

Sewing Community Project: Behind The Scenes - Hilda Getting Her Make-Up Done

Hey everyone, Naomi here! Is it just me, or has everyone else’s sense of time gone out the window this year? I could have sworn that it was just last month we had the Sewing Community Project makers in the studio, excitedly picking out patterns and fabric, then on shoot day getting their makeup done! But at the same time, it also feels like a lifetime ago. A LOT has changed since then. One thing that hasn’t changed though is how incredibly important it is to maintain and nurture our communities! Which is what got me reminiscing about our wonderful community project in the first place.

I know you all enjoyed the beautiful photos that our photographer Bronnie Joel took, and the wonderful interviews with each of the brilliant makers (check out the links at the end if you haven’t had a chance to read them yet!). However, something you folks haven’t seen much of is the behind the scenes! So, I thought today I’d tell you a little more about what went into the project!

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Behind the Scenes at a Megan Nielsen Patterns Photoshoot

06.26.2020 by Meg // 1 Comment

Behind the scenes at a Megan Nielsen Patterns photoshoot!

I’ve got something fun to share with you today! During our last photoshoot I made a little behind the scenes video for you so you can see what a typical photoshoot day looks like at Megan Nielsen Patterns!

You can view it below or click through to Youtube. I really hope you enjoy it!

Photographer: Jessica Wyld
Hair and makeup artist: TxC Collective
Model: Belle Lewis
Shoot assist: Anita and Naomi!

Megan Nielsen Studio Grand Opening!!

09.30.2019 by Meg // 15 Comments

Megan Nielsen Patterns Studio Grand Opening!!

My friends I feel like I have been waiting years to write this post and I’m so excited to final share all about the grand opening of my studio space!

As you know I’ve been working from home for the past 10 years and as much as I have loved it, it also came with it’s complications. This year I started feeling like we had outgrown the space. There wasn’t enough room for me and my team to work comfortably, and I was also feeling like I needed a bit more separation of my work and home life.

When I drove by this space one day I thought it was exactly what I had been dreaming of! There is room for my whole team to work comfortably and for me to do some things that were never possible in my home workspace – like making my workspace open to the public so that we can connect more with the local sewing community! I am really loving being able to meet so many other makers and share our love of sewing.

This space allows me to display our pattern samples publicly, which i love, because i think makes it so much easier to get your head around the details and features of each design when you can hold them and touch them.

As you know I am incredibly passionate about sustainability in fashion and sewing, and textile waste is something that is incredibly worrying to me. I wanted to be able to offer a sustainable source of fabric to Perth makers, so I have been working closely with amazing local fashion labels to stock their deadstock fabric from their manufacturing. This has been an incredibly satisfying new aspect of my business – seeing fabric that was once waste and unused, finding a new use is so exciting! I feel like we are creating a little sustainable loop here in Perth and i love it!

I will share a proper tour of our studio once we are fully settled in, but for now I thought you might enjoy seeing a few snaps from our grand opening a few weeks ago. It was an amazing and overwhelming day with over 300 makers visiting the studio there was barely room to move for a few hours, and my heart is just so full with the amazing support i’ve received from the Perth sewing community. I commissioned local artist Chris Nixon to create a gorgeous sewing mural ready for our opening, and he did an amazing job and I love how it turned out!! I also ordered special logo cookies for the occasion and we had free flowing champagne for everyone who stopped by, and it was just such a fun day celebrating the opening.