It’s been almost three years since I started working exclusively from home again after closing the Megan Nielsen Studio, and I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to share a little tour of my workspace with you! So without further ado here is a little 2025 Workroom Tour! When I closed the studio there were two things I was desperate to keep. One was my large workbench, which now sits on my patio outside as an outdoor workspace. The second was this massive custom pegboard wall that my ...| Megan Nielsen Patterns Blog
For the final Cascade skirt hack that I will be sharing, I saved my favorite for last. It’s a ruffle hem! A ruffle hem on a wrap skirt is just *chef kiss*. And it works so well on the Cascade. Here, I’ll be showing it on the knee length version, but there are so many different ways to do this, including trying it out on the longer high-low hem. Hopefully, my tutorial here provides you with the general steps you need, and you can interpret it however way you want! First, we need to take so...| Megan Nielsen Patterns Blog
I have another fun hack today – a ballet style mini length Cascade skirt! it’s pretty simple, but it does play off the first hack we previously did – the straight hem hack. Since this is a mini skirt, I figured it would be best to have the bottom layer of the wrap to have a little more coverage. So the bottom layer will have the straight hem, but the top layer will have the usual Cascade rounded hem, make sense? So if you haven’t checked out the straight hem hack, make sure you stop t...| Megan Nielsen Patterns Blog
Now that we’ve covered all of the construction steps for the Cascade skirt, let’s explore some hacks, shall we? Fir this first hack, I eliminated the curved hem and created a straight hem! so instead of a curve at the wrap, it creates a 90 degree angle – a vertical straight line at the wrap point, and an even straight hem. Let me show you how I did it! I’m going to be demonstrating this on the knee length option. So they only pattern piece we need to work with is the Front skirt piece...| Megan Nielsen Patterns Blog
We’ve already gone over the tie waistband version of the Cascade skirt, so today lets cover the other waistband option – the button waistband! First, we need to staystitch our waistline. Just stitch along the entire waistline, 5/8″ from the raw edge. Then clip along the waistline seam allowance – snipping as close to the staystitching as you can without cutting through it. This will allow you to lay your skirt flat to attache the waistband. P.S – Too many clips will weaken the fabri...| Megan Nielsen Patterns Blog
There are two waistband options on the Cascade skirt – a tie waistband and a button waistband. Today we’ll go over the tie waistband option! First, we need to staystitch our waistline. Just stitch along the entire waistline, 5/8″ from the raw edge. Then clip along the waistline seam allowance – snipping as close to the staystitching as you can without cutting through it. This will allow you to lay your skirt flat to attache the waistband. P.S – Too many clips will weaken the fabric,...| Megan Nielsen Patterns Blog
If you’re making your Cascade skirt in a lightweight fabric, especially a lightweight fabric that may be a little sheer, you might want to add a lining. And we got you covered! You simply use the same skirt pattern pieces that you used for your main skirt, and we’ll cover the steps below. Let’s go! For a fully lined skirt you will need to cut the skirt Front and the skirt Back out of lining fabric as well. The same way you assembled your main skirt, sew your side seams (either standard ...| Megan Nielsen Patterns Blog
Hi friends! I recently learned about this hemming technique to create baby hems/ rolled hems, and my mind was blown! And you know what? Its perfect for your cascade skirts made in lightweight fabrics! It uses a product called ban-rol, which is a waistband stiffener notion thats usually used to provide structure. You want to make sure its a ban-rol with a weave – its the only way it will work for this hemming method. Now, this may seem tedious, because you’ll need quite a long piece to acc...| Megan Nielsen Patterns Blog
Next up on our Cascade skirts – we’re actually going to do the hem! Yes, usually the hem is there very last step in the sewing project. But due to the shape of the Cascade skirt, it must be done before attaching the waistband. And because of the extreme curved shape, and that it may be made in some lightweight fabrics, the recommended hem technique would be a rolled hem. A few notes: -Best practice for a skirt like this is to let it hang from a hanger for 24 hours before hemming it. Fabri...| Megan Nielsen Patterns Blog
Hi everyone! Today were going to go over another method for sewing your side seams. Since the side seams insides can often be visible when wearing the Cascade skirt, especially the high/low hem version, you may choose to sew them as french seams instead of a standard seam finish. This is a clean finish with the raw edges completely enclosed. Just FYI – while this provides a clean finish that may be more aesthetically pleasing, you will have to omit the pockets with this method. So if you wa...| Megan Nielsen Patterns Blog
Let’s kick off the sewalong for our Cascade skirts with something we all love – the pockets! Seriously, who doesn’t love pockets?! With this method, we’ll be sewing the side seams with a standard seam. If you choose to omit the pockets though, there is also the option of sewing the side seams with french seams, which we’ll cover in the next post. But you want pockets? we got you covered! so let’s get started. Finish the curved raw edges of the pocket separately using a serger/over...| Megan Nielsen Patterns Blog
Children's / Inspiration | Megan Nielsen Patterns Blog
Children's / Inspiration | Megan Nielsen Patterns Blog
A super cute handmade Paddington Bear Costume for Book Week or Halloween with components that can be worn separately.| Megan Nielsen Patterns Blog
DIY Book week and Halloween costume inspired by the children's book The Paw. Handmade using simple techniques.| Megan Nielsen Patterns Blog
I made my Pride and Prejudice obsessed daughter an Elizabeth Bennet costume for Bookweek full of Regency inspired details!| Megan Nielsen Patterns Blog
The story of making a rose gold silk brocade formal gown for my little Birdie using a test version of the Mini Protea sewing pattern.| Megan Nielsen Patterns Blog
This Anne of Green Gables costume for my youngest Birdie was so fun to make using the Mini Daring Ranges sewing pattern and leftover fabric!| Megan Nielsen Patterns Blog
