Skip to content

Megan Nielsen River Dress

Megan Nielsen River Dress

I swear I haven’t gone MIA since having a kid. I’ve been working on several projects lately – it’s the documenting that’s been lacking. See, my backyard’s not that pretty and inside the house in winter, I only get really good light early in the morning, and I never feel like getting up and taking pictures early in the morning.

I’m in desperate need of more winter(-ish) dresses. Now, I live in Texas so cold temperatures are sporadic, mild, and only last a few months. So my version of a “winter dress” may not be the same as yours.

Megan Nielsen River Dress

This sweatshirt fleece with metallic splotches is from Joann. I think the silver elevates an otherwise casual style.

Normally, I wear this dress with tights or leggings but if I can barely be bothered to get dressed up for pics in the morning, you can’t blame me for ditching the leggings for this pic. And even though it’s short-sleeved, I can wear it with a jacket or sweater.

Megan Nielsen River Dress

This River Dress is the first Megan Nielsen pattern I’ve sewn in years. I’ve shied away from her stuff mostly because I never got my Darling Ranges dresses to fit correctly in the bust and I questioned the quality of her drafts but I think she’s improved since then.

Megan Nielsen River Dress

I did have a little fit issue with this dress, though. There seemed to be too much fabric in the sleeve seams in the front. I don’t think I completely fixed the issue but I did deepen the seam allowance on those seams. However, this edit means the dress is no longer reversible like the pattern is designed.

Megan Nielsen River Dress

I’m hoping my issue is just that I cut a size too big on top and next time I’ll try one size down. I made an S in the bust and waist and M in the hips.

I also shortened the skirt by about 4 inches. I find that shift-shaped dresses tend to look heavy when they hit at the knee or below. The shorter skirt tends to balance the silhouette and besides, I always wear something under it anyway.

Megan Nielsen River Dress

I did contemplate adding an elastic waist casing to it because I wasn’t sure I liked the waist-less style but now looking at these pictures, I think I like it as-is.

Sidebar