Custom Mini-me Christening Dress

fitting for twin girls

I made these custom mini-me christening dress for Adrienne’s twin girls.

These two christening dresses were made from Mummy’s wedding dress fabrics and trims. I used the taffeta as the main fabric and then the veil tulle for the overskirt. I carefully removed the beaded lace motifs from the original dress and hand sewed them on as bodice detail.

Custom mini-me christening dress
beaded motif hand applique

Design sketch for custom mini-me christening dress

original design by felicity westmacott
Custom mini-me christening dress on a hanger

Christening gown made from mummy's wedding dress by Felicity Westmacott: wedding dress before work began

The wedding dress before I cut into it to make the Custom mini-me christening dress

custom baptism gown with veil

A finished Custom mini-me christening dress. You can see the crystals and edging trim from the original veil that was carefully placed to work as the hem on the new dresses.

back of christening dress

I used new concealed zips to fasten the back of the mini-me christening dresses.

fitting for baby in custom christening dress

I have made a lot of christening dresses out of mum or grandmother’s wedding dress for small people. It’s a lovely way to honour the memory of you wedding day. And it’s environmentally friendly too, saving the materials from landfill.

If you don’t have a suitable wedding dress of your own you can also consider using another pre-loved dress. There are many specialist selling sites, or you can ask friends and family if anyone has one to donate. It’s not a really a cost saving as actually the materials needed for a tiny dress won’t cost very much. A metre or two of new materials will probably be cheaper ( and easier for me to use) than a preloved dress. But the emotional significance of the up-cycled wedding dress is worth it’s weight in gold!

You can see more examples of dresses I have made out of mum’s wedding dress in my portfolio. I made two outfits from this Ian Stuart wedding dress, a dress and a romper for different age siblings.

If you would like to commission your own mini-me bespoke christening gown just get in touch and we can talk through your ideas.

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felicity westmacott wearing a hat

Felicity Westmacott

I write about all aspects of weddings, dressmaking, fashion history, and the human relation to clothing. I welcome comments and debate.

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I have always loved working on cultural fusion wedding dresses, and I have been very lucky that many brides trust me with this process.

For Vidushi's bespoke wedding dress, we worked to combine her Indian heritage with her husband's Polish culture. She sourced the base dress and three beautiful red saris, and we began the process of discovering the kind of fusion she was looking for. 

The final result is the perfect blend of east and west ❤️

Wedding photography by @whiteframestorytellers_
Four years ago, I opened my bridal shop after working from home for the past 16 years. It was a huge decision and I had so many thoughts, so many pros and cons, and so many fears going round and round.

Here are just three of the doubts I had about buying the shop:

1.	The Commute
You know how sometimes the idea of something just feels bad, and then it turns out the reality of it is fine? That.
I worried about how long it would take, about traffic, about wasting time.

But the shop is just an 18-minute drive and I don't notice the time pass. I even cycle there occasionally, which is good for both my body and my mind. And it is so worth it for the separation between home life and work life. I can let my creativity lead me, instead of the distractions of a busy house.

2.	Premise Costs
My dad once told me, “The only person who makes money from small retail is the landlord", and I worried all my income would disappear into rent. But I was in the very privileged position to be able to buy my shop. This means the shop is an investment, as well as a workshop and a welcoming space for my brides.

3.	Self-Doubt
The loudest voice, with constant thoughts about whether the shop would be good enough, would anyone come in and would anyone like my work. 
But they do. Brides who see the dresses in the window, then visit the shop and often choose to work with me.

I am so grateful to my past self, and everyone who supported me in taking the leap. All the doubt was really worth it. 

Here’s to another four years, and hopefully many more 🤍
emailme@felicitywestmacott.co.ukTEL 07762 543230TOUCHGet in
from design to completionbespoke wedding dressesFelicity Westmacott
Dorking, RH4 1RT241 High Street• Visit the Studio •
Dorking, RH4 1RT241 High Street• Visit the Studio •
emailme@felicitywestmacott.co.ukTEL 07762 543230TOUCHGet in