Made to measure Christening Gown Sussex

upcycled wedding dress into christening gown

I made a made to measure Christening Gown Sussex in ivory taffeta and beaded lace applique.

I was honoured to be asked to create a mini-me christening dress for Baby M, using fabrics and inspiration from her mother’s beautiful wedding dress. Creating a dress for a growing babe is a tricky business but I have years of experience (and three little ones of my own) in getting the timing just right.

before and after Made to measure Christening Gown Sussex

Francesca’s wedding dress was made in ivory taffeta with lace applique and a pleated sash detail and train with a cloud of pale gold silk for the skirt. The back closed with buttons and a long train had more applique all down it. We used all these elements to design baby’s dress using materials left over from work on the original wedding.

This dress was made only ankle length as baby was just beginning to try and toddle so mummy wanted her feet unimpeded! She got to wear her dress again on her first birthday too!

 

Made to measure Christening Gown Sussex for first birthday

Final fitting pictures for the made to measure Christening Gown Sussex

Francesca wrote…

…I just wanted to say a huge thank you for (…)’s gorgeous dress. It received so many compliments on the day and I loved seeing her wearing a part of my wedding dress to be christened in the same church where were married, it was very special.

Mini-me christening dress by Felicity Westmacott, made from mummy's wedding dress in ivory taffeta and beaded applique: design sketch

Original design sketch

Making Made to measure Christening Gown Sussex

Francesca’s dress was so beautiful it was hard to start the job of cutting it up. But with the result planned to be so special, it just had to be done.

These pictures show some ‘before’ images of the original dress and work in progress.

Mini-me christening dress by Felicity Westmacott, made from mummy's wedding dress in ivory taffeta and beaded applique: the dress before we cut it up: cutting out the skirt shapes
Mini-me christening dress by Felicity Westmacott, made from mummy's wedding dress in ivory taffeta and beaded applique: the dress before we cut it up: creating the bodice

If you would like to commission a made to measure Christening Gown Sussex you can get in touch here.

Another pretty christening dress I made is here, with beaded lace and puff sleeves

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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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“Felicity listened to what I wanted, gave a clear quote and completed the alterations so nobody could see them. Clear booking system as well. Would recommend.”⁠
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Sometimes it takes a little adjustment here and there to make a wedding dress feel like it was made for you, and sometimes a dress needs a more dramatic transformation. Either way, I'm here to help.⁠
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If you're interested in getting your dress altered for this year, I'm currently booked up until the beginning of October. So if your wedding is November onwards and your dress doesn't feel quite right yet, drop me a message. But don't wait too long - spaces are filling up fast.⁠
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You can always book in a no-obligation consultation with me, to see if I would be the right fit for you and your dress - link in bio.⁠
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Photography - Birdseye Photography
Sure, my usual role is a bespoke wedding dress maker, creating beautiful and unique garments for brides looking for something a little different. 

But sometimes I'm also a lighting assistant, a caterer, a last-minute-rush-to-the-shopper. That's the fun of being a creative, working with other creatives. 

This was from a styled photoshoot I organised, based on the iconic 90s film, Strictly Ballroom. I made these dazzling neon bridesmaids outfits based around the stunning costumes of Latin ballroom dancers. Our photographer really wanted the colours to pop in the atmospheric darkness of our location, so of course I volunteered myself as floor level tripod 😂

The photos turned out amazing, so it was definitely worth it!

Have you ever found yourself doing a job you never expected?

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Hair and Make-up lead @melindabridal @melinda_grant
Hair and Make-up @beccibrushes
Jewellery @CatherineMarche
Neon Sign @thisisasignuk
Shoes @shoesbylarisa
"Just a very quick note from Rome to let you know how very admired your dress was. Lots of people said how beautiful it was. It really was the most beautiful dress I have ever seen. I definitely would like to work out how to potentially wear it again - I can’t bear the thought that I’ll never wear it again!

Thank you again - you truly are an alchemist!"

All the quiet hours designing, cutting, sewing and hand-stitching were all worth it, just to hear a bride so happy with her wedding dress. 

Want to see what this dreamy dress looked like on the day? I'll be posting the official wedding shots later this week. You won't want to miss this one, I promise you. This gown has quickly become a new favourite of mine 💙 

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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