People often ask me for advice in choosing sewing machines for beginners to dressmaking. This article is designed specifically for those looking to make clothing at home, or starting out on the road through fashion or costume training. There are specialist machines for other jobs like quilting and upholstery but I wonβt be looking at...
Posts from Felicity Westmacott
Just me escaping the world for a bit to go and live in the woods and hang out with the birds.
I`ll be back later...(maybe) πΏ
#weddingdress #bespokeweddingdress #alternativeweddingdress
"Everyone at the wedding said my dress looked amazing, I had so many lovely comments! Thank you again for making my dress fit so perfectly!"β
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What more can I say? Another successful alteration, another happy bride - job done!β
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If you`re interested in getting your dress altered for this year, you better hurry since my slots for 2026 are filling up fast! For more info, visit my website (link in bio).β
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Photography - @dandjweddingphotography
A few days` ago I shared with you some of the adorable christening gowns I`ve made, but let`s not forget the sweet little suits and waistcoats too!β
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Like with the christening gowns and dresses, I try to incorporate some elements of baby`s mum`s wedding dress or dad`s suit. For example, in the 3rd photo, baby G has a mini-me waist that is an exact copy of his daddy`s.β
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For the little suit in the 5th photo, I used fabrics left over from mummyβs wedding dress to create an 18th century style waistcoat, cravat and trousers for their little boy. Doesn`t he look so dapper?β
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I think it`s wonderful when a wedding gown can live past its big day, whether that be re-purposing, upcycling, passing it on to someone else or as a christening outfit. The possibilities are endless!β
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If you`d never thought about upcycling your wedding dress before, maybe now you might consider it. And as always, my door is always open if you want to have a chat about how you might go about doing that.β
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Photography (#1 and #2) - @charlottelouisephotography
It`s spring! And spring is about fresh starts and new life! So I wanted to focus on a very cute part of my job - creating dresses for babies out of their mothers` wedding gowns.β
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In the first two photo we have Eleanor, whose dress I made in 2010 and then six years later I made a christening gown out of the spare material for little Baby A. I always try to keep as many of the details from the original dress in the new design - here I kept the box pleated frills from the bottom of Eleanor`s dress, as well as that beautiful embroidered silk. Seeing baby and mother, both in their gowns is just too adorable! πβ
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In the 4th photo you can see another wedding dress next to the christening gown I made from it. And in the following photo, where I made two outfits from one dress (that little romper is one of my faves).β
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I don`t always make christening outfits by upcycling wedding dresses, but when I do I really enjoy the challenge of interpreting the design for little bodies, whether the original design is mine or not. I think it`s a lovely way of respecting the original designer and also as a way of linking a big day in their mother`s life, to a big day in theirs.β
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Let me know in the comments; would you ever re-purpose your wedding dress?β
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Photography (#8 and #9) - @charlottelouisephotography
This Bridgerton-inspired wedding dress is so versatile!
Of course, underneath everything there first needs to be the proper shapewear to give that Regency pillar silhouette, in the form of stays and a petticoat.
Then along comes this beautiful white and gold duchess satin dress.
And this is where the fun begins...
I created some many different accessories and options for this outfit:
You can add something deeply dramatic, with a period-accurate presentation train. This one is super long and gilded in gold lace.
Or you could go for some detachable puff sleeves, finished with an ornate pearl trim.
Then there`s the bow, which can be added on top of the train, or just straight onto the dress, with the long sash-tends working as a sort of mini train.
And of course, the final, and most essential accessory for a look like this: fun, whimsy and a love for the dramatic. It also helps if you`re obsessed with this current season of Bridgerton, of course...
Which Bridgerton character can you imagine wearing this bridal look?
If you think this might be the dress for you, it`s currently for sale on my Etsy page (π in bio) - it`s heavily discounted compared to my usual bespoke orders, so claim her whilst you can!
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The hair matches the wedding dress! The hair matches the wedding dress! How many brides can say they had a rainbow dress and rainbow hair for their wedding day? Honestly, looking at all this colour brings me so much joy!β
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Bryony is a gorgeous alternative woman, with tattoos, piercings and a wicked sense of humour, so she needed a dress that could match her. She had already chosen this beautiful gown when she contacted me, but that was only the start of its journey to the aisle. β
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Along with a few alterations, I dip dyed her dress, along with the tulle shoulder bows, to make this feast for the eyes - bright, vibrant colours to match Bryony`s bright, vibrant soul.β
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And if you`re asking yourself, "well, if it`s a rainbow, where`s the green?", I think the greenness of their outdoor wedding finishes off the rainbow perfect.β
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If you can`t stop staring at this dress, drop me and DM, and bring some colour to your wedding this year. β
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Photography - @alexandra_weddingsβ
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#altbride #ukbride #2026bride #dipdyeweddingdress
Emily BThanks so much for this detailed investigation This question is asked so often (almost daily) in sewing forums, and I know Iβll be sending people over here to read this. Itβs interesting to see that new Berninas didnβt pop up as βrecommended for those new to dressmakingβ; Iβll hypothesise that this is due to their (higher) price point, even for their current entry-level model (the 215). Fundamentally, theyβre not unsuitable for beginners; theyβre just a bigger investment to begin with.Β
Meanwhile, Iβm thrilled to see some of my favourite machines on this list. Singer 201s (the older cast iron, and newer aluminium body machines) and the smaller 99s are straight-stitch only machines, but the narrower feed-dogs mean they are some of the most beautiful straight stitches youβll ever see. I picked up my Elna Supermatic from the tip shop for AUD$15, and after a service it runs beautifully. My students love to sew on my Bernina 1001, too!
To anyone reading this and looking for answers: please take notice. This advice is sound, and has your best interests at heart.Β
Viv WatkinsI like your advice for using a hair dryer on a machine that has been stored for a long time or in a cold place.Β Years ago, my engineer told me I must always have my machine at room temperature before sewing and I do that without even thinking about it!Β
RitaPlease is keyser 69 and pffaf 1212 okay for beginners class? Thanks
woozelsmudgeHi Rita
As I say in the article I actually have very little personal experience with any machines except my beloved Bernina 1001. The Elna supermatic was recommended by several people I surveyed as a very nice little machine. Pfaff also scores highly among sewing professionals as a good brand and looking around there seem to be lots of tutorials and demos using it, I would say yes it will do you very well.Googling Keyser 69 didnβt help me know more either as nothing comes up β except an article with the Smithsonian museum. So from that I infer itβs very much an older machine! And, as long as they are good working order, older machines are usually pretty good. If it does a straight and a zigzag stitch and has a backwards function I should imagine you are good to go! I hope this gives you some confidence β all machines will benefit from a service before use!