Hi, I’m Fliss and I’m a Surrey based seamstress, making bespoke bridal outfits for brides all over the country (and beyond). I love creating wedding looks that are a little different from the usual. And this gorgeous photoshoot, shot at Welbeck Manor, is the perfect alternative wedding dress inspiration – Surrey. Alternative Wedding Dress Inspiration...
Tracey wanted a Tudor inspired wedding dress with a modern twist for her wedding at the Tudor period hotel, Langshott Manor. I love designing alternative wedding dresses so this was a lovely project. The two piece ensemble made in deep red silk velvet has a firmly boned bodice cut in a ‘Tudor’ style with a...
Modelled by Jenny, Zoe, Anna and Charlie Amanda commissioned a custom orange bridesmaid dress for each of her four bridesmaids and five cravats for the groomsmen. The princess line dresses had strapless sweet-heart necklines with a ‘ballet’ style gathered piece at centre front. Each orange bridesmaid dress was made from a copper coloured silk-dupion with...
Stunning Cadbury purple 1950’s bridesmaid’s dresses with with black sashes and pretty butterfly detail. The dresses are all simple boned bodices with a ‘ballet pinch’ detail just below the sweetheart neckline. A halterneck is flattering and provided peace of mind to the wearer. The full circle skirts lie over netting skirts in bright contrast colours...
Suzanne commissioned a pretty dress and bolero made up in taffeta and chiffon. The knee-length dress has a fitted and boned bodice with gentle sweet-heart shaped neckline and slim straps. The dress is made from shot taffeta (shot pink/green/ivory) with chocolate chiffon on top, the chiffon is ‘plaited’ down the front of the bodice and...
Clare wanted something pretty but informal and not too ‘wedding’ for her special day. She knew from the start that a rose pink informal wedding dress was the way forward. She brought a skirt she loved to her design consultation with gorgeous little godet flare inserts at the back which we used as a basis...
Aine commissioned a 1950’s style wedding dress made up in white taffeta. Wedding photography by Michael Dillon The dress has a fitted and boned bodice with square shaped neckline and invisible zip back closure. The flared, knee length skirt has soft white tulle peeking out below. Both the waistline and neckline are decorated with white...
Creating a burlesque wedding dress for this fabulous shoot showcases everything I love most about my job. From time to time I collaborate with other wedding professionals on styled wedding photoshoots. This one took place in August 2016 in London with the theme ‘City Burlesque’. Our locations including the Duke of York steps on The...
I made an orange wedding dress 1950’s style for Clare’s Florida wedding. She commissioned a flamboyant 1950’s style dress made in burnt orange satin and ivory chiffon with beaded lace and tulle. Official wedding photographs by www.gingermidgett.com The fitted and well boned bodice had a sweetheart neckline framed with straps that narrowed on the shoulder....
Whether it’s a fifties flirt or a demure tea-length wedding dress, shorter dresses have had a real come-back recently. It makes a change from always dealing with full length and trains! Here is a selection of dresses I have made where the bride has opted to show off her pretty ankles – or more! Examples...
Posts from Felicity Westmacott
How am I supposed to keep tidying, when there`s so much sewing to do?
Sometimes I think a messy shop helps my creativity flow better, and sometimes I feel the complete opposite!
Either way, it`s an endless battle 😂
Are you the kind of person who needs things to be tidy in order to work, or are you at home in a little bit of mess?
To me, a bride who choses a colourful wedding dress is the kind of person that brightens up a room when they walk into it. They`re the kind of person where people around them can`t help but smile. And what better way of embodying that than by bringing more colour into your special day?
I don`t know about you, but as a seamstress (and generally visual person) I`m big on colour. Just seeing the perfect shade of buttercup yellow, or soothing lavender can lift my spirits and make my day. And if colour can affect mood, then why not set the mood with beautiful, vibrant hues?
I loved adding bold yellows, oranges, reds and purples to bride Megan`s pre-bought wedding dress. If you want to see how Megan looked on her wedding day, have a peek at this week`s earlier post.
If you`re interested in getting your dress dip dyed, or adding a dip dyed overskirt to your wedding outfit, check out my Etsy. You can choose up to 5 colours, in any combination that you can imagine.
Megan had brought her wedding dress to me to dip dye.
Originally the plan to to colour every layer of the dress, but when she came to drop the dress off, I explained to her it didn`t necessarily need to be dip dyed on every layer. Especially after I saw the beautiful lace on the top layer. If I dyed all the layers then it would blend in, but if she wanted, it could be made to be a feature.
I`m always here to give my brides options. So before she committed, we tried the layering with a sample of the fabric. And she liked it.
So, I coloured the lining and the tulle layers and left the final layer. The end result was this amazingly vibrant gradient underneath, with the white lace contrasting beautifully on top.
I told Megan that if she found the contrast to be too stark, I could always colour the lace as well. But she loved it, and kept it for her wedding day 💛🧡❤️💜
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Photography - @benselwayphotography
Florist - Sophie Burton
Venue - The Green Cornwall
Make up - Ella Butler
Hair - Phoebe Richardson
Today I wanted to share something that happened in my life, and resisting becoming just another keyboard warrior.
Maybe my story will help you raise your voice too.
I`d love to hear any stories like this that you have. So, if you feel like sharing, please do!
"Felicity`s craftsmanship and expertise are nothing short of magical! Every stitch of the skirt Felicity crafted bespeaks her talent and attention to detail. I could not be more thrilled with how Felicity`s work made this sparkly vision truly shine!"
Maryna wasn`t like my usual clientele - she wasn`t getting in touch for a wedding dress, but for something entirely different. She sent me the skirt base, as well as this striking geometric sequin tulle, and in return I made her a dip dye skirt, and then an overskirt from the tulle.
I didn`t actually know what the work I was doing was going towards until she sent me these amazing photos. This beautifully embellished Elsa cosplay that I unknowingly helped bring to life was to celebrate Maryna completing her PhD.
After that she made the bodice, and added 40,000 crystals to the whole outfit. I wish I could`ve seen it in real life, sparkling under the light.
Congratulations Maryna, and thank you for such a delightful collaboration! ❄️
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Photography:
#1 - Eras Photography
#3 - Foote Forward Productions
The rest - Barbara Matlock
#frozen #elsacosplay #elsa #frozencosplay #cosplay #disney #elsafrozen #disneycosplay #disneyprincess
"Beautiful work! The least stressful part of planning my wedding! I was very surprised how quickly everything was done, and how good the sizing was!
Beautiful fabric, good stitching and measurement guide. I did everything online without anything done in person. I was very scared, but thankfully everything was perfect. Very quick response despite the large time difference.
Thank you so much!"
Gabrielle saw the Jim Henson`s Labyrinth wedding dress I made and was inspired!
Gabrielle isn`t UK based, so this dress was made to measure, as opposed to fully bespoke. We didn`t have any fittings, I just sent Gabrielle a very detail measuring guide and made sure I checked all measurements every step of the way.
I think she looks utterly ethereal. There`s a bit of Bram Stoker`s Dracula in her beautiful dark hair contrasting with the silver and ivory of the dress.
There were a few adjustments that Gabrielle chose for her version of the design. I`m always happy to change my existing designs to make sure that your dress is completely tailored to your style.
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Photography - Bella Day
