Ash Grove’s Holmes dresses to impress

Ash Grove High School student Ella Holmes will soon travel to Washington D.C. for the National FCCLA Convention. Holmes will show off a self-stitched and self-designed dress that won her second place honors at state.

Holmes had never designed or stitched a dress before; she only signed up for the competition because of her love for fashion. She started working on her dress only a month before the deadline. With little time, she went fabric shopping and soon after found the style she was looking for. Her eyes were drawn to Cinderella blue, a swatch that she would use to inform the design for her new dress.

Holmes cut up the fabric, working feverishly within her time constraints. She assembled the bodice (front) of the dress, gathering the fabric in the front to add texture. After assembling the front, she attached the skirt to the body of the garment, added straps, added a zipper, and hemmed the bottom.

Holmes' work was not without challenges; her “princess dress," as she dubbed it, suffered setbacks from its namesake fabric. The blue material she used was incredibly slick and difficult to work with for a first-time seamstress. It made it difficult for Holmes to create her ideal vision, but she wasn’t deterred, despite the bumps in the road.

“I was impatient and trying to reach perfection,” said Holmes. “I think it actually made my final project better; I started taking my time.”

Just a week before the competition, Holmes’ masterpiece was complete. After finishing, Holmes felt relief after much toil.

“I felt accomplished in making my dress,” said Holmes. “I was proud of my creation.”

Regional competition

Making her way to the regional convention at Plaster Student Union on the Missouri State University campus in Springfield, Holmes was nervous about how her dress would stack up to the others.

“I didn’t know what to expect coming into the competition,” said Holmes. “I was sweating profusely.”

When Holmes arrived at the ballroom, she placed her dress and her diorama board explaining her process on the judges' table and awaited their answers.

She sat down, expecting to hear an answer in about five minutes from the judge, but technical difficulties delayed their responses to the eagerly awaiting Holmes. What should have taken moments stretched to about 20 minutes while Holmes sat in anxious anticipation.

The judges returned a verdict, telling Holmes that they were impressed the work completed by a first time dressmaker. With two spots open for state convention from her region, they called Holmes’ name first.

“I was very surprised,” said Holmes. “I felt at the time that I was underprepared.”

State competition

Next up, she moved onto state, again in Springfield, this time at the Springfield Convention Center. She was more confident this go round.

“I knew what to expect coming into the competition this time,” said Holmes. “I made a few adjustments to my board and my dress; I added some cosmetic detail to my presentation.”

She walked out of the convention with a second place plaque and a gold ranking, which requires a score of 90 percent or better. This finish qualified her as one of the two Missourians who will attend FCCLA National Convention.

“When I heard I was going, I was very shocked,” said Holmes. “Coming into the school year, I had no idea I would even compete; now I’m headed to D.C.”

This experience, said Holmes, has made her more confident and taught her not to underestimate your abilities.

"[The project] increased my sewing and presentation ability,” said Holmes. “Knowing that FCCLA is focused on developing professionalism, it will help me with future opportunities and interviews.”

Holmes will present her dress at the FCCLA national convention in Washington D.C. in July.