Mifflin County High School junior Makayla Carter measures fabric for a prom gown she designed to wear during her prom this weekend.

LEWISTOWN — Most high school juniors spend weeks shopping for the perfect prom dress. Makayla Carter spent months imagining one.

The dress didn’t come from a rack or a catalog — it came from her head. The Mifflin County High School junior will attend her first prom tonight, wearing a gown she designed and sewed herself, turning an idea into a finished piece that reflects her love for fashion, art and creative expression.

Carter, who lives in Reedsville, never seriously planned on making her own prom dress until the idea began circulating at home. Although she had thought about it before, the suggestion gained momentum after Mifflin County Superintendent of Schools Vance Varner mentioned it to her mother.

“I’d thought about it before, but I never really thought I’d actually do it,” Carter said.

Her earlier sewing projects had been more lighthearted — including a tutu she once made for a teacher as a joke — but prom gave Carter a chance to take her creativity seriously and on a much larger scale.

Planning for the dress began about six months ago. Carter spent that time imagining the silhouette, fabric choices, accessories and how the gown would move and feel when worn. Once construction started, the sewing itself took about a month of steady work.

The final detail — tulle — was finished Thursday night, just days before prom.

“Through the process, the dress changed a little bit,” Carter said. “I replaced the white tulle with gold and black tulle. Everything else stayed the same.”

The result is a gown featuring rich green satin accented with gold and black, a deliberate color palette Carter selected to stand out while still feeling elegant. She purchased her fabrics from Hobby Lobby in Burnham, choosing materials she had long hoped to work with.

“I always dreamed of using satin and silk,” she said. “They look so nice. I tried to pick cool colors, and I really loved the green satin.”

Unlike many sewing projects, Carter’s design came together without a commercial pattern. Instead, she relied entirely on her imagination and drawings.

“I’ve actually never used a pattern,” she said. “The design came straight from my head. I drew it from there.”

That freedom, she said, made the project feel even more meaningful.

“It’s easy to make your dream dress when it’s already in your head,” Carter said. “I love seeing my art and how I can express myself through it.”

Carter’s sewing skills trace back to childhood. She learned how to sew at age seven from her great-grandmother, Robetta Sipe, who worked as a seamstress. Those early lessons laid the foundation for a skill she continues to use today.

“Sometimes I sew when I buy clothes and they don’t fit quite right,” Carter said. “It’s always been something I’ve done.”

Her interest in fashion design is well-known among her friends, many of whom encouraged her throughout the process.

“Most of my friends know about my interest in fashion design and art,” Carter said. “They were really encouraging me and all that.”

While the project pushed her creatively, Carter said the experience itself was largely positive.

“Thinking about it now, it was not a bad process,” she said. “Not a bad experience.”

As prom night approaches, Carter admits she feels both excited and nervous.

“Being in front of a crowd is nerve-wracking,” she said. “But I’m really excited to show it off.”

Beyond prom, the handmade gown represents something more lasting. Carter hopes to continue pursuing fashion design after high school and dreams of attending Parsons School of Design in New York City.

For now, her first prom will serve as both a milestone and a showcase — not just of a dress, but of creativity, commitment and a vision brought to life stitch by stitch.