One Westside High School senior is taking a little family history with her to prom this year. “It’s really delicate fabric,” Liz Keyes said. When Ellie Bowen-Keyes needed a dress for prom, she asked her mom, Liz Keyes, to make one. “My mom’s kind of always made my dresses,” Bowen-Keyes said. The senior missed out on last year’s prom because of the pandemic. This year, Bowen-Keyes said is special. “This is kind of my first prom,” Bowen-Keyes said. It is special in more ways than one. “I didn’t know what I wanted the fabric to look like but when I saw it I was like, ‘I really like that,'” Bowen-Keyes said. The fabric used to make Ellie’s dress has been in the family for a long time. “When I was between the ages of three or four, my dad worked away. He worked in Thailand and he would send back things like jewelry, little dolls, and trinkets and things,” Keyes said. “He also sent back fabric because my mom sews.”Keyes’ mom never used the fabric and it sat for more than 50 years.”I heard my grandma and my mom talking, ‘Well, why don’t you take this fabric, Liz,’ and she was like, ‘That does not match my skin tone,’ so she was like, ‘Ellie come in here,’ and I was like, ‘I really like it,'” Bowen-Keyes said. Keyes immediately got to work but two weeks before prom, there was one problem. “We tried on that test dress and she’s like, ‘I don’t like this part and this part and then I don’t like this part,’ and I was like, ‘well, that’s the whole dress,'” Keyes said. They made the adjustments. “I finally finished it last night at 12:30 a.m.,” Keyes said. On the morning of prom, the dress is done and Ellie is ready for her big night. “I actually get to go to prom for the first time,” Bowen-Keyes said. “It’s really pretty on her. I’m looking forward to seeing it on her,” Keyes said. Keyes calls the dress “a new antique.” Now, the story behind it is one that will last for generations.
One Westside High School senior is taking a little family history with her to prom this year.
“It’s really delicate fabric,” Liz Keyes said.
When Ellie Bowen-Keyes needed a dress for prom, she asked her mom, Liz Keyes, to make one.
“My mom’s kind of always made my dresses,” Bowen-Keyes said.
The senior missed out on last year’s prom because of the pandemic. This year, Bowen-Keyes said is special.
“This is kind of my first prom,” Bowen-Keyes said.
It is special in more ways than one.
“I didn’t know what I wanted the fabric to look like but when I saw it I was like, ‘I really like that,'” Bowen-Keyes said.
The fabric used to make Ellie’s dress has been in the family for a long time.
“When I was between the ages of three or four, my dad worked away. He worked in Thailand and he would send back things like jewelry, little dolls, and trinkets and things,” Keyes said. “He also sent back fabric because my mom sews.”
Keyes’ mom never used the fabric and it sat for more than 50 years.
“I heard my grandma and my mom talking, ‘Well, why don’t you take this fabric, Liz,’ and she was like, ‘That does not match my skin tone,’ so she was like, ‘Ellie come in here,’ and I was like, ‘I really like it,'” Bowen-Keyes said.
Keyes immediately got to work but two weeks before prom, there was one problem.
“We tried on that test dress and she’s like, ‘I don’t like this part and this part and then I don’t like this part,’ and I was like, ‘well, that’s the whole dress,'” Keyes said.
They made the adjustments.
“I finally finished it last night at 12:30 a.m.,” Keyes said.
On the morning of prom, the dress is done and Ellie is ready for her big night.
“I actually get to go to prom for the first time,” Bowen-Keyes said.
“It’s really pretty on her. I’m looking forward to seeing it on her,” Keyes said.
Keyes calls the dress “a new antique.” Now, the story behind it is one that will last for generations.
