Maybe that dress at Nordstrom is too expensive or doesn’t fit that well. Senior Britt Jensen, and juniors Shany Albalak and Reade Levinson decided to eliminate these problems by getting creative and making their own Homecoming dresses.

Albalak’s dress was made completely from scratch. “I just came up with the idea in my head,” Albalak said. “I sketched for a couple days before I started sewing.” Albalak, who is involved with the Drama Department, was taught by former Gunn student and costume designer Sonya Raymakers.

Albalak started in the costume department for Gunn productions last year and is now head of the department. Her job involves altering, designing and making the costumes for plays. Albalak has made everything from fancy dresses to casual summer wear. She has also made a Homecoming dress for her twin sister, junior Mor Albalak.

Making her Homecoming dress has become a tradition for Jensen. “I’ve done it for the past three years, so I just decided to do it again,” Jensen said. “I’ll also see something in a store that’s almost perfect and I know that if I can make it, it will fit really well.” Jensen even made her own prom dress last year.

Jensen did not originally intend for her dress to be semiformal. “It started out as a summer dress and I changed it into my Homecoming dress,” Jensen said. According to Jensen the dress is inspired by the 1940s and has a conservative back.

The television show “Project Runway” helps her come up with ideas. Jensen was taught to sew by her mom in fifth grade. Jensen’s first stab at sewing involved making a skirt for colonial day in fifth grade, and ever since then she has tried to make clothing three times a year.

Creating a Homecoming dress may seem like a daunting task to many but for Levinson it was just a creative way to spend time. “I like to sew and I think making a dress is more fun than shopping for one,” Levinson said.

Levinson is updating a dress that English teacher Jessie Hawkins gave to her. “I kind of liked the fabric but the style was ‘old lady-ish,’ so I’m folding it under to make it a bubble skirt,” Levinson said.

Levinson taught herself to sew. “The first thing I made was a skirt in seventh grade,” she said. “Looking back on it, it was pretty ugly but I still wore it to Thanksgiving.” Levinson said. She uses sewing as a way to unwind each night. “I work on it from 10 to 11,” Levinson said. “I do it then because I don’t want to go to bed right away.” 

Levinson is also making a dress for her friend junior Danielle Tene. “She asked me to do it for her so I agreed to make it,” she said. Levinson measured and started on Tene’s dress after finishing her own and expects to work 10 hours on it. According to Levinson,it will be a one-shouldered, high waist and light purple dress with a bow on the back.

Albalak, Jensen and Levinson don’t have to worry about anyone else having the same dress as them. They will be sporting a dress of their own creation. The next winner of “Project Runway” might just be one of these talented girls.