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It's graduation eve for Summerland senior Ashley Pischel. Instead of hanging out with classmates before they go their separate ways, Pischel sits in her sewing room, designing a dress to wear to the May 6 commencement activities.

Pischel visualizes the dress, sketching a few ideas for her one-of-a-kind designer attire.

Without the aid of a pattern, Pischel carefully cuts into a pink graduation gown originally worn by her mother, Maureen, in 1986, when she graduated from Spencer High School.

"I cut out shapes and hope for the best," Pischel said.

Once the pink satin-like gown is prepared for the lining of the dress, Pischel grabs an old lace curtain and begins the process once again, shaping a bodice, skirt and sleeves.

"People donate old curtains (to me) for mockups, so I don't have to purchase material," she said.

She relies on odds and ends, like the curtains or bulk fabric others gift her. Using scraps gets her through the problem-solving stages of sewing.

"If you mess up, it's a big deal. Lace is expensive," she said. "In my mind, it's fun."

The final product is stunning. The lace overlay features cut-out sides, which narrow to form a back sash which ties, poufy sleeves and a square neck. Hints of pastel pink peek through the lace.

Earlier this year, when Pischel informed her mom she planned to use her graduation gown, her first thought was, "Let's see if I get this done on time."

Approximate production time: six hours. She doesn't track time while creating.

"My mom loved it. It's special. She said she is always amazed by me and what I make."

Pischel guesses she has been sewing since age five, when her mother introduced her to a sewing machine. In the beginning, she constructed clothes for her Barbie® dolls and created pillowcases. Eventually, she began entering her handiwork in the county fair through 4-H.

Through the years, she experimented with different design elements and fabrics. Pischel qualified for the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America state fashion design contest when she attended O'Neill Public Schools.

"I made a ball gown out of 15 yards of fabric," she said.

Like the graduation dress, the ball gown did not require a pattern, but featured "all the pizzazz," including lining, ruching and corset boning.

Sewing allows Pischel "freedom to design and make something." She also believes thrifting, recycling and reusing items are good for the economy and world.

"I may see a dress or outfit sell for $100 in a store and think, 'I can make it.'"

Courtesy Photo

Like mother, like daughter • (l-r): Maureen and Ashley Pischel share a special moment once the graduation dress is completed.

Sewing lets her personalize a creation.

"That's important to me. I love to sew," she said.

Pischel also dabbles in alterations. She fixed a few prom dresses, which she described as "scary."

"You're cutting it up and sewing it back together. It's not my favorite and can be nerve wracking."

While Pischel said she has thought about a career in fashion design, she knows it would potentially lead to a move to either coast.

"I couldn't live in a place like New York, with the traffic and all the people," she said.

This fall, the graduate will embark on a new adventure, as she enters the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she will major in biosystems engineering.

Like sewing, it features problem solving elements.

"Just a different aspect," Pischel said.