Junior Mackenzie Southworth has many different hobbies as she likes to have a diverse pallet of things to do. She likes to stay busy with dress making while also adding some other things. In total, she has made four dresses and is currently on her fifth dress. It “…will be a sage green, with beige and gold lace around the skirt, and I’m super excited to sew it and see how it turns out,” said Mackenzie. According to Mackenzie, “I’ve [sic] been sewing since December of 2021. I started because I had a formal dance for church coming up, and I didn’t have a long formal dress, and didn’t really have time to buy one, so I decided to make one. I really hadn’t had any previous knowledge about sewing, so I did lots of research and taught myself. I made my dress in eight days, and I finished it the day before the dance!” Making a dress in just eight days is something not everyone can say they’ve even attempted. Mackenzie hasn’t been sewing for long, but she has found a love for designing dresses and the showing them off. “I realized I love designing and sewing dresses, so I try to sew one every few months. I’ve researched a lot more and learned from trial and error. So, I like to say I’ve improved a lot. I especially love to sew for special occasions, so I always sew one for my annual church formal dance and one for Valentine’s Day.”

Mackenzie loves shopping for the fabric for new dresses and coming up with a concept for each one that fits her style. “When I shop for fabric, I love to go to Joann’s, since it’s close to me and it has a huge selection of all different types of fabric. I usually sew with crepe back satin, since it’s the most comfortable for formal dresses, and it’s beautiful. This last blue dress has been my favorite, since I added tulle that I pleated to the bodice, that adds an extra element of texture and interest. I also added giant pockets just because I can.” Mackenzie talked about a few of the steps it takes before you can make some of the beautiful dresses she has created. “Usually, the first step I take while designing my dress is to look at lots of pictures of what I want to achieve, and then (poorly) sketch some sort of variation of it. Then I use my own measurements and pattern paper to make a pattern and calculate how much fabric I need. Then I’ll get all my supplies and get started!” She also explained why she has so much love for creating dresses. “I love making dresses because it’s so fun to be able to wear something you created that nobody else has. I also love being able to customize my clothes and being able to add all the features I want, while keeping it modest, since that can be hard to come across sometimes.”

That’s how most people feel when they make something that they can use. It gives you a different type of accomplishment to know that you’re the one who had made something that you can use and have forever.

“Other major hobbies I have are guitar and photography. I’ve been playing guitar for about a year now and I love practicing and becoming proficient; I’m definitely not perfect but it’s super fun. And for photography, I started shooting in 2019 when my photographer grandparents gave me one of their old cameras, and I’ve been obsessed ever since. Now, I have a Canon EOS R and it’s basically my child. I love that thing. I’ve become a much better photographer as I’ve practiced, and I usually shoot people, landscapes, and macro when I do. This year I discovered I love shooting portrait photography, as I’ve practiced much in the digital media room studio. I love that my photos get to go in the yearbook because I’ll look back years from now, and hopefully see how I’ve progressed, but it’s also fun to see my work in print in a legitimate publication.” Mackenzie is an all-around multipotentialite, meaning someone who has many different hobbies and creative pursuits.