Jessica Leigh Webb sought to sew a prom dress in response to a specific request from her 17-year-old daughter, Ivy. Webb experienced some nervousness when she started the project, even though she is a skilled therapist with a flair for fashion and frequently shares clothes of the day as well as sewing techniques and information for individuals who are interested in starting their creations.
However, she caved in and decided to record her experience sewing her daughter’s dress in the run-up to the big day. She shared her progress on Instagram with the caption, “I’ve decided to take on a major project… making my daughter’s senior prom dress. I AM SHOOKETH!!! I have so much [performance] anxiety it is absolutely ridiculous!! So I’m saying this out loud with hope that being honest about it will relieve some stress.”
She continued, “I will be the first to admit that I have hindered my growth because of anxiety and irrational fears. But this request is a little different. My daughter is so sweet. She is very encouraging and always cheers me on in my sewing journey. She’s always requesting that I make her pieces and she is so confident that anything I produce…she will love. So while I’m shaking in my boots about his undertaking, I know that if I’m going to start anywhere, this should be the place.”
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She kept her fans informed regularly, sharing details on the dress’s construction, the initial drawings, her injuries—such as the time she sewed through her finger—and her daughter’s fittings.
She nearly gave up several times and pondered going dress shopping instead, but she eventually revealed that she had finished the design, stating, “I refuse to cry on [Beyonce’s] website today. I don’t know what else to say, except that all glory to the king of kings and the Lord our God, HE IS WONDERFUL!!”
On prom day, the mother and daughter decided to keep the disclosure a surprise for Webb. Thousands of her social media followers gathered on Instagram live for the special reveal, and while she waited for her daughter to arrive for the last look, the mother answered questions and provided a summary of the steps involved in making the dress.
Ivy looked magnificent in an emotional moment, wearing an off-the-shoulder gown with a corset bust; her elaborate blue gown was reminiscent of Bridgerton. When Webb saw her daughter in her completed outfit for the first time, she yelled in disbelief and became emotional, repeatedly telling her, “OMG, you look so good.”
As Webb fought not to cry and ruin her daughter’s outfit or makeup, Ivy gave her mother an embrace, smiling from ear to ear. Her family and friends were all there for the historic occasion, and it wasn’t the first time the community had come together in this fashion. Courtney, Ivy’s godsister, who applied her cosmetics for the big day, became popular in 2019 after creating her sister’s prom outfit at the age of 14.
Ivy showed viewers on Instagram Live 360-degree images of the outfit as the family gathered for yet another full-circle moment.
The proud mother told BOTWC, “We are overjoyed that we got to share this moment together. It’s something that neither of us will ever forget. I’m so grateful to have been given the opportunity to do something so important to a young woman. Prom is a major right of passage and the dress is the most important part of that story. I’m so thankful to Ivy that she not only trusted but also encouraged me to step out on faith and create the gown of her dreams.”
In the fall, Ivy will be attending the College of Southern Maryland to pursue her degree in music education.
