If a Hispanic teenage girl has a dream, it is probably to have the perfect quinceañera dress. In Mexico, Latin America, and the Caribbean, quinceañera is celebrated as a transition of a girl to a young woman. After a church service, her family and friends welcome the celebrant with a party.
Noemi Mendez of Cherry Valley was one of the girls who celebrated their quinceañera this year. However, she didn’t want to buy her quinceañera dress as other celebrants do. Instead, she decided to crochet her own dress to make her quinceañera extra special.
Noemi has been crocheting for two years and has made dolls for her family and friends. Because she learned so much from this hobby she decided to take on another challenge and increase her crocheting abilities.
This January, she decided to make her quinceañera dress for her birthday in September.
“I decided to crochet my quinceañera dress,” said Noemi. Her mother, Daisy Hernandez, was very proud and happy about her daughter’s decision.
“It is a beautiful tradition in our culture. So, I was really excited when she did decide she wanted to have a quinceañera,” Daisy shared.
At first, Noemi was not confident she could make the quinceañera dress she wanted and if it would work out in the end. But her mother supported her and encouraged Noemi to continue working on her dress.
If not for her mother’s support, Noemi would have given up on her dream quinceañera dress. She is fortunate to have a loving, supportive mother.
“If you think you can, I believe you can, and if for some reason it doesn’t work out, we’ll just buy one,” Daisy said. “I am very proud of her for accomplishing that.”
Noemi shared her journey on Instagram, showcasing the lovely quinceañera dress she crocheted herself. This dress is a testament to her passion and hard work in crocheting. It is a stunning, blue gown with a pop color and a mishmash mix of flowers and butterflies. The skirt was beautifully sewn.
Noemi was happy that her quinceañera dress turned out the way she wanted it to be. It was not an easy task for her. It took her months before she was able to finish the dress and present it to her family.
“I crocheted for one week, and then I took two months off but then if I were to add it all together I would probably say I took around four months to crochet this dress,” the teenager said.
When Noemi finally celebrated her quinceañera, she was over the moon to see the proud look on her family’s faces as well as her friends.
Not every girl can crochet their own quinceañera dress but she did it through her courage, patience, and ingenuity. These are exactly the qualities a young woman like her needs to possess.
“It’s special to me,” Noemi said. “Like if I was to have a child someday, I could give it to my daughter, if she wants it.”
Noemi is still in tenth grade, and has two years before her prom. However, she is considering crocheting her prom gown. She will be a pro at it again.
For more information, please watch the video below.
