In the USA, Mexico, Latin America, and the Caribbean, quinceañera is celebrated as a transition of a girl to a young woman. It is observed on a girl’s 15th birthday. After a church service, the celebrant is welcomed with a party by her family and friends.
It is both a religious and social event that spotlights the importance of family and society in a young woman’s life.
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 doing crochets for the past two years, making dolls for family and friends. Because she grew so much from this hobby, she wanted to take on another challenge and elevate her crocheting skills.
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. However, her mother supported her, which encouraged her to continue working on the dress.
If not for her mother’s support, Noemi would have given up on her dream quinceañera dress. Luckily for her, she has a supportive and loving 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. The dress exemplifies her hard work and passion for crocheting. It is a gorgeous, blue dress with a pop of color and a mishmash of flowers and butterflies that were beautifully sewn in the skirt.
Noemi was happy that her quinceañera dress turned out the way she wanted it to be. However, it was not an easy journey for her. It took her months to complete the dress and proudly present it to her family and friends.
“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. Apparently, these are just the qualities that a young woman like her should 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 only in tenth grade and still has two years until her prom but she is thinking of crocheting her prom dress, too which she will definitely nail again.
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