On her wedding day, every bride wants to make a statement in her wedding dress. Most brides search for an already designed dress that they feel will be perfect for them, while others have dreamed of having their wedding dress specially made- a bespoke wedding dress made just for them.
In Nigeria, the urge to have that perfect designer dress has been increased by the constant wedding pictures we see on social media, posted by Bella Naija and the likes. So much money, time, and effort go into finding and getting that “dress” and some brides have forgotten that they can actually design and sew their own wedding dress.
Bride-to-be Chi Krneta took a very creative and a much cheaper approach to getting the perfect gown for her big day. The young woman spent five months crocheting a stunning, floor-length lace dress while traveling to work on the bus, and she did so for under £25.
“I crocheted my lace wedding dress on the bus during my work commute for about five months,” explained Krenta.
She added: “The dress was practically free because I didn’t spend much money on it (under $30 [£23] for all of the materials including fabric for the lining) and I didn’t spend much extra time on it.”
Krneta wore the finished creation on her big day, with a white lining.
She described the gown as a “machine washable” piece that “doesn’t wrinkle or need any special care” and can be worn with various colored linings.
She also said it “is a pattern I designed with a commonly used pineapple stitch”.
The bride, from Seattle in Washington, US, posted images of her masterpiece on Reddit, along with a video showing her progress over the five months.
Speaking to ABC News, she explained how she had used her 50-minute commute to work to create other items, such as hats and shorter dresses.
“I knew I wanted to design and make my own wedding dress (I also sew) and figured that crocheting it would be the most efficient way to accomplish,” she said.
She also designed and made her reception dress (for dancing), a bridesmaid dress, the bouquets and the table names, among other things.
When asked by Vancity Buzz what advice she would give to someone who wanted to crochet their own wedding dress, Krenta replied: “Things that look really big and complicated are often made of really simple things.”
She noted that although bricks are “simple, inexpensive” objects, they can be put together to create “very beautiful, complex, inspiring buildings”.
“If you’re patient and take it one step at a time you can make pretty much anything.”
So brides-to-be if you have the talent to design and sew, why don’t you take a cue from Krneta and make a stunning wedding dress that you love and you’ll also get to brag about in years to come!
