As she approached her 15th birthday, Noemi Mendez celebrated in a special way by creating her very own quinceañera dress.
The California-based teenager delighted her followers when she shared her crocheting process on social media and how beautiful it turned out.
For centuries, quinceañeras have been a Hispanic celebration of a girl's 15th birthday, symbolizing her transition into becoming a woman. The dresses worn for this unique occasion are traditionally elaborate and elegant.
The dress Mendez created is blue and pink with white flowers near the hem of her ball gown-style dress. She paired the look with Converse Chuck Taylor sneakers.
"I just kind of wanted to do something for myself," Mendez told "GMA." "Because most of the time my mom was doing other stuff, so I wanted to help out, and I just want to push my limits for crocheting."
"So, I was just like, you know what, why not? I'll try it."
Mendez said her process for creating her quinceañera dress took roughly up to four hours per day and about four months to complete.
"I've also cried so many times, because I see the talent in my daughter," Mendez's mother, Daisy Hernandez, told "GMA." "I know sometimes she doesn't see her talent. She's like, yeah, you're just telling me I'm talented, just because you're my mom. But just seeing all the love and support people have given her, it just, as as a mom, it makes me cry."
She continued, "Seeing my daughter, I'm just like, wow, it just looks so beautiful. I'm like, wow, you did this, you know, with your hands. Your little hands, 'cause they're little hands to me."
Hernandez went on to share how seeing her daughter become a woman truly makes her happy, and how emotional the celebration was for her. "She's not this little girl anymore," Hernandez said.
While her quinceañera has passed, Mendez plans on keeping the dress she created, saying, "I'm going to save it for the future so when I have a daughter, I can hand it to her, if she wants a quinceañera."
