An 80-year-old great-grandmother has completed her most remarkable undertaking to date – a hand-knitted wedding dress!
Shirley Ellicott from Whitsbury, England, has utilized her self-taught abilities in sewing, knitting, and crocheting to design a wide range of items, including scarves, shawls, christening gowns, and prom dresses. Lately, she has been eager to take on the more challenging task of designing her first wedding gown.
Great-Grandmother Says She Has Always Wanted To Knit A Wedding Dress
While talking to a local newspaper, Salisbury Journal, Shirley expressed her desire how she has always knit a wedding dress and decided to go for it.
“I’ve sewn a wedding dress before, but have always wanted to knit one. I wanted to do it properly, so I found a pattern and off I went. I just get a bee in my bonnet sometimes and just go for it.”
In a short span of three weeks, she transformed multiple skeins of yarn into a sophisticated, 1930s-inspired white dress with long sleeves.
The dress showcased a blend of various knit designs, embellished with beautiful rose-shaped buttons and a sweeping train. With over 1,000 stitches, the design can be worn with the option of buttons in the front or back.
According to the article, Ellicott, who has a total of 26 descendants including five children, 11 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren, shared the story behind her impressive wedding attire.
“It’s amazing what two needles can do.”
The dress is presently exhibited at a nearby thrift store in Fordingbridge, and a percentage of the profits from its purchase will be used to aid the charity’s initiatives for reaching out to the community.
According to Ellicott, she developed a love for knitting at the young age of 5 and it continues to be her preferred hobby.
“I knit, I sew, I crochet — whatever I can do with my hands, I will have a go at.”
She mentioned that her husband was the one who encouraged her to finally take on the “bucket list” project.
“Ken, my husband, he said to me, ‘Why don’t you make that wedding dress you keep on talking about?’ I said, ‘OK,’ ”
Ellicott is already planning her next knitting project, a jacket, as her beautiful wedding dress awaits a new owner.
