Special K - Special Day

I've been crisis sewing the past week and a half. Kristen, my good friend and drumming mentor, and Kweku, her love and soulmate, got married on Saturday after a whirlwind courtship! Kristen asked me to help make her wedding dress about 2 weeks ago - and, oh yea, she said: "Do you think you could also make something for my mom and dad to wear to the ceremony? That won't take too long, will it?" Oh........well...........!

So somehow between a my "real job", a trip to Eagles Mere for a family reunion, and myriad other of life's obligations (in those 2 weeks) - I finished the top to her wedding garment, a tunic for her dad and a dress for her mom.

Kweku's sister gave to Kristen a wedding skirt and top made from exquisite Ghanian fabric. The skirt fit her like a kid glove. But the top of the garment, shall we say, did not! I so wish we had taken a photo of the original top as it was quite remarkable in its design and construction. So I draped a new top for her (thanks to Susan Khalje's course) and after three fittings in so many days - here is the finished product! The fabric is a fine cotton batik with gold wax imprint...it is just amazingly beautiful.

And here is Kristen, her mom - Patrice, her dad - Dwight, and her sister - Erin.

Her dad's tunic is made from Ghanian fabric that Kweku and Kristen brought to me from Ghana. I used Simplicity 3704 for his tunic - what a treat to make a garment for her dad to wear at her wedding.

Her mom's dress (doesn't she look like an African Audrey Hepburn?) also is an African batik but purchased here in DC. I literally threw her garment together the night before the wedding. I only had her measurements and no luxury of fitting - so I draped the dress on my new best friend, Roxy - my dress form - and much to my surprise the dress fit her as if I knew what I was doing - phew!

And, of course, I needed something to wear - so, 2 hours before the wedding, I picked out a lovely piece of fabric that Kweku brought to me and voile! All you need is a rectangle of fabulous fabric, a little elastic, and one seam! ! (P.S. - Isn't his smile to DIE for!!!)

And some images from the ceremony!

The parents of the bride and groom must tie a knot in the middle of a length of Kente clothe and then the bride and groom tie a knot on top of the parents' knot.

The entire wedding party is wrapped in a ginormous piece of Kente cloth and the priest pronounces the bride and groom married while all are enveloped in the fabric!

Beautiful people. Beautiful day.................

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