Sweet Nothings Crochet: PINAFORE BABY DRESS

PINAFORE BABY DRESS - 2

I made a pinafore baby dress a few days back and I received an order for another similar dress. You know how I love to create a slight difference each time, so let’s work on this is 2^nd project together.

You can work this pattern for any size, using any yarn with a suitable hook.

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Thanks for joining me once again as we work on and discover this new pattern together.

Materials used : Today I’ve used ~ about125 gms over 3 colors of unbranded knitting cotton yarn with a 3.5 mm crochet hook ; embroidery needle ; sewing needle ; fabric glue to seal ends ; crochet stitch markers ; buttons; press buttons ; satin ribbon ; headband ; tic-tac clips ; rubber band ; hair comb or barrette ; beads n more

For Indians : You could use Anchor , Red rose , 4-ply knitting cotton , White Rose or bamboo knitting cotton , Milk cotton ; Silk yarns as well as Vardhaman acrylic yarns ; Baby soft acrylic yarn , Ganga Spectrum as well

General yarn info : The yarn used today is not specific to this pattern.

You can use any yarn with a suitable hook to make this project to any size.

International yarns : Among the international yarns I have used in this thickness, I’d suggest Aunt Lydia Cotton 10, Aunt Lydia Bamboo-Viscose 10, DMC Petra, Sullivans knitting cotton (Australia), Milford Soft, Hilaza Rustica Eclat , Alize cotton yarn and Alize bamboo yarn , Lily Sugar n' Cream cotton yarn, Caron Simply Soft , Bernat Softee chunky.

Skill level : Intermediate to Advanced.

Abbreviations used : (Using U.S terminology)

ch : chain ch-sp : chain space

sp : space rep : Repeat

fsc : Foundation single crochet

dc : Double crochet

Stitches used :

How to hold your yarn in crochet : https://youtu.be/FwOlCbGdbqY

Starting slip knot : https://youtu.be/lJcqsVcs8cw

Starting slip knot 1 or the Sloppy Slip knot : https://youtu.be/YfC7KmGpifs

What is a slip stitch : https://youtu.be/weB3QNbA8Iw

What is a chain stitch ? https://youtu.be/pXx5ukBjKkY

Foundation half double crochet (fhdc) : This is an easy way to start a row of hdc without the starting chain row.

Here is an easy video tutorial https://youtu.be/SEG2UCRfypA

Half Double Crochet : Hdc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (3 lps on hk) ;

yo, draw through all 3 lps. One hdc made.

Check out the video at https://youtu.be/sDiELJdB2Dg

Chainless start for Half Double Crochet : I dislike the ch-2 start, and this is what I do to start my row of hdc. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/lWXpl1KdbZ8

Here is a sizing chart for general sizing https://in.pinterest.com/pin/470063279837597366/

OR https://in.pinterest.com/pin/470063279837560772/

And https://in.pinterest.com/pin/470063279838533503/

Whipstitch to join : https://youtu.be/wZ-9LNzftMA

Invisible join : https://youtu.be/a6XZQ6VzJFM

Single crochet to join : https://youtu.be/6FXoW_47_dI

Instructions : (Using U.S terminology)

Please note that I start all my rows with a ch 1, turning chain for ease.

Please check the top of this blog for easy video tutorials on all stitches used in today's pattern. For your convenience there video tutorials through the blog too

Please read through all my notes before you pick up your hook, so you know just where we're heading in our pattern.

In my patterns I work with the principle of stitch count and body measurement.

This means that you need to work the stitch count in pattern, till you get the measurement (length and/or width) that you need for your project.

Quick analysis of what we’re going to do here today.

This is a top down creation. Using a cute set of motifs / (granny) squares, we will create the pinafore and belt first. We will then work the skirt portion off the bottom of the belt.

I have used the motifs from a lovely pattern by Lena Fedatova, with her permission. For the skirt, I have used a simple set of growing “V” / shell sts.

As I work on this pattern, with my tweaks, I’ve written down my notes that I share with you.

When calculating your start measure for the skirt, take both waist and hip measurements.

If the child’s waist and hips are the same size, then you can take half the round measure.

If there is a difference, please take half the round measure of the one that is more (or larger)

Always keep a margin in mind for the stretch of yarn as well as the looseness of your work (tension)

Remember to keep in mind that the belt bit (and how wide you want it) will add to the length of your skirt.

Part 1 : Pinafore & belt

This project can be made in one colour but, I am opting to use two colours.

I will not be indicating when to change colours, as I’d love you to work in your creativity here. Cheers.

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The pinafore and belt portion are made with cute little squares that I have taken from the lovely Lena Fedatova’s Green Apple Bolero pattern.

I have Lena’s permission to use her pattern to create this pinafore dress.

Please visit http://cup-of-stitches.blogspot.com/2012/05/green-apple-bolero.html for the pattern of the individual (granny) square.

Oh and once you are done with this dress, you could use Lena’s bolero pattern to make a cute little jacket for this dress.. how cool is that, right?

Here is how I suggest you place your motifs for making the pinafore and belt.

Please note that the number of motifs you use may differ depending on the size of dress you make.

The diagram below is not to scale - it is only representative of how to place the motifs , work the straps and work the skirt portion.

diagram (not to scale) showing how we are attaching the parts

So how do you decide how many (granny) square motifs you need?

a) Decide on the width and length that you want for your pinafore

b) Keep your half round waist measurement in hand

c) Make one motif / granny square and see what measurement you get.

d) Remember that if you are making this for an older child who has a difference in waist and hip measures, you will not attach the last set of squares. You will then add in a button so that there is an automatic ease in the belt.

e) Remember also that we could thread in a belt or satin ribbon into the centres of the granny squares. This will look neat and also cinch the waist up in case you have worked just a little more than needed for the waist and / or find it is too loose.

OK, so you have taken your measurements.

Now armed with all these numbers, let’s put them to work for us.

Let’s say your motif / granny square is 2.5” square and you are making this for a 1 yr old / Waist : 20”. This means, half round waist measure = 10” (front + back = 10” + 10” = 20”)

So 2.5” per granny square = 4 squares across = 10” (2.5” x 4 = 10”).

Therefore you make 4 squares each for the front and back.

That solves your belt sizing.

Similarly you can calculate the width and height of the pinafore bit.

Easy enough, right?

Remember : Belt adds to the length of your skirt.

OK.. go off to the link for the Green apple bolero and make the belt and pinafore.

Part 2 : Straps

Once you have completed the pinafore portion and the belt, we will finish this portion and the straps before we start on the skirt portion of our dress.

Before we start, let us run a round of sc all around the pinafore bit and top of the belt.

Re-attach your yarn at any sc ; sc in the same sc ;

*2 sc in the next ch-sp ; sc in the next sc* ;

rep *to* all around and join with a sl-st to the 1^st st.

Run a round of sc all around once more, just to strengthen and neaten up the edge. Ensure that you work 2 or 3 sc in each corner sc (of pinafore) for ease.

We now need to make our straps.

For the strap :

a) First decide how wide you want your strap. Say 6 sts. Work hdc / dc in each st for 6 sts and Turn.

b) Continue working only on these 6 sts back and forth till you have the strap length needed.

c) Your strap will either join up at the pinafore flap at the back or the waist band at the back.

d) Add buttons and button holes (if desired) at the end of your strap.

e) You can also add a press-button for convenience.

f) Check this blog at https://shyamanivas.blogspot.com/2016/06/chandras-frilled-dress.html and scroll through to the end for a novel idea on creating your own little designer matching button

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Part 3 : Skirt portion

You have your pinafore and belt done, and you will now be working the skirt off the ch-5 sps of the belt.

For the skirt portion, we will be working in rounds. You will join with a sl-st at the end of each round.

Here’s where the fun begins and all of this fun is just for the 1^st start round!

You get to decide just how frilly you want your dress.

a) You can work the “V”-st in every ch-5 sp ;

b) OR you can decide to use ch-5 sps and the sc in between ;)

c) The frilliness of your dress will depend on how close (or far apart) you keep your “V”-sts.

d) We start with a slender “V”-st but it will build up so your dress will flare out.

e) How do you know approximately how much flare you want or are going to get? Well, you will get an idea after you complete Round 2. Place your work down and measure then – and if needed go back to change the distance between your Round 1 “V”-sts. You should have this just a little more than the round waist measure – and as we are going to work larger “V”-sts as the pattern grows, your flare will grow too. Got it?

For the first round below, I am not going to indicate how many ch-5 sps you need to skip. I will just indicate that you need to work in a ch-5 sp and you will decide how many you are skipping.

Let the fun begin!

Our “V”-st will be (dc ; ch 1, dc) all in the same ch-5 sp.

Attach your yarn in the 1^st ch-5 sp.

Round 1 : “V”-st in the 1^st ch-5 sp and in each ch-5 sp all around ;

Join with a sl-st to the 1^st st.

From this round on, we will work our “V”-st in the ch-sp of the earlier “V”-st.

Round 2 : sl-st into the 1^st “V”-st ; “V”-st in the same 1^st “V”-st ;

*ch 1, “V”-st in the next “V”-st* ;

rep *to* all around ;

ch 1, and join with a sl-st to the 1^st st.

Our “V”-st 1 now will be (2 dc ; ch 1, 2 dc) all in the same “V”-st.

Rounds 3 - 6 : sl-st into the 1^st “V”-st ; “V”-st 1 in the same 1^st “V”-st ;

*“V”-st 1 in the next “V”-st* ;

rep *to* all around ;

Join with a sl-st to the 1^st st.

Please put your work down and check the flare of your dress.

IF you think it is alright, and going nicely, continue without any change till you get the length needed for your dress.

IF you think you want a slightly better flare, work in the next increase now.

Round 7 : sl-st into the 1^st “V”-st ; “V”-st 1 in the same 1^st “V”-st ;

*ch 1, “V”-st 1 in the next “V”-st* ;

rep *to* all around ;

ch 1, and join with a sl-st to the 1^st st.

Continue with Round 7 till you get to the length needed for your dress.

For our last round we will work 6 dc in each “V”-st ch-1 sp and 1 sc in the “space” between two “V’-sts. There is no real stitch in the space, we just place the sc there, and it ‘holds’ our 6 dc down, creating a nice shell stitch border.

Last Round : sl-st into the 1^st “V”-st ; 6 dc in the same 1^st “V”-st ;

*sc in the space between the next 2 “V”-sts ; 6 dc in the the next “V”-st* ;

rep *to* all around ;

sc in the last sp, and join with a sl-st to the 1^st st.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

For the flowal headband, please visit https://shyamanivas.blogspot.com/2017/12/adorable-crochet-lamb-matching-headband.html

Beautiful satin lace along the waist to cinch it

And that’s done.. yet another project brilliantly executed !

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I have a few dresses already made, and just in case you want a dekho at those free patterns … here you go