Sweet Nothings Crochet: SAPPHIRE BABY DRESS

Sweet Nothings Crochet free crochet pattern with video tutorial for stitch explanation,

Today's easy crochet dress is an unusual one (for me). I have combined a crochet yoke with a net flowing skirt and the combination just works.

This creation has been made for a cute lil 3-yr old for her birthday. This little kid is my friend’s driver’s daughter and it was a wonderful surprise.

I love this idea.. and I am so sure that this is going to be a repeat project – so do remember to follow me on my various social media handles and we will have lots of fun together.

This dress will truly bring out the creativity in you – there is so much scope to make something so beautiful and I’m sure you’re gonna love it.

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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 ~ about 1 ball of our lovely Indian Ganga Acrowools Hobby India yarn yarn with a 3 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 , or unbranded knitting cotton or White Rose or bamboo knitting cotton , Milk cotton ; Silk yarns ; Oswal & 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.

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

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

Foundation Single Crochet : fsc : https://youtu.be/mcT85fwh4mA

How to picot : Traditionally for a ch-3 picot, you work (ch 3, sl-st in 3^rd ch from hook). For a ch-5 picot, you will do (ch 5, sl-st in 5^th ch from hook).

Here’s a great video https://youtu.be/8s3zVaBcn4s

Here is a sizing chart for general neck sizing

https://in.pinterest.com/pin/470063279838234527/ OR

https://in.pinterest.com/pin/470063279842061521/

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/

Instructions : (Using U.S terminology)

The beautiful dress is made in two parts. The top part is worked in crochet and for the lower part I have used net / tulle.

First you need to decide what age and size you are working this for. You need the following body measurements

a) Round waist

b) Shoulder to waist measurement

c) Full length from shoulder to knee (or as long as you want it)

d) Shoulder width (for strap)

e) Neckline (measured from shoulder to as low as you want it)

f) Round armhole

For today’s pattern, we will work small square motifs, which we join up to make into the top / yoke of our beautiful dress.

This video will show you how to get the motif done.

If it does not come on, go to https://youtu.be/u0aCcnMN_LM

We will work two rectangles (of sorts) with this pattern, without shaping armhole or neckline. You can then decide if you want to attach on sleeves.

So as you can see, there are several possibilities here – come along.. let’s get started.

Motif pattern :

Magic circle : https://youtu.be/ISC39yOqWro

Single Crochet : Sc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (2 lps on hk); yo, draw through both lps. One sc made. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/ghACqBpA-3k

First stitch for Single Crochet : This is how I like to start my row of sc. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/6pVYRfsf4_M

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

Start Round 1 : with a magic circle and work 8 sc in it.

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

Pull tight to close.

Double Crochet : dc : yo, insert hk into st ; yo (3 lps on hk); [yo, draw through 2 lps] twice. One dc made. Check out the video at https://youtu.be/xdnjB27zpYo

Chainless start for Double Crochet : I dislike the ch-2 / ch – 3 start, and this is what I do to start my row of dc.

Check out the video at https://youtu.be/wskv3iTjRx0

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

Round 2 : dc in the 1^st sc ; (ch 1, dc in the next sc) ;

rep (to) all around ;

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

We now work Puff stitches in our following round.

For our Puff stitch, we will work a dc 3-tog or a dc 4-tog (depending on the thickness of your yarn, decide if you're working 3-tog or 4-tog)

Double crochet 3-tog : dc 3-tog : Here is an easy video tutorial at https://youtu.be/qlnqXDB3OUM

Double crochet 4-tog as a decrease stitch : dc 4-tog : Here is an easy video tutorial for working a dc 4-tog over 4 sts at https://youtu.be/WjSNi7ithIU

Double crochet 4-tog as a decorative stitch : dc 4-tog : Here is an easy video tutorial for working a dc 4-tog all in the same stitch as a decorative stitch at https://youtu.be/_B0-ye0cClU

Round 3 : sl-st into the 1^st ch-1 sp ;

Puff st in the same 1^st ch-1 sp ;

(ch 3, Puff st in the next ch-1 sp) ;

rep (to) all around ;

ch 3 and join with a sl-st to the 1^st st.

Round 4 : sl-st into the 1^st ch-3 sp ; 5 dc in the same 1^st ch-1 sp ;

(ch 1, Puff st in the next ch-3 sp ; ch 3, Puff st in the same ch-3 sp) ;

*[ch 1, 5 dc in the next ch-1 sp] ;

rep (to) once* ;

rep *to* all around ;

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

Round 5 : dc in the 1^st 5 dc ;

(ch 2, Puff st in the next ch-3 sp ; ch 3, Puff st in the same ch-3 sp) ;

*[ch 2, dc in the next 5 dc] ;

rep (to) once* ;

rep *to* all around ;

ch 2 and join with a sl-st to the 1^st st.

Now you can see your four corners.

The corners are the ones with the two puff stitches and the ch-3 sp in between.

You will join your motifs via these corners and to do that you will work ch 1, join to the earlier motif in one corner ; ch 1 and then work in the motif you are working on to complete it. (This is the Join-as-you-go joining method - video given below)

Note : If you find this too hard, make all the motifs first and then use one of the other joining methods to join the motifs.

We will also join motifs using the 3^rd dc of each 5-dc set.. So let’s see how we work our 2^nd and all other motifs.

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

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

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

Join-as-you-go joining method : https://youtu.be/zN3ECWTYXBk

Working the 2^nd and all other motifs and joining as you go

You will work Rounds 1 – 4 as you have for your first motif.

Round 5 will be a little different, so let’s call it 5A.

In Round 5A, I will give you an idea of how you can join as you go.

The join as you section is {to}

For your first row of motifs, you will only join along one side. But after that you may be joining along two or three sides. In each case, you do the same thing, just join as you go along whichever side is required. Got it?

Round 5 A : dc in the 1^st 5 dc ;

{ch 2, Puff st in the next ch-3 sp ;

ch 1 + join to the ch-3 corner sp of the earlier motif + ch 1, Puff st in the same ch-3 sp ; ch 1 + join to the ch-2 sp of the earlier motif + ch 1 ;

dc in the next 2 dc + sl-st in the 3^rd dc of the 5-dc set of the earlier motif + dc in the next 3 dc ; ch 1 + join to the ch-2 sp of the earlier motif + ch 1 ;

Puff st in the next ch-3 sp ; ch 1 + join to the ch-3 corner sp of the earlier motif + ch 1, Puff st in the same ch-3 sp} ;

(ch 2, Puff st in the next ch-3 sp ; ch 3, Puff st in the same ch-3 sp) ;

*[ch 2, dc in the next 5 dc] ;

rep (to) once* ;

rep *to* all around ;

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

You have now joined your motifs along one side.

Two puffed motifs complete. That was also easy, right?

You continue working down the row, joining motifs along one side till you get a long strip that will be half the round waist of the child. See charts below.

For the second row of motifs, you will join on two sides in the same way as before – just along two sides. See charts below.

The charts below are not to scale and do not represent the number of motifs you need to make. They are only to show you how to attach.

Chart 1 (not to scale) showing how to join motifs

Chart 2 (not to scale) showing how to join motifs

Chart 3 (not to scale) showing how to join motifs

Chart 4 (not to scale) showing how to join motifs

Chart 5 (not to scale) showing how to join motifs

Right then.. you have your basic motif and your joining technique.

Here’s what you need to do next.

a) a) You need to measure your motif and see how many motifs you would need to go across the chest. So say you need 8 motifs, you work all 8 in a row. Remember that you need 4 for front and 4 for back, but we work them in one row.

b) b) You need to also calculate how many you need for the length of your yoke

c) You need to mark your armhole length from shoulder and ensure that you do not join that side and leave an armhole opening

d) d) For the neckline, you just leave as many motifs as you need for the depth of the neck – the rest of the motifs will just become the shoulder. In the chart, I’ve shown 1 motif on each side to make up the shoulder for front, and the two motifs in the centre that we do not work become the neckline opening.

e) e) Join your motifs continuously for front and back for a seamless finish.

f) f) You could work one front and one back piece, and then go back to join the sides, leaving armhole opening as well. It’s just simpler and neater to join as you go.

g) g) I chose to keep one shoulder attached and left one shoulder open – and used buttons to get the shoulder fastened. If you think that your baby will manage to slip it on without buttons, that’s so much easier for you

h) h) I also decided to keep the back portion all the way to the top – now in case you do not wish to fiddle with buttons, may I suggest that you keep back and front the same, and the dress will easily slip over the head.

Finishing

The motifs are beautiful as they are – but if you want a small finishing, you could work a row of shells.

just another view of the completed modeled dress

Border :

You can work this border around the neck and armhole.

You could work both rounds or just the 1^st round of sc to keep it neat.

You decide.. more choices ;)

completed border along armhole and neckline

Border Round 1 : Work one round of sc all around in multiples of 5.

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

Border Round 2 : sc in the 1^st sc ;

(sk the next 2 sc, 5 dc in the next sc ; sk the next 2 sc , sc in the next sc) ;

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

Isn’t this a cute but really easy border?

Right then.. this means that you have finished making your yoke.

You just need to join up your tulle / net to make the lower part of the beautiful dress.

I have taken double the round waist measure for my tulle and gathered it at the waist. Add in as many layers of tulle as you desire to get the lovely frilled skirt.

Attach the tulle / net just above the last row of your crochet work.

Add in a satin belt if needed.

I totally love today’s creation.. don’t you?

collage of the cute model in the Sapphire Baby Dress

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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