Delicate Princess Newborn Dress

Hello all, and welcome to the first pattern for 2016! I really had hoped to get this up at the start of January, but like usual, life  had other ideas. None the less, it is finally finished and I'm so happy with how it came out. 

 I've been wanting to make a newborn sized thread gown ever since I finished the Wendy Gown, but didn't have the right supplies. I'm glad I finally got around to it because I LOVE this dress. It is so sweet and delicate, from its thread to its dainty picots to its soft ribbon bow. It would be a fantastic coming home outfit for a little girl, and also wonderful for photographs.

The pattern itself isn't a hard one to follow, in fact I'm confident that people who are relatively new to crocheting should be able to follow along just fine. It gets a little fiddly, but it is so beautiful that it's worth the effort.

Now, I couldn't just stop at the dress, oh no. So I have in the works some matching pieces to go with it, which will be released over the next month or so, so keep an eye out for them too!


Size:

Full term newborn (6-9lb)

You Will Need:

Thread. I used Sullivans International Natural Soft Crochet and Knitting Thread. It says on the packet 4ply equivalent, so you could also use a 4ply yarn. You will need 2 balls. 

3mm Hook

Tulle

3 Buttons

Ribbon (about a meter)

Special Stitches:

trc = Triple Crochet Learn how to do it here.

Picot = Learn how to make a picot here.

Chains counts as a stitch, the last stitch of each row should be made into the top of the ch's from the previous row.

1. Chain 60, dc in the 3rd chain from hook, *2dc in the next chain, dc in the next chain*, repeat across – 87 

2. Ch3, turn, dc in each stitch across – 87 

3. Ch3, turn, *dc in the next 3 stitches, 2dc in the next stitch*, repeat across – 106 

4. Ch3, turn, dc in each stitch across – 106 

5. Repeat round 4

                                        

6. Ch3, turn, dc in the first 13 atitches, skip 28 stitches, ch2, dc in the next 23 stitches, ch2, skip 28 stitches, dc in the last 14 stitches – 55 including chains 

7. Ch3, turn, dc in the same stitch, 2dc in each stitch and chain across – 110 

8-9. ch3, turn, dc in each stitch across.

10. ch4 (counts as dc and ch1), *dc in the next 2 stitches, ch1* repeat across, skip the last stitch and dc in the ch3. 

11-14. ch5 (counts as dc and ch2), turn, *dc in the next 2 dc’s, ch2*, repeat across, dc in the last stitch. 

15-22. ch6 (counts as dc and ch3), turn, dc in the next 2 dc’s, ch3*, repeat across, dc in the last stitch. 

23-25. ch7 (counts as dc and ch4), turn, *dc in the next 2 dc’s, ch4*, repeat across, dc in the last stitch.

26. ch8 (counts as trc and ch4), *trc in the next 2 dc's, ch4*, repeat across, trc in the last stitch.

27. ch1, turn, *in the next ch4 gap (sc 3 times, picot, sc 3 times), sc in the next 2 trc's* repeat across. sc in the last stitch.

Do not end off. Sc evenly up the side of the back opening. End off. Attach yarn to the bottom of the other side of the back opening and sc up that evenly too. 

Sleeves.

1. Join yarn to any stitch (I aim for a spot under the arm to hide the join) and sc evenly around the entire arm hole 38 times, join.

2-4. ch2, hdc in each stitch around, join.

5. ch1, sc in the first 5 stitches, sc2tg, sc in the next 8 stitches, sc2tg, sc in the next 5 stitches, sc2tg, sc in the next 8 stitches, sc2tg, sc in the last 4 stitches, join. - 34

6. ch1, sc in each stitch around, join.

7. ch1, *sc in the next 4 stitches, sc2tg*, repeat around, join.

8. ch1, sc in each stitch around, join.

End off, weave in tails. Repeat rounds 1-8 for the second sleeve

Making the underskirt,

Chain 115, hdc in the second chain from hook and each across. End off leaving a very long tail, to sew the underskirt to the dress.  

                                     

Cut your tulle. I purchase mine in rolls that are 15cm wide. I cut my lengths to 50cm, and then trimmed once attached. I needed 36 strips of tulle for the skirt. This created a very full skirt. You could use less if you wanted less floof. 

I attached the tulle to every 3rd stitch. To do this, fold the tulle strip in half, pull the loop through a stitch, pass the ends of the strip through the loop and pull it tight.

Work slow doing this, if you pull too hard you will pull the stitches out of shape, This past is a bit fiddly.

   

Lay your dress flat, wrong side up. You will want to attach the underskirt to the bottom of row 9. When you are sewing the skirt to the dress, be sure to pick up the back stitches, instead of going right through your piece, you don't want the stitches showing on the right side. One side will be about an inch short, this is the side that will go over the buttons. Weave in all tails securely.

Attach your 3 buttons to the back of the dress.

For the bow, cut 2 lengths of ribbon. One will be threaded in and out of every group of 2 stitches on row 9. This piece ties at the rear. To make the bow at the front take the second piece of ribbon and tie it in a knot around the first piece of thread in the middle of the front of the gown. Tie a bow tightly, Cut the tails to the desired length.

That's it, your gown is done! I hope you have as much fun making this as I did. Don't forget to share your photos on the Ravelry Page.

Wendy Thread Gown - Free Pattern

Good morning everyone!
Wow it has been super crazy around here this week! A lot of finishing and designing and organising and a wee bit of relaxing as well.

Today's pattern is a lovely little gown made from thread. A huge thankyou to Lisa from Crochet Quackers who sent in the thread for me to play with.
The thread I am using today is DMC Babylo, which is a 3ply size 10 cotton thread. It is incredibly light. I used the best part of a 50g ball for the dress, and I am hoping I'll have enough left from the ball for a matching hat.
Working with thread can be a little challenging, and it does take a bit more time then a thicker yarn, but the results are so wonderful that it is definitely worth the effort.
This gown is designed to fit a bub of 26 weeks gestation, however you could upsize it using thicker yarn/larger hooks. I intend on testing it with some 5ply sports weight down the track, so I will let you know how that goes once I have done it.

Supplies:
3ply crochet thread (size10)
2mm hook
2.5mm hook
3mm hook
Small button
Small bow

With a 2mm hook and thread

1: ch65, hdc in the 2nd chain from hook and each across - (64)
2: ch2, turn, hdc in each stitch across - (64)\
3-5: Repeat row 2
6: ch2, turn, hdc 12
7-9: ch2, turn, hdc 12. End off.
Lay the piece with the 12hdc rows on the right,count off 10 stitches from row 5 and join yarn in the 11th.
10: ch2, hdc in the next 16 stitches - (16hdc)
10-13: ch2, turn, hdc in each stitch across - (16)
14: ch2, turn, hdc in the first 4 stitches - (4)
15-20: ch2, turn, hdc across - (4) End off leaving a long tail.
Rejoin the yarn on the 1st stitch of row 13
21: ch2, hdc in the first 4 stitches - (4)
22-27: ch2, turn, hdc across - (4) End off leaving a long tail.
Lay the piece with the hdc rows from 6-9 on the left. Join the yarn to the top of the first stitch from row 5 (furthest stitch on the right hand side)
28: ch2, hdc in the same stitch and in the next15 stitches - (16)
29-31: ch2, turn, hdc across - (16)

Sew the sleeve sections together as pictured below

Turn your piece upside down so you have the bottom of the bodice at the top and join your yarn to the corner (will be the same chains we started with)
32: ch2, hdc in each stitch across (64)
33: ch3, turn, *skip 1 stitch, (dc, ch1, dc) in the next stitch, repeat across, dc in the last stitch
34-37: ch3, turn, (dc, ch1, dc) in each ch1 space across, dc in the top of the ch3 at the end
38: ch3, turn, *(dc, ch1, dc) in the first 2 ch1 spaces, (dc, ch1, dc) in the space BETWEEN the ch1 just used and the next ch1 space* (this makes our increase), repeat across, dc in the top of the ch3 at the end.
39-40: ch3, turn, (dc, ch1, dc) in each ch1 space across, dc in the top of the ch3 at the end
Change to a 2.5mm hook
41-44: ch3, turn, (dc, ch1, dc) in each ch1 space across, dc in the top of the ch3 at the end
Change to a 3.00mm hook
45-47: ch3, turn, (dc, ch1, dc) in each ch1 space across, dc in the top of the ch3 at the end
48: ch3, turn, 2dc in the same stitch, *sl st into the next ch1 space, 5dc into the next ch1 space* repeat across, 3dc in the last ch1 space, dc in the top of the ch3.
End off and weave in ends.

Sleeves:
Join yarn to any stitch on the arm opening
1: ch1, sc evenly around the entire arm hole (36)
2: ch4, dc in the same stitch, *skip 1, (dc, ch1, dc) in the next stitch* repeat around, join to the 3rd chain from the starting chain.
3-6: sl st into the ch1 space, ch4, dc in the same space, (dc, ch1, dc) in each ch1 space around, join to the 3rd chain in the starting chain.
7: ch1, sc in each ch1 space around, join.
8: ch1, sc in each stitch around, join.
End off and weave in ends.
Repeat for second sleeve.

Collar:
1: Join yarn to any corner of the neck opening and sc evenly around the entire neckline (for me that was 52 stitches)
Mark off the front 11 stitches of the neck as shown below.

2: ch1, turn, sc until you get to the stitch before the first marker, skip 2 stitches, dc 10 times in the next stitch, using the front loop only, skip 2 stitches, sl st into the front loop of the next stitch, skip 2 stitches, dc 10 times into the front loop of the next stitch, skip 2 stitches, sc in all remaining stitches.
End off and weave in ends.
If your collar sits up a little you can iron it down, press it, or using the same yarn tack it into place.

Add a button to the back of the gown and the small bow to the front.
You may like to also run a ribbon around the bottom of the bodice if you prefer that to a bow.

Laid flat this gown measures approx. 22cm from the shoulder to the hem, and 12.5cm across the bottom of the bodice before the skirt section when laid flat.