Perfect Christmas Dress for 18-inch Doll

Free Doll Dress Crochet Pattern

The dress is worked top down, back and forth with the seam in the back.

Skills Required/Techniques Used:
- Basic crochet stitches: chain (ch), single crochet (sc), double crochet (dc), half double crochet (hdc), slip stitch (sl.st)
- Decreasing with double crochet: 2 double crochet cluster (2dccl

FINISHED SIZE: to fit 18-inch dolls, such as American Girl Doll, etc.

Materials: Bernat (affiliate link) Handicrafter Crochet Thread Solids crochet thread size 5 (100% acrylic) 371 yards (339 meters) / 85 grams (3.00 oz), color Perfect Red 31707 - 1 ball (MC)
Bernat (affiliate link) Handicrafter Crochet Thread Ombres crochet thread size 5 (100% acrylic) 350 yards
(320 meters) / 80 grams (2.82 oz), color Merry 33209 - 1 ball (CC)

Hook: C (2.75 mm) OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE.

Gauge: 6 dc = 1" (2.5 cm)

Notions:
- 6-7 sew-on snaps, size 2/0
- Tapestry needle
- Stitch marker (optional) - for your convenience place the marker on the right side (RS) of the working piece.
-Sewing needle and thread of matching color to attach snaps

Abbreviations:
st, sts - stitch, stitches
yo - yarn over
sc - single crochet
dc - double crochet
ch - chain
hdc - half double crochet
sl.st. - slip stitch
V-stitch - (1 dc, ch1, 1 dc) in the indicated stitch
2dccl - 2dc cluster - decreasing with double crochet: yarn over (yo) the hook, insert the hook in indicated st, yarn over (yo), draw the yarn through the stitch, (there are 3 loops on the hook), yarn over (yo) and draw the yarn through the first two loops on the hook (2 loops remain on the hook); yarn over (yo), insert the hook in the next st, yarn over (yo), draw the yarn through the stitch (there are 4 loops on the hook), yarn over (yo), draw tye yarn through the first 2 loops on the hook;(3 loops remain on the hook), yarn over, draw the yarn through all loops on the hook
9dc-shell - 9 dc in the indicated stitch
5dc-shell - 5 dc in the indicated stitch
9dc-shell in V-st - 9 dc in ch-1-space of the V-stitch
MC - main color
CC - contrast color
RS - right side
WS - wrong side


Short Overview of the Pattern:

The dress is worked top down, back and forth with the seam in the back. Puffed sleeves are worked in rounds.

Dress

Yoke

With MC (red) thread chain 41

Row 1 (RS): ch 1, insert hook in the second ch from the hook, 1 sc in each ch to the end of the row. (41)

Row 2 (WS): ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc into the next sc, *2 dc in the next sc, 1 dc in each of the next 2 sc*, repeat from * 13 times. (54)

Row 3: ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in the next dct, *2 dc in the next dc, 1 dc in each of the next 3 dc*, repeat from * 13 times. (67)

Row 4: ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of the next 2 dc, *2 dc in the next dc, 1 dc in each of the next 4 dc , repeat from * 12 times, 2 dc in the next dc, 1 dc in each of the last 3 dc. (80)

Row 5: ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of the next 2 dc,, *2 dc in the next dc, 1 dc in each of the next 5 dc , repeat from * 12 times, 2 dc, in the next dc, 1 dc in each of the last 4 dc. (92)

Row 6: ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of the next 3 dc, *2 dc in the next dc, 1 dc in each of the next 6 dc , repeat from * 12 times, 2 dc in the next dc, 1 dc in each of the last 4 dc. (106)

Row 7: ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of the next 3 dc, *2 dc in the next dc, 1 dc in each of the next 7 dc *, repeat from * 12 times, 2 dc in the next dc, 1 dc in each of the last 5 dc. (=119)

Rows 8-10: ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of the next 118 dc.


Divide for sleeves and bodice

Row 11: ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of the next 17 dc (right back), ch 3, skip next 27 dc, 1 dc in each of the next 29 dc (front), ch 3, skip next 27 dc, 1 dc in each of the next 18 dc (left back). (=71)

Row 12: ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of the next 17 dc, 3 dc over ch-3-space, 1 dc in each of the next 29 dc, 3 dc over ch-3-space, 1 dc in each of the next 18 dc. (71)

Rows 13-14: ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of the 70 dc (71)

Row 15: ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in the next dc, *ch3, 1 dc in next dc*, repeat till last 2 dc, 1 dc in each of the 2 dc.

Skirt

Row 16 (WS): ch 2 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in the next dc, *3 dc in ch-3-space - repeat from * to last 2 dc, 1 dc in each of the last 2 dc. (208).

Row 17 (RS): ch 2 (counts as first dc),1 dc in each of the next 2 dc, ch 1, sc in the next dc,* skip 3 dc, 9 dc in the next dc, skip next 3 dc, sc in the next dc - repeat from * till the last 3 dc, ch1, 1 dc in each of the last 3 dc.

Row 18 (WS): ch 2 (counts as first dc), 1 dc in each of the next 2 dc, 1dc in the next sc, *ch2, skip 4 dc, sc in the next dc, ch2, skip next 4 dc, V-st in the next sc - repeat from * till the last 9dc-shell, ch2, skip the next 4 dc, sc in the next dc, ch2, skip the next 4dc, 1 dc in the next sc, 1 dc in each of the last 3 dc.

Row 19 (RS): ch 2 (counts as first dc),1 dc in each of the next 2 dc, 5dc in the next dc,* skip ch-2-space, sc in sc, skip 2-ch-space, 9 dc in the next V-st, - repeat from * till the last V-st, skip ch-2-space, sc in sc, skip ch-2-space, 5 dc in the next dc, 1 dc in each of the last 3 dc.

Row 20 (WS): ch 2, 1 dc in each of the next2 dc, ch 1, sc in nextt dc (first dc of the of the 5-dc-shell), *ch2, skip next 4dc, V-st in sc, ch2, skip next 4 dc, sc in the next dc -repeat from * across till last 3dc, ch1, 1dc in each of the last 3dc.

Row 21 (RS); ch 2 (counts as first dc), 1 dc in each of the next2 dc, ch1, sc in sc, *skip ch-2-space, 9dc in v-st, skip ch-2-space, sc in sc - repeat from * till last 3 dc, ch1, 1 dc in each of the last 3 dc.

Row 22 (WS): ch 2 (counts as first dc), 1 dc in each of the next2 dc,. 1dct in sc, *ch2, skip 4 dc, sc in the next dc, ch2, skip next 4 dc, V-st in sc - rep from * till last sc, instead of V-st make 1 dc in the last sc, 1 dc in each of the last 3 dc.

Repeat rows 19-22 four more times, Repeat rows 19-21 one more time. I have 41 rows in all. Tie off.

For longer dress work more repeats, but finish the dress with a RS row, either row 19 or 21, with 9dc-shells.

I changed thread color as follows:

From the beginning till row 19 - MC
Rows 20-23 - CC
Rows 24-29 - MC
Rows 30-33 - CC
Rows 34-41 - MM
Feel free to change colors as you prefer.


Sleeve:

The sleeves are crocheted in rounds.

With yarn B

Start in the middle of the underarm, it's the second underarm stitch. Secure thread. .

Round 1: ch 1, 1 sc in each of the 2 underarm sts, 2hdc over the post formed by the dc of the 11th row, 2 dc in each of the 27 sleeve dc, 2hdc over the post formed by the dc of the 11th row, sc in the last underarm st., connect the round with slip stitch ( 61 sts)

Round 2: ch 1, 1 sc in each of the 2 sc, 1 hdc in each the 2 hdc, (1dc, ch1) in each dc around, 1 hdc in each of the next 2 hdc, 1 sc in the last sc, connect with sl.st. = 115 sts

Round 3: ch1, 1 sc in each of the 2 sc,1 hdc in each of the 2 hdc, (1 dc, skip ch-1-space) in each dc around, 1 hdc in each of the next 2 hdc, sc in the last sc, connect with sl.st. = 61 sts

Round 4: ch1, 1 sc in each of the 2 sc,1 hdc in each the 2 hdc, 1 dc in each dc around, 1 hdc in each of the next 2 hdc, sc in the last sc, connect with sl.st.

Round 5: ch 1, 1 sc in each of the 2 sc, hdc in each the 2 hdc, 2dccl for all dc around, 1 hdc in each of the next 2 hdc, sc in the last sc, connect with sl.st. = 34 sts

Round 6: ch 1, 1 sc in each of the 2 sc, 1 hdc in each the 2 hdc, 2dccl in all sts till the last 4, dc in the last dc, 1 hdc in each of the next 2 hdc, sc in the last sc, connect with sl.st. = 21 sts
Tie off.

Belt:

You can insert a ribbon into the "eyes" formed by ch-3-space in row 15, or you can crochet the belt. Chain a string of necessary length and make a row of sc in each chain across.


Finishing:

Weave in all yarn ends. Sew the back seam from hem up to hip line. Sew the snaps on the button bands formed by 2 dc in the beginning and end of each row.