Independence Day Dress for 18-inch Doll

Free Doll Dress Crochet Pattern

This is the perfect outfit for your doll for the 4th of July, or whenever she is feeling patriotic (or you can crochet it in other colors, for other occasions).

The dress features a circular yoke, a back opening and a belt for fit. It is worked from the top down, side to side at first, then in rounds. The skirt features a traditional Catherine Wheel motif that I worked in red and white. I used snaps for a closure, but buttons would work too.

Materials: Aunt Lydia (affiliate link)'s Classic Crochet Thread size #10 (100% mercerized cotton), colors white, dark royal blue, victory red - 1 ball each
Metallic or plastic sew-on snaps.

Hooks: 0 (1.75 mm) OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE and hook 2.25 mm (for the belt)

Gauge for double crochet: 28 sts x 16 rows = 4” x 4” (10 cm x 10 cm)

Abbreviations:
Dc - double crochet
Sc – single crochet
Ch – chain

sl st - slip stitch

V-st - V-stitch: dc-ch1-dc in the indicated stitch
Cl (cluster) = work (yo, insert hook, yo, draw loop through, yo, draw through 2 loops) over the indicated number of stitches, yo, draw through all loops on hook.

RS - right side

WS - wrong side

Catherine Wheel II Pattern:

Multiple of 8 plus 1.
Row 1 (RS) set-up row: ch 1, 1 sc into the first stitch (dc), *skip 3 dc, 9 dc into next dc, skip 3 dc, 1 sc into next dc, rep from * to end, turn.

Row 2 : ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 Cl over next 4 dc, *ch 3, 1 sc into the next dc, ch 3, Cl over the next 9 sts - rep from * ending with ch 3, 1 CL over next 5 sts, turn.

Row 3: ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 4 dc into the first st, *skip ch-3-space, 1 sc into the next sc, skip ch-3-space, 9 dc into loop which closed next CL; rep from * ending with skip ch-3-space, 5 dc into the loop which closed CL, turn.

Row 4: ch 1, 1 sc in the first st, *ch 3, 1 Cl over the next 9 sts, ch 3, 1 sc into the next sc, - rep from * ending with 1 sc into last st, turn.

Row 5: ch 1, 1 sc into the first sc, *skip ch-3-space, 9 dc into loop which closed CL, skip ch-3-space, 1 sc into the next sc - rep from * to the end, turn.

Repeat rows 2-5.

Click image to enlarge

Dress

The dress is worked top-down side-to-side to the hip line, leaving an opening at the back. Then, you can either continue in rows, or in rounds, turning at the end of each round.

The groups of 2 dc in the beginning and 2 dc at the end of each row on the yoke form a button band.


Yoke

Using 1.75 mm hook, with blue thread chain 49 sts

Row 1 (RS): 1 dc in the forth chain from the hook, 1 dc in the next ch, * ch 1, skip the next ch-1-space, 1 dc in each of the next 2 chains, repeat from * to the end. Turn. = 47 sts

Row 2 (WS): ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in the next dc, *ch 1 over ch-1-space, 2 dc in each of the next 2 dc - repeat from * to the the last 3 sts, ending with ch-1 over ch-1-space, 1 dc in each of the last 2 dc. Turn. = 75 sts

Row 3: ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in the next dc, *ch 1 over ch-1-space, 1 dc in each of the next 2 dc, ch 1, 1 dc in each of the next 2 dc - repeat from * to last 3 sts, ending with ch 1 over ch-1-space, 1 dc in each of the last 2 dc. Turn. = 89 sts

Row 4: ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in the next dc, *ch1 over ch-1-space, 1 dc in each of the next: 2 dc, ch-1-space and 2 dc - repeat from * to the last 3 sts, ch 1 over ch-1-space, 1 dc in each of the last 2 dc. Turn. = 89

Row 5: ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in the next dc, *ch 1 over ch-1-space, 1 dc in each of the next 2 dc, ch 1, skip the next dc, 1 dc in each of the next 2 dc - repeat from * to the last 3 sts, ch 1 over ch-1-space, 1 dc in each of the last 2 dc. Turn.

Row 6: ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in the next dc, *ch 1 over ch-1-space, 1 dc in each of the next 2 dc, 2 dc in ch-1-space, 1 dc in each of the next 2 dc - repeat from * to the last 3 sts, ch 1 over ch-1-space, 1 dc in each of the last 2 dc. Turn.

Row 7: ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in the next dc, *ch 1 over ch-1-space, 1 dc in each of the next 6 dc - repeat from * to the last 3 sts, ch 1 over ch-1-space, 1 dc in each of the last 2 dc. Turn.

Row 8: ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in the next dc, *ch 1 over ch-1-space, 1 dc in each of the next 3 dc, ch 1, 1 dc in each of the next 3 dc - repeat from * to the last 3 sts, ch 1 over ch-1-space, 1 dc in each of the last 2 dc. Turn.

Row 9: with white thread ch 2 (counts as 1 sc), 1 sc in each stitch (all dcs and ch-1-spaces) of the row. Turn. = 117 sts

Row 10: with red thread, back: ch 2 (counts as 1 sc), 1 sc in each of the next 17 sc, work sleeve edge over the next 23 sc: *skip the next sc, 4 dc in the next sc, skip the next sc, 1 sc in the next sc - repeat from * 6 times, for the front of the dress: 1 sc in each of the next 35 sc, work the sleeve edge over the next 23 sc: *skip the next sc, 4 dc in the next sc, skip the next sc, 1 sc in the next sc - repeat from * 6 times, back: 1 sc in each of the next 18 sc. Turn.

Divide for Sleeves and Bodice:

Row 11 (RS): with blue thread, ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of the next 18 sc, chain 7, skip all shells, 1 dc in the first sc after the 6th shell, 1 dc in each of the next 36 sc, chain 7, skip all shells, 1 dc in the first sc after the last shell, 1 dc in each of the next 18 sc. Turn. = 89 sts


Bodice:

Row 12: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc) 1 dc in each stitch across (in all dcs and chains). Turn. = 89 sts

Rows 13, 14 and 15: Ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of 88 dc. Turn at the ends of each row. = 89 sts


Skirt:

Row 16 (eyelet or belt row): ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in the next dc, *ch 1, skip 1 dc, 1 dc in the next dc - repeat from *, end with 1 dc in the last dc. Turn.

Row 17: ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in the next dc, V-st in the chain-1-space - repeat from * to the last 2 dc, 1 dc in the last 2 dc. Turn. = 132 sts

Row 18: work this row with 1 dc in each stitch, evenly adding 5 dc, e.g. make 2 dc in each 26th dc. Turn. = 137 sts

Row 19 (RS) : with blue thread, start working the first row of the Catherine Wheel pattern as described above. Turn.


The rest of the skirt is worked in a Catherine Wheel pattern, changing the color sequence every 2 rows.
Work 20 rows of the pattern or to desired length. For the tunic, work 9 rows of the pattern.

If you’re making the dress, after you work the first 5 rows of the pattern, you can join and continue in rounds, or go on in rows and then sew together last 16 rows.

Belt:

Take a 2.25 mm hook, 3 strands of thread (red, white and blue) and chain a string 15-16" long. Tie the ends.


Finishing:

Weave in the ends of threads; insert the belt into the belt row. Sew snaps on the blouse's back.

Have fun!