Ocean Breeze Dress for 18-inch Doll

Free Doll Dress Crochet Pattern

Create a charming summer dress for your 18-inch doll with this easy-to-follow crochet pattern. The dress is worked seamlessly from top down, featuring a round yoke with two-color lace in white and blue. The bodice is white, and the skirt is crafted in a blue shell pattern. This delightful project is perfect for enhancing your doll's summer wardrobe.

Skills Required/Techniques Used:
- Basic crochet stitches: chain (ch), single crochet (sc), double crochet (dc), slip stitch (sl.st)

FINISHED SIZE: to fit 18-inch dolls, such as American Girl Doll, My Life As.., Our Generation, and other with similar body.

Materials: Aunt Lydia (affiliate link)s Crochet thread. Classic 10, 100% Mercerized Cotton, 350 yds – Main Color (MC) 1 ball, Contrast Color (CC) 1/5 ball

Hook: 1.5 mm OR SIZE NEEDED TO OBTAIN GAUGE.

Gauge: 8 dc x 5 rows = 1" x 1" (2.5 cm x 2.5 cm) in dc.

Notions:
- 5-6 sew-on snaps, size 2/0
- Tapestry needle to weave in yarn ends
- 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
sc - single crochet
dc - double crochet
ch, chs - chain, chains
sp – space
ch-1-sp, ch-2-sp, ch-3-sp – space made by 1, 2, or 3 chains
sl.st. - slip stitch
V1-st - V1-stitch here (1 dc, ch1, 1 dc) in the indicated stitch
V2-st – V2-stitch here (1 dc, ch2, 1 dc) in the indicated stitch
MC - main color
CC - contrast color
RS - right side
WS - wrong side


Short Overview of the Pattern:

The dress is worked as one piece, top down, back and forth till hip line, with the opening on the back. Then the work is joined into round, and the skirt is worked in rounds.

DRESS

Yoke

With MC thread chain 62.

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. (62 sts)

Row 2 (WS): ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc into each of the next 5 sc, 2 dc in the next sc, * 1 dc in each of the next 6 sc, 2 dc in the next sc – repeat from * 7 times, 1 dc in the last 6 sc =70 sts

Row 3: ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of the next 6 dc, skip 1 dc, *V1-st in the next dc, skip 1 dc – repeat from * 27 times, 1 dc in each of the last 7 dc

Row 4 (change to CC thread): ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of the next 6 dc, * 3 dc in ch-2-sp- repeat from * 27 times, 1 dc in each of the last 7 dc

Row 5: ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of the next 6 dc, * skip 1 dc, V2-st in the next dc, *ch1, skip 2 dc, V2-st in the next dc – repeat from * 26 times, skip 1 dc, 1 dc in each of the last 7 dc

Row 6 (change to MC thread): ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of the next 6 dc, * 3 dc in each ch-2-sp – repeat from * 27 times, 1 dc in each of the last 7 dc

Row 7: ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of the next 6 dc, skip 1 dc, V2-st in the next dc, *skip 2 dc, V2-st in the next dc- repeat from * 26 times, skip 1 dc, 1 dc in each of the last 7 dc.

Row 8 (change to CC thread): ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of the next 6 dc, * ch 1, 3 dc in ch-2-sp – repeat from * 27 times, ch1, skip 1 dc, 1 dc in each of the last 7 dc.

Row 9: ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of the next 19 sts, skip 1 dc, * 5 dc in the next dc, skip 1 dc, sc in ch-1-sp - repeat from * 5 times, skip 1 dc, 5 dc in the next dc, 1 dc in each of the next 37 sts, *skip 1 dc, 5 dc in the next dc, skip 1 dc, sc in the ch-1-sp – repeat from * 5 times, skip 1 dc, 5 dc in the next dc, 1 dc in each of the next 20 dc.

Row 10: ch 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of the next 19 dc, ch 7, skip all shells (formed by 5 dc in 1 dc), 1 dc in each of the next 37 dc, ch 7, skip all shells, 1 dc in each of the last 20 dc.


Divide for sleeves and bodice

Row 11: 3 (counts as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of the next 19 dc, 7 dc in ch-7-sp, 1 dc in each of the next 37 dc, 7 dc in ch-7-sp, 1 dc in each of the next 20 dc.

Row 12: ch 3, 1 dc in each dc across
Repeat row 12 two more times, change to MC thread and repeat row 12 three more times.


Skirt

Row 18: ch1, 1 sc in each of the next 5 dc, *ch 3, skip 1 dc, sc in the next dc – repeat from * till the last 5 dc, 1 sc in each of the last 5 dc.

Row 19: ch 3 (counts as first dc),1 dc in each of the next 4 sc, *(2 dc, ch2, 2 dc) in 3-ch-sp, skip the next ch-3-sp – repeat from * to last 5 sc , 1 dc in each of the last 5 sc.
Note: if you want a very wide skirt, you can make (2dc, ch2, 2 dc) in each 3-ch-space, but you will need more thread.

Row 20: ch 3 (counts as first dc),1 dc in each of the next 4 dc, *(2 dc, ch2, 2 dc) in each ch-2-sp across , 1 dc in each of the last 5 dc.

Row 21: ch 3 (counts as first dc),1 dc in each of the next 4 dc, *(3 dc, ch2, 3 dc) in each ch-2-sp across, 1 dc in each of the last 5 dc.

Row 22 like row 21

Row 23: Repeat row 21. Turn. Overlap the 5 dc in the beginning and in the end of the row. With 5 slip stitches connect these overlapping stitches. Turn and continue in rounds.

Round 1: (4 dc, ch2, 4 dc) in the 3rd slip stitch, *(4dc, ch2, 4 dc) in each ch-2-sp around, join with sl.st in the first dc.

Round 2: with sl sts move to the first ch-2-space, ch 3 (counts as first dc), (3 dc, ch2, 4dc), *(4 dc, ch2, 4 dc in each ch-2-space around, join with sl. st.

Repeat round 2 one more time.

Round 4: with sl sts move to the first ch-2-sp, ch 3 (counts as first dc), (3 dc, ch3, 4dc) in the same ch-2-sp, *(4 dc, ch3, 4 dc) in each ch-2-space around, join with sl. st.

Round 5: with sl sts move to the ch-3-sp, ch 3 (counts as first dc), (4dc, ch3, 5 dc) in the same ch-3-sp, *(5 dc, ch3, 5 dc) in each ch-3-space around, join with sl. st.

Round 6 like round 5.

Round 7: with sl sts move to the ch-3-sp, ch 3 (counts as first dc), (5dc, ch3, 6 dc) in the same ch-3-sp, *(6 dc, ch3, 6 dc) in each ch-3-space around, join with sl. st.

Round 8: with sl sts move to the ch-3-sp, ch 3 (counts as first dc), 11 dc in the same ch-3-sp, * 12 dc in each ch-3-space around, join with sl. st.

Tie off. Cut thread.


Finishing:

Weave in all yarn ends. Sew the snaps on the button bands formed by 5 dc in the beginning and end of each row.

Have fun!