Crochet Blessing or Christening Dress!

I made this cute blessing dress for my niece!

It is easier than you think to make up your own dress patterns. I like to use existing clothes or sewing patterns to make my own designs so that I can get the dimensions right. Then, I like to experiment with different crochet stitches and see what I can create. I thought I'd let you know how I made this dress, so you can create on too.

1. Pick out a piece of clothes that is the size you want. I used a baby dress pattern to make the bodice so it would come out the right size.

2. Then using the dress pattern as your guide and single crochet the till the bodice matches your dress pattern (I single crocheted a square first, then added six single crochets in five rows to get my shoulders.)

3. Repeat step 2 to make the back. Then, slip stitch at the side seams.

4. To make the shoulder ruffle,single crocheted around the shoulder opening. Then, skip two single crochets and crochet five double stitches in next single crochet. Repeat this till you've gone around the shoulder opening to create a ruffle sleeve.

5. Now for the skirt. Single crochet around the bottom of the bodice.

6. To create the ruffles Double crochet six times in every third single crochet around the whole bodice.

7. When you reach where you started from chain three in back single crochet from step 5 (you are now making the layer under the ruffle). Double crochet twice in same crochet as chain. *Skip two single crochets and double crochet three times in same single crochet. Repeat from * till you've completed row in the skirt. Repeat step 7 till you have three rows. Then, repeat Step 6. Keep repeating step 6 & 7 till you reach your desired length.

Happy Crocheting!