Given the doily pattern:
Doily pattern with classic pineapple stitch
Make a lace dress using two different color threads.
This problem is an exercise in appropriating doily patterns. There are thousands of antique, vintage and contemporary resources for doilies that can serve as starting points for new dress designs.
Roadtesting the doily-dress!
The doily pattern is selected for its complex design. Of special interest here is the pineapple stitch and the two smaller crocheted medallions. In my work, I decided to use the pineapple motif and one of the medallions for the bodice of the dress, and then use the pineapple for the lower section of the skirt.
Here is a study/sketch of the dress, which I made only for purposes of illustrating the improvisation. You might wish to begin with a study such as this, otherwise, you can improvise as you go along.
A study of the doily dress.
The back of the dress has some minor variation – where the front uses the shell trellis pattern (as shown above), the back section uses only the arch mesh (a 5-ch mesh).
The hip section for both the front and back of the dress are then worked in rows of alternating bars (dc) and shells (2 dc, 1 sc, 2 dc). Below is a photo of the back of the dress showing the doily pattern, the arch mesh and the bar and shell.
Detail of the back o the dress.
I used fine polyester thread and 3-ply cotton thread for this dress in copper and beige colors respectively.
The arch mesh (also known as fishnet chains) is a specially useful stitch for free-form crochet.
Hi Ms. Fatima,
Would like to ask where do you get your crochet threads? I usually get mine at our local Shanghai Bazaar store, which pretty much sells only one kind of thread.
Thanks very much.
Hi Patricia! Thanks for visiting Crochetology.net – and yes, maybe we will meet someday, especially I’ll be moving to the Visayas soon (I hope!)
I get my threads from Quiapo, there are shops along Palanca Street – and they all sell the same types/brands of threads too. These are either rayon or cotton threads from Monaco or Cannon.
While In Bohol, I get my threads from BQ Mall in Tagbilaran City.
Imported yarns and threads are too expensive for me to work with, so I don’t use them, although sometimes my mom finds some fancy thread/yarns from ukay-ukay shops!
Cheers!
Fatima
Thanks for the reply! I had a lot of misgivings with using our locally available thread for the patterns from abroad kasi nga they usually require a special type of thread that’s only available in their country. I thought it would ruin the end product in terms of size, softness, etc. I would also like to ask, do you make adjustments to the pattern (i.e., add here, decrease there, etc.) when substituting our local thread sa pattern? If yes, how did it go?
If you want similar results, you’ll need to use similar yarns.
Regarding size, it usually helps to follow the gauge indicated in the pattern. If your gauge swatch matches the one in the pattern, then you have the correct combination of yarn/thread and hook, and expect size results similar to the one in the pattern.
As for other qualities such as softness, color, lustre, etc, yarns and threads have different qualities, so substituting will most likely produce different results.
And yes, I make adjustments to the pattern most of the time, and I use our local threads a lot. I like the unexpected results. Modifying patterns and substituting materials is perhaps the first step to making your own patterns and designs.
I love this dress. Looking at your website, I get the feeling that if I REALLY want to do crochet, I can. Usually, I find crochet too confusing and prefer knitting everything. But your schematics posted make me feel a little more confident and I see how well you’ve translated ideas I doubt I have the skills (yet) to try into beautiful, graceful garments and think: wow, maybe later!
Thank so much for your comments!
If you have trouble following crochet patterns, maybe free-form crochet or improvisation is your thing. You could give that a try instead – and schematics make visualizing the design easier. Good luck!
Amazing! Thank you so much for teaching us how to make a dress from a doily pattern! I have so much desire and motivation and thanks to you – the knowledge of how to turn beautiful doilies into something wearable. God bless you. You’re a very talented artist.
Thanks, Cynthia! I miss your blogging!
I just discovered your blog through Ravelry, I love it. Thank you for sharing these beautiful patterns and pictures make me want to crochet again. My mom is from Bohol and I grew up in Cebu.
Hello kabayan!
Thanks for visiting – and if you do have the time, it is worthwhile crocheting again. It’s a very relaxing craft. My husband and I moved to Bohol permanently only in 2010, although we’ve been visiting since 2008. Life here, especially our rather rural location, is very very different from life in Manila. I’m still adjusting and crochet helps me relax!