Just an update on the summer dress. I have completed thus far:

This might be a bit late for the summer...

Not much progress since I started this project almost two weeks ago. I was hoping to get this done for the summer but now it seems that summer is ending too soon. It started raining a few days ago and now we are being entertained by continuous thunder with little or no rain.

At the same time, I have numerous projects on-going. Since getting the new Zhurnal MOD magazines, I have been making several motifs, one of them is this which will go on the summer dress-in-progress.

Motif from Zhurnal MOD 533

Another project I started last night is this triangular motif. I am joining them together to make into a scarf for my husband’s granddaughter in the Netherlands. I am making this in Lotus Yarns Sunset, a blend of Merino (70%) and Soy (30%). The colours of this yarn is quite lovely.

Scarf in progress - not for here in the tropics, but for Holland!

The next item I am working on is this octagonal motif worked in cotton thread. I quite like its stability and that the holes are not too large or too small. I still don’t know what I will be using these for, I have in mind a wrap blouse with short sleeves.

Octagon motif in cotton thread.

And as usual, here is my cat C.D. hard at work.

Note d tail curled up round d bamboo.

Amidst hectic preparations for a short visit to Manila, the crocheted dress is now finished. At a certain point in the process – where I have completed motifs in an inverted triangle shape at the front and back of the dress – I decided to use the various large motifs completed earlier, to occupy areas at the sides of the dress, in free-form technique.

The dress before attaching the large motifs.

The large flower motifs are based on patterns found in two Duplet magazines: The Swimsuit Edition #3 and Duplet Issue #112. The crochet symbol chart in the Swimsuit Edition was easier to understand, thanks to the use of shading to identify rounds in the pattern.

Flower motifs following Duplet patterns

Attaching the motifs to the dress proved difficult. I used a combination of crochet stitches and needlework. I used the 5-chain mesh and in certain areas, a join consisting of dc, ch 3, dc. Two motifs on each side of the dress were attached first (one is shown here) with the chain mesh. After 3 rows of chain meshes, I completed the edging with a simple “(ch 3, 3 dc) in loop, sc in next loop” pattern repeat.

Attaching one of the motifs to one side of the dress

Attaching the motifs - work in progress

Smaller and larger motifs follow, some overlapping the mesh. Most of the work in this case were done on each side of the dress.

Detail of one side of the dress using motifs in natural and lavender colors

One side of the dress uses motifs tinged with lavender thread, and the other side I decided to keep on the natural color.

Detail of the other side of the dress using motifs in natural cotton

And here is the finished dress, showing ether front or back. I have not decided which should be the front or back of the dress. Either way the dress can be worn

The finished dress

The dress is rather short, just above the knee, and thus can also be worn as a top over jeans or a skirt. I was hoping to wear this to my mom;s birthday, but there isn’t enough time left to block and dry it.

The finished dress

Making this dress wasn’t easy. A lot of design decisions had to be made and errors weren’t easy to rectify. Near the waist of the dress I used an alternating row of motifs with 3D flowers. That was a decision that proved wrong when I finished the dress because the flowers appeared oddly asymmetrical across the waist.  I like asymmetry but this was a bit off, looking like funny unbalanced buttons on the dress. Removing those motifs would’ve ruined the dress so I had to rectify the problem by attaching similar 3D flowers arranged at an angle in between the motifs. The intention was to break the uncomfortable asymmetry.

I learned a lot of new things completing this dress and I feel relatively happy with it – not very happy but enough. I think that there is still something lacking because I feel that I could’ve done this dress differently. Perhaps after some time I will see it.

Crochetology problem: Given basic Sieve Stitch pattern:

Sieve Stitch

And the offset mesh pattern:

Make a multiple of 2 sts.
Rnd 1. (Right side): 1dc into 6th ch from hook, *1ch, skip1 ch, 1 dc into next ch; rep from * ending 1 dc into last ch. Tun.
Rnd 2. 4 ch (counts as 1 dc and 1 ch), skip first 2 sts, 1 dc into next ch sp, *1ch, skip 1 dc, 1 dc into next sp; rep from * to turning ch, 1 dc into next ch. Turn.

Rep rnd 2.

Crochet a sleeveless dress using at least 4 colors.

This crocheted dress was inspired by the sieve stitch.

This Crochetology problem explores the combination of color and texture in very basic crochet stitch variations. The Sieve Stitch pattern serves as the springboard for the development of the design for this dress, in particular, the combination of colors for the front bodice of the dress. I was interested in how patterns of color are made by alternating rows of the Sieve Stitch pattern in different colors.

Other close weave crochet stitches may be used in place of the Sieve Stitch pattern. For example, the floret stitch gives excellent texture and color. More alternative stitches that work well in 2-3 or more colors are: the Parquet Stitch, Wattle Stitch and Grit Stitch.

The Offset Mesh pattern, in the meantime, served to create the drape of the dress. I made some variations of the Offset Mesh pattern by combining with other basic crochet stitch patterns, for example, the block and open filet crochet stitches.

The dress is also in very basic shape, and is crocheted in 4 sections: (1) the front bodice; (2) the back of there bodice; (3) the skirt of the dress (crocheted in the round); and (4) the straps.

These sections are sewn together by hand.

The hem of the dress is a bit of an after-thought. I added the colored hem to lengthen the dress and to match the color from the bodice. Feel free to chooser any wide trimming for the hem. In this case, I used the simple pineapple pattern. I have some notes about the pineapple motif here.

Notes: This dress was made entirely with rayon thread, and perhaps because I often make sc’s and dc’s by inserting the hook in the back loop of the stitch, the dress kept stretching longer and longer each time I used it. Thank goodness it stopped stretching by the fourth time I wore it. So what was originally a mini-dress is now a below-the-knee length dress.

Thank goodness the dress has stopped growing longer!

Because of this stretching, I had to adjust the straps of the dress. The original straps were simple dc’s and I replaced them with the same straps I used for the Dress in Wave Stitch. This time, I made the stitches tighter, inserting the hook in both front and back loops of the stitch.

I am currently working on a new project – what might perhaps be a tunic – based on the floret stitch. This floret stitch-inspired project is worked nearly the same way as this Green Dress in Sieve Stitch. However, for the floret stitch project, I am using cotton thread and have been inserting the hook in both front and back loops of the stitch.

A new dress for Christmas. The embroidered lace bolero is a gift from my mom.

The inspiration for this project begins with the wave stitch.

Crochetology problem:

Use the wave stitch and improvisations thereof for the bodice (section B) of a crocheted sleeveless dress. Use glitter thread in combination with cotton to create an embellished effect. In this project, I used white cotton with gold glitter thread, as well as a very very soft green color of cotton thread.

Schematic for the dress.

For the straps and upper section of the bodice (section A), select a simple openwork but sturdy pattern, for example, I selected a pattern for a camisole but used two strands of thread for strong fabric.

You may also use a color lighter (rather than glaringly different) than the bodice so that the embellished bodice may stand out but not too much. I used white cotton thread in combination with white rayon thread.

The lower section (section C) of the decorative bodice is now worked in the main body color of the dress. For this project, I selected an aquamarine color cotton thread. The lower section of the bodice uses a very fancy open-work pattern which I found in a magazine.

To create a transition of golden embellishment from the upper to the lower bodice, some gold beads were hand-sewn over the holes of the fancy open-work pattern of the lower bodice. Refer to the photograph for the position of the beads.

The back, waist and hip (section D) of the dress may be worked in variations of basic crochet stitches, for example basic single crochet, back loop single crochet, front loop single crochet, alternating rows of  single and double crochet, single crochet cluster stitch, double crochet cluster stitch, and space and block filet crochet.

The idea is to find stitches and combination of stitches that create a good support for the back, waist, stomach and hips. Generally, the waist section may have a more open weave pattern, and the hip section may be more tightly woven and closed.

The skirt (section E) of the dress may vary in length, depending on your preference – it can be short, mid-length or an elegant long dress. Select a pattern that contrasts in texture and structure with the previous section of the dress. For example, you may select a lacier open-work pattern or a looser and softer pattern. For this project, I selected a floral pattern from a Japanese pattern magazine, originally for a crocheted purse, which I slightly modified so that the fabric created is not too tight.

For the straps and upper section of the bodice (section A), select a simple openwork but sturdy pattern.

Use the wave stitch and improvisations thereof for the bodice (section B).

This pattern is used for the lower section (section C) of the decorative bodice. Gold beads are sewn by hand onto this section, specifically where the 3-ch picots are located.

The dress in progress. I removed these long rectangular straps and opted for the triangular ones which provided better support.

Detail of the golden beads.

For the skirt (section E) of the dress, I modified this pattern to create a contrast in texture to the previous section of basic crochet stitches.

The finished dress.