Easy crochet frock 0 to 24 months

This adorable Coral Bloom Baby Dress is a perfect blend of classic charm and playful detail! It features a smooth, solid yoke that transitions into a beautifully textured skirt made with a repeating Petal Fan Stitch. The design is elegantly finished with a sweet scalloped hem, an integrated ribbon tie at the waist, and three charming little rose appliqués, making it ideal for any special occasion.

This detailed pattern is written for the 6-12 Month size and is suited for the Intermediate to Advanced crocheter ready to tackle a multi-row lace repeat and top-down shaping.

Materials Needed 

• Yarn: Approximately 400-450 yards of DK Weight (Light Worsted / #3) or soft Worsted Weight (#4) yarn. A cotton or cotton blend is recommended for excellent drape and stitch definition.
  • Main Color (MC): Approx. 400 yards (Vibrant Coral/Salmon)
• Crochet Hook: 4.0 mm (US G-6), or the size needed to obtain gauge.
• Ribbon: 1 yard of 1/4-inch white or cream ribbon for the waist tie.
• Tapestry Needle: For weaving in ends and securing the ribbon/flowers.
• Stitch Markers: 4 markers for the raglan corners.

Skill Level & Notes 

• Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced. You must be proficient with top-down raglan shaping and accurately maintaining a multi-row lace repeat pattern.
• Construction: The entire dress is worked seamlessly from the top-down, joining at the end of each round.
• Skirt Repeat: The Petal Fan Stitch pattern requires a total stitch count that is a multiple of 6 stitches.
• Chains: The starting chain (ch 2) at the beginning of HDC rounds always counts as the first HDC unless noted otherwise.

Gauge 

In Half Double Crochet (HDC) (Yoke section) using a 4.0 mm hook: 16 HDC stitches and 11 rounds = 4 inches (10 cm) square.

Abbreviations 

Export to Sheets

Special Stitches 

Petal Fan Stitch (PFS)

This stitch creates the repeating floral shape across the skirt.

• PFS: (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) all worked into the same stitch or space.

Small Rose Appliqué

• Rose Petal: (Ch 2, hdc, dc, hdc, ch 2, sl st) all into the same ch-sp.

Part 1: The Yoke (MC – Coral) 

The yoke is worked seamlessly in the round.

Round 1 (Foundation): Ch 72. Sl st to the first ch, being careful not to twist. Ch 2 (counts as hdc). Hdc in the next 11 ch. [Hdc, ch 2, hdc] in the next ch (PM in ch-2 sp). Hdc in the next 12 ch (Shoulder). [Hdc, ch 2, hdc] in the next ch (PM). Hdc in the next 18 ch (Front). [Hdc, ch 2, hdc] in the next ch (PM). Hdc in the next 12 ch (Shoulder). [Hdc, ch 2, hdc] in the next ch (PM). Hdc in the last 6 ch. Sl st to the top of the beg ch-2. (76 hdc, 4 ch-2 sps)

Rounds 2-10 (Increase Rounds): Ch 2. Hdc in each st until the first ch-2 sp. [Hdc, ch 2, hdc] in the ch-2 sp. Rep the increase sequence 3 more times. Hdc in each remaining st. Sl st to join. (Increases by 8 hdc each round.)

• End of Round 10 Stitch Count: 148 hdc, 4 ch-2 sps.

Part 2: Body Separation & Skirt Setup 

Round 11 (Separation): Ch 2. Hdc in each st until the first ch-2 sp. Hdc in the ch-2 sp. Ch 4 (skips the sleeve stitches/PMs). Hdc in the second ch-2 sp. Hdc in each st until the third ch-2 sp. Hdc in the ch-2 sp. Ch 4 (skips the second sleeve stitches). Hdc in the fourth ch-2 sp. Hdc in each remaining st. Sl st to join. (152 sts total)

Round 12 (HDC for height): Ch 2. Work 4 hdc into each ch-4 sp. Hdc in each hdc around. Sl st to join. (160 hdc)

Round 13 (Skirt Setup – Stitch Count Adjustment): Ch 1. Sc in each st around. Sl st to join. (160 sc)

• Note: 160 is not a perfect multiple of 6 for the PFS. Decrease 4 sc evenly to reach 156 sc, which IS a multiple of 6.

Part 3: The Skirt (MC – Petal Fan Stitch) 

The skirt is worked entirely in MC (Coral).

Round 14 (PFS Row 1): Ch 3 (counts as dc). Work 2 dc in the same st. [Sk 2 sc, sc in the next sc, sk 2 sc, PFS (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in the next sc] rep around, ending with sc in the last sc. Sl st to the top of the beg ch-3. (26 PFS shells)

Round 15 (PFS Row 2 – Connector): Ch 1. Sc in the center (ch-2 sp) of the first PFS. [Ch 3, sk the next sc, sc in the center of the next PFS] rep around. Ch 3. Sl st to the beg sc. (26 sc, 26 ch-3 sps)

Round 16 (PFS Row 3 – Centered Shells): Sl st into the first ch-3 sp. Ch 3. Work 2 dc in the same sp. [Sc in the next sc, PFS in the next ch-3 sp] rep around. Sc in the next sc. Sl st to the top of the beg ch-3.

Rounds 17-35: Repeat Rounds 15 and 16 until the desired skirt length is reached.

Final Hem Edging: Sl st to the next ch-3 sp. Work one round of Small Scallops: Ch 1, sc in the ch-3 sp. [Sk 1 dc, 3 dc in the next sc, sk 1 dc, sc in the next ch-3 sp] rep around. Sl st to join. Fasten off.

Part 4: The Small Rose Appliqués (Make 3) 

Each rose is worked flat and then rolled.

Row 1: Ch 21. Dc in the 4th ch from hook. (Dc, ch 1, dc) in the same ch (V-st). [Sk 2 ch, V-st in the next ch] rep across. (6 V-sts)

Row 2 (Petal Growth): Ch 1, turn. [Work Rose Petal (Ch 2, hdc, dc, hdc, ch 2, sl st) into the ch-1 sp of the V-st] rep 6 times. Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Rose Assembly:

1. Starting from the narrow end, roll the strip tightly for the center bud.
2. Continue rolling the strip, allowing the petals to naturally spread.
3. Use the long tail and tapestry needle to stitch through all the layers at the bottom of the rose to secure the shape.

Part 5: Finishing and Edging 

A. Neckline and Armhole Edging (MC)

1. Neckline: Attach MC at the back neck opening. Work 1 round of sl st evenly around the entire neckline. Fasten off.
2. Armholes (Make 2): Attach MC at the underarm. Work 1 round of sl st evenly around the armhole opening. Fasten off.

Video Tutorial: