With All My Heart Preemie/18" Doll Dress Free Crochet Pattern

The With All My Heart Crochet Dress Pattern is being offered for free to view as part of my "With All My Heart" Service Project found HERE on my blog.  If you prefer printable pdf patterns, you can find the ad free pdf for a small fee HERE on Ravelry.

Because the size of babies varies a lot, you can work this up in a variety of yarns and hook sizes for a good selection for your local hospital.  To get the right size for an 18" doll, you will need to match gauge prior to starting your project.

Finished dress will fit a Preemie Baby, American Girl Doll or 18" Generic Doll
Hook: Size H
Yarn: 1-2oz of 4ww yarn such as Caron Simply Soft, Red Heart Soft or I Love This Cotton
Button - 1/4" - 1/2"
Gauge: 4 SC & 4 Rows = 1"

Stitches:
Sk - Skip
Sl St - Slip Stitch
Ch - Chain
St(s) - Stitch(es)
Sp - Space
SC - Single Crochet
HDC - Half Double Crochet
DC - Double Crochet
TR - Treble Crochet
1/2 Shell - (HDC, Ch 1, HDC) in same st
Shell - ( 2 HDC, Ch 1, 2 HDC) in same st



I start mine with a HDC Foundation Chain of 28.  Click HERE for a photo tutorial I have here on my blog.
If you can't use the foundation chain, work a basic chain of 30, HDC in 2nd Ch from hook and in each st across. (29 HDC + Chain Sp)

Note:
1. This is worked from the neck down.  Keep this in mind when switching colors
2. When working Shells and 1/2 Shells, they will be directly above each other.  I usually work around the Ch 1 sp instead of in it. It's more a personal preference, for this design, so feel free to work it either way.

R1: Ch 2, turn, 2 HDC in next st, *HDC in next 6 sts, 1/2 Shell in next st, HDC in next 6 sts,* Shell in next st, Repeat from *to* 1x, 2 HDC in end st (this will be the chain)

R2: Ch 2, turn, 2 HDC in next st, HDC in next 8 sts, 1/2 Shell in next st, HDC in next 9 sts, Shell in next st, HDC in next 9 sts, 1/2 Shell in next st, HDC in next 8 sts, 2 HDC in end Ch sp

R3: Ch 2, turn, 2 HDC in next st, HDC in next 10 sts, 1/2 Shell in next st, HDC in next 12 sts, Shell in next st, HDC in next 12 sts, 1/2 Shell in next st, HDC in next 10 sts, 2 HDC in end Ch sp



Note: If you want the shoulder section a different color than the waist, change colors here by switching colors in the last step of the last HDC of R3.

R4: This will create the armholes. This is the Right side of dress 
Ch 2, turn, 2 HDC in next st, HDC in next 3 sts, *DC in next 4 sts, Ch 7, sk next 10 HDC, (and the ch1), DC in next 4 sts,* HDC in next 4 sts, Sl St in next 5 sts (this should be centered around the tip of the shell with the 3rd Sl St in the Ch 1) HDC in next 4 sts, Repeat from *to* 1x, HDC in next 3 sts, 2 HDC in end Ch sp

R5: Ch 2, turn, HDC in next 5 sts, DC in next 15 sts, HDC in next 4 sts, SC in next 5 sts, HDC in next 4 sts, DC in next 15 sts, HDC in next 5 sts

R6: (Right Side of Dress)
Ch 1, turn, SC in next 5 sts, HDC in next 18 sts, SC in next 7 sts, HDC in next 18 sts, SC in next 5 sts, Sl St to beginning Ch 1 to connect

R7: Do NOT turn from this point forward
Ch 2, HDC in same sp as Ch and in each st around. 

(This will include the loop at the very end before the beginning Ch where some people question if it is a stitch or not   lol) 

you should end up with 54 HDC for this round.  Sl St to beginning Ch 2 to connect

Skirt Section.  If you want your skirt to be a different color, you'll want to change colors in the last step of the last HDC of R7

For a lace skirt, continue on with R8 working in both loops. 
To add a solid Skirt underneath the lace section, continue with R8 working in the Front Loop Only.

R8: Ch 1, SC in same sp as Ch, Ch 1, sk next 2 sts, (DC, Ch 1, TR, Ch 1, DC) in next st, Ch 1, sk next 2 sts, *SC, Ch 1, sk next 2 sts, (DC, Ch 1, TR, Ch 1, DC) in next st, Ch 1, sk next 2 sts,* Repeat from *to* around, Sl St to beginning Ch 1 to connect

R9: Do Not Chain, (SC, Ch 4, DC in the side of the SC just made) in 1st SC of previous round,
Ch 1, SC in next TR, Ch 1, *(TR, Ch 1, DC in the bottom side of TR just made) in next SC, Ch 1, SC in next Tr, Ch 1,* Repeat from *to* around, Sl St to the 3rd Ch of beginning Ch 4 to connect

R10: Do Not Chain, (SC, Ch 3, TR, Ch 1, DC) around the 4th Ch of previous round, 

Ch 1, SC in next SC, Ch 1, *(DC, Ch 1, TR, Ch 1, DC)  around the ch 1 between the next TR/DC combo, 

Ch 1, SC in next SC, Ch 1,* Repeat from *to* around, Sl St to the 2nd Ch of beginning Ch 3 to connect

R11: Do Not Chain, *SC in next TR, Ch 1, (TR, Ch 1, DC in the bottom side of the Tr just made, in the SC, Ch 1* Repeat from *to* around

R12: *SC in next SC, Ch 1, (DC, Ch 1, TR, Ch 1, DC) around Ch 1 between the next TR/DC combo, Ch 1,* Repeat from *to* around, Do not Sl St at the end of this round

Repeat R9-R12 until you reach 10" from top of shoulder  to bottom of dress.
Sl St to beginning of the last round if you haven't already, Ch 1, SC in each st around, Sl St to beginning Ch 1, Fasten off and weave in end.

Solid Skirt Section:
Attach yarn to the Back Loop of any stitch on R7, Ch 1, HDC in each stitch around working in continuous rounds until you reach 
9 1/2" from top of shoulder to bottom of Solid Skirt. Sl St to next st to even off, Fasten off and weave in end

Finishing off:
Attach yarn to top right of back opening, SC evenly down the edge and back up to Left top.  Ch 3, Sl St to last SC worked (to form a button hole) SC evenly around neck back to the top right opening.  Sl St to beginning SC, Fasten off and weave in end.
Sew Button to the top left Back.