Here are some slaphappy instructions for making this dress. If you have very basic crochet and sewing skills, you can master this.
First of all, you need to be able to crochet a basic
fish net stitch. You will need some
worsted weight YARN -- I used Lily Sugar'n Cream. You do not need anything fancy and it will not take a lot of yarn for this stitch. Use something fairly durable, soft and silky isn't the way to go here.
You will also need
TULLE (I prefer spools) in colors of your choice. The amount you need depends upon how full you want the skirt. I used about 3 spools here (7 on the blue dress below).
Other things you need...
-- a crochet needle (I used size I or 5.50 mm)
-- an embroidery needle
-- sturdy thread to match your bodice
-- a cotton, stretchy camisole to match the bodice
-- sharp scissors, fabric scissors if you have them
-- ribbon for decoration
Use the child or a dress form to determine the size you need for your foundation row (it needs to be snug). I prefer joining the bodice in the end since I'm going to be adding tulle and stitching it to a camisole.
Fish net back and forth until the bodice is the right length to fit the child.
PLEASE NOTE: This stitch will stretch a lot once the tulle is added. If you are adding a lot of tulle it could double in length, so be careful not to make the bodice too long. For this particular dress the bodice has 14 rows, but it all depends on the yarn and the size you need.
Be sure to secure the stitch when you finish. I always add another string of yarn into the last stitch to tie everything together, just to be safe. Simply weaving in the ends is not going to be enough for such an airy stitch.
Your bodice should be a big rectangle. You may have noticed by now that I do not normally write patterns or instructions (and that is probably for the best).
Now for the fun part... adding the tulle! You can be as sloppy or as precise as you like here. I like to use the spools of tulle, it's a lot easier for measuring and cutting. Just roll out the spool, cut with some sharp fabric scissors, and remember, you are going to need each strand to be
TWICE the desired length.
If you are planning for the skirt to actually function as a skirt (no leggings needed), you will need a lot of tulle. I still recommend using a little slip or tights underneath. For the butterfly dress, we were planning to use leggings so I added just enough tulle to make it full and fancy.
As for colors, be creative! My daughter wanted to be a monarch butterfly, so I used (in descending order of quantity) orange, black, yellow, and fuchsia.
After you have your strips of tulle ready, you can simply pull the strands through the openings in the bottom of the bodice. When a strip is halfway through the opening, tie it into a double knot to secure it. You can make the skirt as full as you like, but remember, the more tulle you add, the more your bodice is going to stretch. For this dress I used two strips of tulle in each opening along the bottom, and at least one strip in each opening in the next row above. For the blue/purple dress to the left, I used almost twice as much tulle, and the the yarn in the bodice was almost too soft and stretchy for that. Again, just use a fairly stiff yarn if you want to use a lot of tulle. Even that scratchy Red Heart Super Saver stuff works well for this.
Now you have a fish net rectangle with a lot of tulle hanging from it! Let's make it functional by finding a matching camisole. I like the cotton camisoles at Target, especially the ones with the soft lacy trim. Any cotton, stretchy camisole will do as long as the color is right and matches your bodice. I was lucky enough to find blue ones at Target this summer to match the blue flower girl dress. Finding a black camisole was easy.
Make sure the camisole has a snug fit!
Go find a needle and some matching thread. I suppose you could use a sewing machine for this but I felt more comfortable doing this by hand. Position the bodice over the camisole so the ends meet directly at the back center (or as close as possible). Sew the bodice to the camisole along the top. Use lots of stitches and secure them well. I am neither a a sewing expert nor a sewing instructor so I wish you the best of luck here! Just make sure you use plenty of stitches, sturdy thread, and if the thread is a good match, all those crooked stitches wrapped around the yarn will not be noticeable. When you are finished, the bodice should be securely attached to the camisole and the opening should be at (or near) the back center of the camisole.
Now it is time to stitch the camisole together with your matching yarn. I like to use slip stitches then go back and tie with several pieces of yarn. If you feel like the closing looks messy, take some pretty ribbon and tie some bows back there for distraction. I am a lace/ribbon/bow/trim hoarder, mainly because I am impatient and I like distractions.
You're almost finished! Decorate it however you like -- I added lots of ribbon to the monarch butterfly dress. For the flower girl dress, I attempted to make my own silk flowers. I made enough for two dresses and I burned myself a few times. Just be careful if you do this and there are
tons of tutorials out there for making these. Of course, you could just buy some silk flowers or (even better if you have the time) find some at a local Goodwill store, flea market, etc.
It was fairly cold this Halloween (yay!) so we used a plain black stretchy shirt underneath, plain black leggings, black socks, and ideally black shoes (but my daughter wanted to wear pink sparkly shoes... it worked). I decorated her black leggings with strips of tulle (see photo, this was a 30-second decoration) and painted her face a little, which she loved.
I was going to attempt to make the wings, but after having a sinus infection all week I broke over the day before and purchased wings at the some big Halloween chain store. By the way, those stores are not child friendly in my opinion. Why should my kids have to see a plastic yard scene from SAW or disfigured zombie babies when they walk in the door? Lesson learned.
Believe it or not, it took us twice as long to come up with the "sweet, cute, friendly werewolf" outfit for our older daughter. I can only take credit for the disheveled furry "leg cuffs" and that thing hanging on her arm. Oh, I smeared some blackish grey paint on her face. Fortunately my husband found a mask at a local costume rental shop, as the chain stores only had scary, mean grizzly werewolves (and no "normal" wolves whatsoever) with severed arms hanging from their jaws.
USEFUL ADVICE
-- Help your little one get into and out of this dress! It is made to fit snug, there are tons of holes in that bodice for little arms to force their way through, and you do not want a struggling child caught in this mound of fish net and tulle! A strong, angry child could possibly destroy this dress in a fraction of the time it took you to make it.
-- This is not an easy care, wash and wear type of dress. Wash it by hand if needed and lay flat to dry (be sure to shape it properly). It's fine for play as long as they aren't bouncing off of the walls. With that said, how durable are those cheaply made costumes at Target or Wal Mart? I can assure you that this dress, if made properly, will not only be more durable but 10 times more beautiful than anything (affordable) you will find at a chain store.
-- Do not attempt to sell your creations unless you have made quite a few and tested their durability on actual children! So far, the dresses I have made have not fallen apart after a few outings, but I am still not to the point where I would personally want to sell these.
-- Feel free to experiment! If you want a more durable bodice and you have the time, single crochet all the way around. For the last 2-3 rows, double crochet to give yourself openings for tulle. You could even create a bodice with straps or sleeves that will not need an attached camisole. I personally like the fish net design, not only because it's quick to create, but it has lots of decorating options. Furthermore, if I am going to devote the time and effort to crocheting a solid, functional sweater, I am probably going to let it remain... a sweater.
I like making things last as long as possible and I wasn't about to toss a perfectly okay (yet raggedy) backpack that could last another year (or two) if the side pockets hadn't turned into a shredded mess. Oh, and by the way, I will think twice before purchasing a new backpack with that flimsy mesh junk again! You're probably thinking I'm crazy for making such a big deal over side pockets, but I really like side pockets... and hydration!
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