I made this gown for my daughter right before she was born. I knew I wanted to create her blessing dress, but imagined I would sew one for her. I had never crocheted any article of clothing like this before, but with a little ambition, patience, and handy YouTube tutorials, I found myself holding my daughter in a piece I never imagined I could create.

I hope you try this gown out if you're tempted to have something like this for your baby's blessing or christening occasion. I was self taught with how to crochet bedspread thread, and I know you can be taught how to do this too!

Size: Newborn

I bought the pattern online which can be downloaded, but altered the sleeves and booties to look more modern.

Step 1: Material List & Thread Rant

For this gown you will need:

DMC Cébélia white bedspread weight cotton thread, size 10, 9-10 balls (282 yards/ball) with the same dye lot #
steel crochet hook size 6
1/8" ribbon (5 yards)
3/8" buttons (3)
pineapple christening set pattern, newborn size, altering the sleeves and booties (instructions to follow)

The pattern was great for me for a few reasons:

Instructions are easy to dissect and follow
Pattern is cha-eep ($5)
Downloadable e pattern: I can get started right away and save a copy to my hard drive
Easy to alter: I was able to alter the pattern on the sleeves & booties to be more modern and not so 1800's.

* When you are working on a project that uses more than one ball of thread, check that the dye lot is the same number. You can order white, but if it is not from the same dye lot, you risk getting a ball that is slightly different in hue. Typically, if your yarn shop has a bundle of thread in stock, many should be from the same dye lot. Also, quality thread is crucial. Don't be tempted to go cheap. This thread is worth every penny (about $50) and will make grandmum most proud. If you cannot find this thread at your local yarn shop, you can find it online.

Step 2: Beginning the Pattern & Cap Sleeve Alterations

Understanding Your Pattern Directions

Before beginning your pattern, make sure to glance at the abbreviations on the "General Directions" page and use it as a reference as you crochet.
Crochet the gown version, not the dress.

Begin your pattern as directed. My best advice would be that when you come to a phrase or stitch that you don't understand, google and search YouTube for further clarification . Some very nice crocheting ladies have uploaded tons of videos demonstrating how to do any task imaginable when crocheting. This, my friends, is how you will be able to understand the crochet language on your own. Another great reference are the yarn ladies at your local yarn shop. These women are eager to help and oh so knowledgeable.

Cap Sleeve Alterations

The original sleeve pattern is too gaudy for me, so I cleaned it up to be more simple. Keep following the pattern (it will look like your gown is a tank top as shown in the pictures), but omit the separate "Sleeve" portion of the pattern. When I finished the gown, I went back to the bodice top and added a few more similar bodice rows. Skip stitches to get your sleeve get a little smaller at the end.

Tip: Lengthen or shorten your gown by adding or subtracting rows in the skirt of the gown.

Step 3: Pineapple Motif and Bootie Alterations

The pineapple motif or bottom of the dress is labeled as the "Points" in the pattern. Don't be intimidated by these motifs. I was surprised that I did not have trouble with them.

Bootie Alteration
The booties were similar to the sleeves in the original pattern; a little too much for my liking. After construction the booties as directed, omit the "Cuff" section of the bootie pattern and finish with a few more simple plain rows that you had been doing before.

Step 4: Finishing Touches

This pattern was spot on with the ribbon size. It fit right through the eyelet sections. I made the ribbon extra long so it hung with the length of the dress. I tacked the bows on the sleeves and dress with a needle and thread to keep it in place.

You will create button holes in your pattern; make sure that the buttons you choose fit the holes, or keep in mind the button size as you crochet the button holes, adding stitches if needed. I added a picture of the simple full length slip I made, so you can have an idea of what to put underneath the gown.