I have never liked to crochet doilies, because I never know what I would do with the project once it is done. Having moved to a newer house (different from my childhood home), heirloom doilies will not match well with our modern décor. Plus, it takes up a lot of time to make since attention to detail is necessary in order to ensure that the desired pattern will come out perfectly.
I have been playing with the idea of making a Barbie dress that had a doily-like skirt, but I have never liked the way the doilies drape when the dress is upright. It looks good when the skirt is spread out in a circle, like an actual doily, but my Barbie Model Muse doll cannot sit, so this project has been in the back burner for quite some time.
It was when I made a Barbie gown from an old publication that I discovered a way to circumvent this problem. Adding an underskirt to the dress actually helps with the draping of the doily, making it look more like an actual gown instead of a dress with a doily skirt.
1/10 This hub is a free crochet pattern for a Barbie Doily Cocktail Dress. It is specifically made for a Barbie Basics doll (or Model Muse body). For more information on the different Barbie body types available in the market, please visit Crochet Clothes for Your Barbie Doll.
Materials Size No. 7 Crochet Steel Hook; Size No. 10 Crochet Cotton Thread in A (Variegated) and B (Solid); 1 Small Snap; 1 Hook and Eye; Scissors; Tapestry Needle; and Needle and Thread.
Gauge 10 sc = 1", 10 sc rows = 1".
Abbreviations Used in American Terms
Ch - * - chain; St(s) - stitch(es); Sc - x - single crochet; Sc2tog - Sc the next 2 sts together; Inc - 2 sc in the next st; RS - right side; BLO - back loops only; Sk - skip; Ch-sp(s) - chain space(s); Dc - /, |, \ - double crochet; Dc2tog - dc the next 2 sts together; Dc3tog - dc the next 3 sts together; Dc4tog - dc the next 4 sts together; Dc-cluster - () - similar to dc2tog, except you do the stitches in just 1 st instead of 2;
2/10 Barbie Doily Cocktail Dress | Source
Pattern Starting from the waist up,
Row 1: With A, ch 29, sc in the 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, turn. (28)
Row 2: Ch 1, sc2tog, sc until you reach the last 2 sc, sc2tog, turn. (26)
Rows 3 - 6: Repeat Row 2. (18)
Row 7: Ch 1, sc in each sc across, turn. (18)
Rows 8 - 15: Repeat Row 7. (18)
3/10 Rows 16 - 22: Repeat Row 2. (4)
Row 23: Repeat Row 7. Fasten off. (4)
Neck straps:
Row 24: Ch 10, attach A with sc in each sc of Row 23, ch 10, turn.
Row 25: Ch 1, sc in the 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, sc2tog 2 times, sc in each ch across. Fasten off. (22)
Border:
Starting from the bottom of the top with RS facing you, with B, attach thread and work an sc around the edge of the bodice going up the neck straps and back down to the opposite side of the bodice. Add 3 sc2tog (1 in the V of the neck strap, 2 on either side of the bust) to add some shape to the bodice. Fasten off.
Depending on the fit of the bodice, add extra sc rows to the sides only going down to the skirt part to make a neat back.
4/10 Back view of Barbie Doily Cocktail Dress | Source
Overskirt:
Row 1: With RS facing, join A with sc on the opposite side of the initial working chain, sc in the next 2 ch, (inc, sc in the next 3 ch) 2 times, inc, sc in the next 4 ch, (inc, sc in the next 3 ch) 3 times, turn. (34)
Row 2: Working in BLO, ch 3 (counts as dc throughout), 2 dc in the same sc, (ch 4, sk the next 2 sc, 3 dc in the next sc) across, turn. (12 \|/'s)
Round 3: Ch 3, (dc, ch 1, dc) in the next dc, dc in the next dc, *ch 5, sk the next ch-4 sp, *dc in the next dc, (dc, ch 1, dc) in the next dc, dc in the next dc*, repeat * across, join with sl st in the first ch of the first ch-5 sp, do not turn. (12 \\*//'s)
5/10 Round 4: Ch 6, *sc in the first ch-5 sp, ch 3, 2 dc in the next dc, dc in the next dc, ch 2, sk the next ch-1 sp, dc in the next dc, 2 dc in the next dc, ch 3*, repeat * around, ending with 1dc in the last dc instead of 2 dc, join with sl st in the 3rd ch. Make sure to work through both thicknesses that were joined in Round 3, for the final pattern repeat to make a tab where the ends meet. (11 \/|**|\/'s)
For more information on this tab, please visit Pullip Backless Sundress.
Round 5: Ch 8, sk the first 2 ch-3 sps, *dc in the next dc, 2 dc in the next dc, dc in the next dc, ch 3, sk the next ch-2 sp, dc in the next dc, 2 dc in the next dc, dc in the next dc, ch 5, sk the next 2 ch-3 sps*, repeat * around, ending with 2 dc in the 2nd to the last dc, join with sl st in the 3rd ch. (11 \\//***\\//'s)
Round 6: Ch 7, sc in the first ch-5 sp, *ch 4, dc in the next 2 dc, 2 dc in the next dc, dc in the next dc, ch 4, sk the next ch-3 sp, dc in the next dc, 2 dc in the next dc, dc in the next 2 dc, ch 4, sc in the next ch-5 sp*, repeat * around, ending with 1 dc in the 2nd to the last dc, join with sl st in the 3rd ch. (11 \\\//****\\///'s)
Round 7: Ch 9, sk the first 2 ch-4 sps, *dc in the next 5 dc, ch 3, sc in the next ch-4 sp, ch 3, dc in the next 5 dc, ch 6, sk the next 2 ch-4 sps*, repeat * around, ending with dc in the 2nd to the last dc, join with sl st in the 3rd ch. (11 |||||***x***|||||'s)
6/10 A Different View of the Doily Overskirt | Source
Round 8: Ch 7, sc in the first ch-6 sp, *ch 4, dc in each of the next 5 dc, ch 6, sk the next 2 ch-3 sps, dc in each of the next 5 dc, ch 4, sc in the next ch-6 sp*, repeat * around, ending with dc in each of the last 4 dc, join with sl st in the 3rd ch. (11 |||||******|||||'s)
Round 9: Ch 8, sk the first ch-4 sp, *dc in the next sc, ch 5, dc2tog, dc in the next 3 dc, ch 4, sc in the next ch-6 sp, ch 4, dc in the next 3 dc, dc2tog, ch 5, sk the next ch-4 sp*, repeat * around, ending with dc in each of the last 3 dc, join with sl st in the 3rd ch. (11 /\|||****x****|||/\'s)
Round 10: Ch 9, sk the first ch-5 sp, *(2 dc, ch 1, 2 dc) in the next dc, ch 6, sk the next ch-5 sp, dc2tog, dc in the next 2 dc, ch 6, sk the next 2 ch-4 sps, dc in the next 2 dc, dc2tog, ch 6, sk the next ch-5 sp*, repeat * around, ending with 3 dc as the final pattern, skipping the last dc, join with sl st in the 3rd ch. (11 /\||******||/\'s) 7/10 Round 11: Ch 9, sc in the first ch-6 sp, *ch 6, 2 dc in the next dc, dc in the next dc, ch 1, dc in the next dc, 2 dc in the next dc, ch 6, sc in the next ch-6 sp, ch 6, dc3tog, ch 3, sc in the next ch-6 sp, ch 3, dc3tog, ch 6, sc in the next ch-6 sp*, repeat * around, ending with dc2tog instead of dc3tog, join with sl st in the 3rd ch. (11 /|\***x***/|\'s)
Round 12: Ch 9, sc in the first ch-6 sp, *ch 6, sc in the next ch-6 sp, ch 6, dc2tog, dc in the next dc, ch 1, sk the next ch-1 sp, dc in the next dc, dc2tog, (ch 6, sc in the next ch-6 sp) 2 times, ch 6, dc-cluster in the next 2 dc, sk the next 2 ch-3 sps, ch 6, sc in the next ch-6 sp*, repeat * around, ending with 1 dc in the last dc instead of 2 for the final dc-cluster, join with sl st in the 3rd ch. (11 ()()'s)
Round 13: Ch 1, sc in the last dc-cluster from Round 12, ch 6, (sc in the next ch-6 sp, ch 6) 3 times, *dc4tog, ch 6, (sc in the next ch-6 sp, ch 6) 3 times, sc in the next dc, (ch 6, sc in the next ch-6 sp) 3 times, ch 6*, repeat * around, ending with ch 3, dc in the first sc to join.
Round 14: (Ch 6, sc in the next ch-6 sp) around, join with sl st in the first dc.
Round 15: *Ch 2, (sc in the next ch-6 sp, ch 3, sl st in the previous sc to form picots) 2 times, ch 2, sl st in the sc*, repeat * around, forming 2 picots for every ch-6 sp made in Round 14.
With RS facing, join B to the free BL from Row 1 of Overskirt.
Row 1: Ch 3 (counts as dc throughout), dc in each sc across, turn. (36)
Round 2: Ch 4, (dc in the next dc, ch 1) across, ending with dc in the last dc, join with sl st to the 2nd dc to form a tab, turn. (36 dc, 35 ch-1 sps)
Round 3: Ch 3, dc in each dc and ch-1 sp around, making sure to work through both thicknesses for the first 3 dc, join with sl st to the 3rd ch, do not turn. (68)
Round 4: Ch 3, dc in each dc around, join with sl st to the 3rd ch. (68)
Round 5: Repeat Round 4. (68)
9/10 Round 6: Ch 4, (dc in the next dc, ch 1) around, join with sl st to the 3rd ch. (68 dc, 68 ch-1 sps)
Round 7: Repeat Round 3. (136)
Rounds 8 - 10: Repeat Round 4. (136)
Round 11: Ch 3, dc in the first 7 dc, *2 dc in the next dc, dc in the next 16 dc*, repeat * around, ending with dc in the last 8 dc, join with sl st to the 3rd ch. (144)
Round 12: Repeat Round 4. (144)
Round 13: Ch 3, dc in the same dc as the turning ch, *dc in the next 17 dc, 2 dc in the next dc*, repeat * around, ending with dc in the last 17 dc, join with sl st to the 3rd ch. (152)
Round 14: Repeat Round 4. (152)
Fasten off and weave in all ends.
Sew a snap at the end of the neck straps to hold the bodice up. Sew a hook and eye above the overskirt to close the back. Feel free to add more snaps to the overskirt and the underskirt if you want, but I personally feel it is unnecessary, since the dress holds up well with just the 2 notions.
