The Prom Dress…

Last year I crocheted my daughter Bronwyn her prom dress but I never got round to writing a blog post about it. It’s definitely one of my happiest crochet achievements so today I am finally bringing you that blog post… all about the prom dress!

For those of you who are interested in the pattern, it is now available over in my Etsy and Ravelry stores:

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1378332089/

Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/coastal-celebrations-dress

The school prom has become quite the occasion and many young people choose to dress up for it. I asked Bronwyn at the start of 2022 if she’d like me to crochet her a dress for the prom in June. There was absolutely no pressure from me and she agreed to let me at least try, without any promise that she’d actually wear it. That was enough for me to get started!

I had an idea in my head what a crocheted prom dress could look like. So many possibilities but we wanted to keep it relatively simple as well as comfortable to wear.

Yarn choice was important and I chose Stylecraft Naturals Bamboo + Cotton. It’s a DK weight yarn in 60% bamboo and 40% cotton. It has such a nice subtle sheen to it, a beautiful drape and it just feels that little bit luxurious. Bronwyn and I both agreed that a natural fibre would have the nicest feel for a dress. Bronwyn chose the colour – a beautiful blue called ‘Powder Blue’. There are over 40 colours to choose from in the range with some really gorgeous blues! 💙

I started with the bodice. In simple double crochet (US single crochet) stitches for good coverage and structure. I made the dress from the top down which is always a good idea because the length then becomes fully customisable as you go.

It was a project that came everywhere with me, adding to it here and there because I had other big commissions on my hooks at the same time.

I crocheted it at home…

I crocheted it outdoors…

I crocheted it in the car…

I even crocheted it on a plane!

It was a joy to see it gradually grow over the weeks and months! There were plenty of fittings and adjustments as we went along.

I designed an interesting open lacy shell waist feature which I think makes the dress look that little bit special and unique.

The back is a lace up closure, again a good choice to make the dress fully adjustable, and I attached the straps towards the centre of the back so that they wouldn’t slip off when wearing the dress. It’s these little things that can make such a difference to the comfort and wearability of a garment!

And the skirt part was inspired by some vintage crochet dress patterns I’d seen. To get a flavour of what Bronwyn would like for her dress we searched online for photos of various crocheted dresses so that she could see the possibilities and see which styles she was drawn to. And in doing this we came across some vintage crochet dress patterns from the 1970s and I suddenly found myself going down a wonderful rabbit hole looking at all the various vintage crocheted dress patterns! I wrote a blog post all about that here: https://coastalcrochet.com/2022/02/10/a-little-vintage-crochet/

The stitch pattern I used in the skirt creates a lovely drape and swing.

The skirt part is open and lacy, designed to wear with an underskirt underneath. We opted for a simple satin skirt in a complimenting blue colour. I didn’t attach it to the dress, the skirt was simply worn separately underneath which meant the dress draped beautifully over it.

I didn’t block the dress at all, which went against what I usually do with an open lacy fabric. The stitches in the skirt really bounce, and blocking it to open up those lacy stitches (which I’d recommend in a shawl for example) would mean the skirt would loose it’s bounce. So definitely no blocking! As Bronwyn walked, together with her friends, that skirt really swished! 😃

I crocheted a matching clutch bag in a chunky white yarn. Very simple in half treble stitches.

And Bronwyn choose the gorgeous wedge heel sandals, again with a little comfort in mind, but they complimented the dress beautifully with a beachy vibe!

The day of the prom came and fortunately it was a gorgeous sunny day, perfect for photos of Bronwyn in her dress with the sea as a stunning backdrop, although we also took this photo indoors at her friends grandma’s house in front of an old grandfather clock!

I think Bronwyn looked amazing and I’m so happy that she also felt great wearing it! It’s definitely a crocheted dress that feels comfortable but looks so gorgeous at the same time.

And I think it’s a dress she could wear again and again! Other colours would be lovely and in white, maybe even a simple wedding dress! 🥰

I didn’t get to see Bronwyn at the actual prom but I did pick her and her friends up at the end of the evening. They wanted a trip to McDonalds!! And here we are at midnight… 😃

Thanks as ever for reading and following along. This was definitely a crochet project worth sharing with you.

This photo with Bronwyn and Salty is one of my very favourites! 💙

Happy Crocheting Everyone… 🥰💙💙