We don't need no stinkin' stitches

[darski]

I could use some extra brain power.  I do doll clothes - surprise, surprise, surprise- and I like to try new and different stitches and techniques. When I do waist-up patterns for the 18" dolls I need a stitch to get me some height in the bodice front.  I generally end up using a 2tr cluster which gives the appearance of ruching.  It provides coverage - which gets lost with single tr stitches and does add texture with the height.

 

 

 

I am interested in finding another way to get that height with some other stitch.  I considered using 3 rows of sc across those stitches but I lose my chain st strap effect.

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Granny Square]

If I'm understanding correctly, you want to preserve the edging effect around the armhole to look like chains, not like the edge of scs?

 

What if you used 3 rows of sc for the bodice as you said, and stopped at the neckline front and back.  Then attach the yarn under the arm, slip stitch up the edge of the sc for the bodice front, chain x for the strap, and slip stitch back down the back?

 

Or alternately, the above except chain up the side instead of slip stitching and catch the end of the middle sc, or all of them, in the chains as you go (like a linked stitch, sort of).

 

Isn't as 'unibody construction' as your trebles, but it might work?

[darski]

The difficulty with the sc rows is that I love the effect of making a strap/ shoulder with my ch 10.  That chain gets worked from both sides as it starts the sleeves when I do them.

 

 

with the sc I would have to ch 12 instead of 10 and then slst into a ch for the 2nd and 3rd rows of sc to bring the straps back to 10 for the strap/shoulder.

 

I might try it just to see what I can do that is different.

 

[Becky Morgan]

Linked trebles might give you height with a different look. Also, a (3tr, ch1, 3tr) shell would give you height and a place to hook on.

[Real Deal]

How about rows of sc or dc, topped by picots at the neckline for some height?