Need Help Identifying Stitches Used in Wedding Dress

[neuronerd]

Hello Everyone,

I am very much a beginner when it comes to crocheting, but I was hoping to get an early start on a wedding dress now that I'm recently engaged (wedding will be over 2 years away, I should have the time!). I found a dress I'm absolutely in love with, but after searching as best as I could I was unable to find a pattern for the dress. I was hoping you guys might be able to help me identify what stitches/underlying patterns might have been used in the original dress? Here is a photo of the dress I was hoping to crochet. Additionally, since no pattern was able to be found, how should I go about making a dress? Should I try to crochet the smaller patterns to get a sense of how large they are with the materials I want to use, then measure from there? 

 

 

Here is also a link to a photo of the dress just in case there's an issue with me posting the photo itself:

https://www.mykinglist.com/media/381117187211947721

 

Edited October 29, 2019 by neuronerd

[Granny Square]

Congratulations on your engagement! 

The literal stitches are 99% DC and chains (might be a few SC here and there), but that doesn't help you any if you are trying to reconstruct the dress pattern.  The motifs above and below the empire waist are called 'pineapples', which are commonly found in doily patterns, and there are a lot of variations on the pineapple theme.

I really, really, really want to discourage you to attempt a wedding dress as if you are a beginner, especially one without a pattern!  Even if you had a pattern, this is something that appears to be made from doily thread or at the very thickest fingering weight yarn, and would take ME eons to finish it (and I'm a doily-head).

How much clothing construction and design have you done before (sewn fabric items)?  You would need experience in clothing construction as well as crochet design...let's just say I've been doing both for almost 50 years and might consider it with a pattern, but no way without one.  Seriously, working without a pattern for something like this would require so much trial and error (crochet, rip, repeat) to get it right it would probably be down to the 2 year deadline to get it done.

It's a LOVELY dress.  I'm not trying to insist it's impossible, but just serving a dose of...reality I guess.  

 

Edited October 29, 2019 by Granny Square

[Granny Square]

Here are some lace wedding or plain dresses, long and short.  Throwing these out there, nothing very close to your dress though.  There are others, if you choose one of the links below and want to expand the search, you should be able to click on 'patterns' and then choose the parameters you want (I picked dress, thread for yarn weight, adult size to block out barbie and baby dresses)

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/chrysanthemum-gown  

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/chrysanthemum-gown-train-addition  train for the above gown

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/pearl-wedding

you would have to find the magazine for this one https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/everlasting-wedding-dress

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/beach-wedding-dress-aeon

 https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lace-dress

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/natural-beauty-dress

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dress-jasmine

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/summer-woman-dress-honey

 

 

 

 

[magiccrochetfan]

I pretty much agree with everything that GrannySquare said (Hiya, GrannySquare  )  

If you want to post more about what crocheting experience you have already, and experience in making (knitting, sewing etc)  any kind of garment to fit yourself, that would be helpful as far as further suggestions.  Of course it is possible to create a dress to fit oneself without a pattern, but fitting is a whole field of knowledge that can seem pretty daunting (definitely daunting to me!)---so if you know about that you have a good start.  You are right that you can swatch the stitch patterns that make up the dress and use those in designing the dress for yourself.  

Do you already have yarn/thread picked out?  

it looks like the construction starts at the empire waist and is worked up from there for the bodice, and down for the skirt.  So getting that part to fit, and begin the increases necessary for bodice and skirt, is going to be essential.  You might begin by using a pineapple pattern, maybe for an edging, to practice on.  For example, you could experiment with the outer part of this shawl pattern https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/keepsake-lace-shawl  (You'll need to buy a used copy of the magazine).  Or this https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/gardenia-shawl  Which is free and has a beautiful stitch symbol diagram to help visualize the stitches.  

In fact, You might also consider making a shawl to be worn over a non-crocheted dress, as an alternative that doesn't have to have exact fit   

Or crocheting a top, which does need to fit but involves less stitching.    There are some designers that are active on Ravelry and would probably be available to help with making their patterns, and a couple of top ideas from a few such designers:

https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/in-the-shade-top   Projects of this in white https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/in-the-shade-top/people?view=tallcards&search=&colors[]=&colors[]=white&colors[]=natural%2Fundyed

and https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/petal-top  I didn't see any made already in white, but you can see all the posted projects from each pattern by clicking the projects tab at top of page.  

a beautiful cardigan that was recently published https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/chelsea-cardigan-2 

For each top, there should be posts you can read where people who've already made it are discussing it, usually with input from the designer as needed.  

One consideration for any lacy garment, is what you are going to wear under it.  So that will require some additional shopping for the right camisole or slip, or making an underdress potentially.....