Gelato Sundress — Beginner-Friendly Crochet Pattern for Sleeveless Striped Summer Dress
Hi friends!
This post is all about the Gelato Sundress! It includes everything you need to know about the pattern — this one is my design of a short, sleeveless, striped summer dress, featuring a tie waist & ties at the shoulders.
This pattern is size-inclusive from XS-5XL, and beginner-friendly with step-by-step photos. It is also included in my first pattern book, Retro Crochet Style, which you can learn more about here!
Before we start, here are a few links for you:
The PDF version is available on:
For any questions about this pattern, please email me at sspstitches@gmail.com — I usually respond within 24 hours!
Get my new book, Retro Crochet Style: 15 Beginner-Friendly Patterns to Create Your Vintage-Inspired Closet, here!
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All of this info is in the PDF of the pattern, but for those of you who look for more info on a pattern before you buy it, this is for you! You can look at the yardage, unique stitches/crochet methods, etc. so you can make a more informed decision on whether or not to crochet this design. As always, if you have any questions, please email me at sspstitches@gmail.com — I’m more than happy to answer!
Happy crocheting <3
About
The Gelato Sundress is a sleeveless summer dress featuring stripes and ties at the waist and shoulders. The XS-5XL size range combined with the tie-waist ensure that this pattern will be perfectly fit to every body — and as with all of my patterns, there is a Customized Sizing option to fit the design even better to your measurements.
This pattern is also beginner-friendly, with step-by-step photos for every single part of the pattern and links for more advanced techniques, like whipstitch.
The Gelato Sundress pattern is also included in my first book, Retro Crochet Style! It’s one of the easiest to make in the entire book; you get to learn and practice a new stitch all while creating a gorgeous garment.
Sizing
This pattern is written for 9 sizes which correspond to the Craft Yarn Council standard sizing for women. All my patterns are written with the sizes as numbers instead of letters (XS, L, 3XL) to encourage you to look outside of your typical standard size and go with your measurements. The sizes are written as 1 (2, 3, 4, 5) (6, 7, 8, 9).
This dress is made of rectangle panels sewn together to make the body. This means that the dress measures the same at every point – chest, waist, hips, etc. To get the perfect fit for you, you’ll want to choose the size that is closest to or slightly larger than the widest measurement on your body. For reference, if you have a 36” (91cm) chest, 30” (76cm) waist, and 40” (102cm) hip, you should choose a size 3. This chart shows the finished garment measurements.
The following sizing & yardage chart is straight from the pattern PDF:
Materials
Hook: 5mm or size needed to obtain gauge
Notions:
Tapestry needle
Scissors
Stitch markers
Yarn: Worsted/aran/size 4; for amount needed for each size, see sizing chart above
NOTE: I don't normally provide specific yarn guidance, but the fiber you choose may significantly change the drape of this dress. Though cotton can make a very heavy dress, I recommend it to get the flowiest dress possible. I used WATG's Shiny Happy Cotton, but any cotton yarn should do. You can find good substitutes on yarnsub.com.
Always make a swatch before beginning to make sure you meet gauge (also important so your garment isn’t too big or too small) and are happy with the fabric created!
Gauge
4.5 x 4.5 in (11.5 x 11.5 cm) = 15 sts and 7.5 rows in double crochet
4.5 x 4.5 in (11.5 x 11.5 cm) = 14 sts and 15 rows in griddle stitch
If your swatch is too small, try using a bigger hook. If it's too big, try using a smaller hook.
Pattern Notes
Skill Level: Beginner/Advanced Beginner
Sizing: This design is written in nine sizes as follows: 1 (2, 3, 4, 5) (6, 7, 8, 9). These sizes correspond to XS-5XL. Make sure to follow the numbers for your size only.
Construction: First, the two rectangular body panels are crocheted, then attached together, then finishing details are completed.
Abbreviations
ch: chain
dc: double crochet
sc: single crochet
slst: slip stitch
st/sts: stitch/stitches
The pattern includes step-by-step photos for every part along the way to ensure you’re on the right track! Here are a few of them:
This pattern has been tested in a range of sizes to ensure everybody is satisfied with how it fits. Here are some photos from the lovely testers who provided wonderful feedback and helped perfect the pattern for you; please check out their Instagrams, linked in this post! They put a lot of time and effort into their samples, and deserve a lot of appreciation — especially because each iteration is just so gorgeous!
If you’ve made it this far, thank you so much for reading all this! I hope it’s given you all the info you need on the Gelato Sundress pattern. If you have any more questions, please feel free to contact me at sspstitches@gmail.com!
Find the pattern in these places:
You can find my pattern book, Retro Crochet Style: 15 Beginner-Friendly Patterns to Create Your Vintage-Inspired Closet, on the shelves of all major retailers — or see your purchasing options (US + international) here!
