Create a stunning floral Irish-lace dress made from hundreds of crocheted motifs. This pattern guides you through yarn choices, motif preparation, joining techniques and finishing so you can assemble a show-stopping garment. Perfect for makers who love detailed handwork and designer-level results. Follow the step-by-step guidance for motif washing, blocking, netting and attaching onto a mannequin.
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— Materials & Yarn :
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Use mercerized cotton threads of various brands and weights. Examples listed in this pattern: Iris Kutnor (Italy) 100% mercerized cotton 450m/50g; Pelican 100% double mercerized cotton 330m/50g; Violet Melange Yarn Art 282m/50g; Iris (Vita Cotton) 125m/20g; Yarn Canarias 203m/20g; Egypto 16 (Mafil) 453m/50g; Filo di Scozia No8 453m/50g; Madame Tricote 340-350m/20g; sewing thread number 40 for netting and hiding tips.
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Choose colors and quantities according to your design: reds, whites, blues, yellows and greens were used in the pictured garment. But choose the colour of thread you need.
— Tools & Preparation :
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Recommended hooks: hook number 1 for motifs, a very fine hook (0.35mm) for irregular mesh and sewing details. Use a sewing needle and number 40 sewing thread to hide tips. Use tailor pins, scissors, yarn needle, iron, towels and a styrofoam tablet for working sleeves and flat elements.
— The principle of ready motifs in Irish lace :
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1. Crochet motif very tightly. If the motif is loose, try to work with a smaller number of the crochet hook.
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2. Leave all the tips in the motif 10-12 centimeters, thoroughly hide them with a needle stitching from the bottom 3-4 times, moving the needle along dense sections of the motif, without nodules and knots. TRY TO MAKE YOUR WORK HIGH-QUALITY ON BOTH SIDES WRONG AND ON THE FRONT SIDE.
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3. I prefer to hide the tips right after I finished crocheting motif.
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4. WASHING: After I hide the tips, I always wash all motifs of any color before putting out a draft of the product. I add liquid detergent to the warm water 40-50 ° C (100-122 ° Fahrenheit). This is the first stage of wet-steaming processing, which gives shrinkage of motifs, and avoids distortion of finished product size.
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5. DRYING: After washing, spread the motifs on a bulk (bath) towel or fabric, roll together with the elements into a tube so that the fabric absorbs moisture. I do this several times, each time changing the towel to dry.
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6. Then spread the motifs on a horizontal flat surface onto a dry cloth or towel, spreading the elements with your hands, giving them the desired shape. Flip heavy and voluminous motives in 3 hours. If necessary, change the fabric base to dry. Avoid direct sunlight during the drying. Leave them for a day.
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7. Next day I do the second stage of wet-steaming processing (block steaming). I do press-steaming of motifs from both sides through moist tissue. Then leave them to dry for another day.
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8. MAKING THE COMPOSITION: You can start creating a work composition. Lay out the motifs wrong side up in the desire sequence. Pin all the motifs tightly. Fill the background between motifs using chain and double crochet.
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9. For beginners I recommend to start with first small works and use a large number of motifs and smaller voids. As you get more experience in netting, strengthening the hand muscles in the right position, you can spread the motifs, increasing the space for the background.
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10. SLEEVE: The pattern of the sleeve is always flat; design on a paper and make on a tablet. Ready sleeves need to wash. Then make press-steaming both sides through wet tissue. Put ready sleeve on the pattern, check it and make corrections if it is necessary to get the right size.
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11. Connect the joint along the seam (stitch). Crochet into the fabric. More details about how to attach a sleeve into a fabric and about working with the mannequin and its kinds on page 8 of the source.
— Handmade Tablet (Plate) :
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HANDMADE TABLET (PLATE) - YOU CAN DO A TABLET YOURSELF: 1. Buy a building polystyrene foam (Styrofoam) plate 5cm thickness (2 inch), 25 kg/m3 density. The higher the density, the better! Usually it is sold 1x2 m panels (24 in. * 48 in. or 48 in. * 8 feet).
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2. Cut the tablet desired size with a stationery knife.
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3. Wrap with food plastic wrap - and crochet with pleasure! ATTENTION - CUT THE FOAM OUTSIDE - LOTS OF FOAM CRUMBS!!!
— Crochet Symbols & Stitch Guide :
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Refer to the crochet symbols chart: chain (us/uk), crochet beginning, turning chain (us/uk), 5 chain join into a ring (us/uk), slip stitch (us/uk), 6 chain arch (us/uk).
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Stitch equivalences (chart): single crochet (US) = double crochet (UK); half double crochet (US) = half treble crochet (UK); double crochet (US) = treble crochet (UK); treble (triple) crochet (US) = double treble crochet (UK); double treble crochet (US) = treble treble crochet (UK).
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Other charted stitches and symbols included: crossover stitches, double crochet 3 stitches together, increases by 2 stitches, puff stitch, mirror reverse sc, reverse sc, picot and more. Use the chart images to match symbols to your local terminology.
— Begin crocheting motifs & hiding tips :
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But choose the colour of thread you need. Crochet the motives. Hide thread tips, use a sewing needle. Pull thread gently into motif. Wash all the motives. Spread them to dry. Steam them using an iron.
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Lay out the motives face down on a right size pattern. Pin the motives to the pattern using tailor pins. Attach motives carefully and strong (motives don't have to move).
— Joining motifs and creating net :
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Now join the motives, crochet net to fill the space between the motives. There is no "correct" or "incorrect" way to join the motives together. It depends on your preferences. Use a crochet hook to join the motives.
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To crochet net use the same thread as for the motives but thinner one or take a sewing thread. Join the motives on the back side at a few points to each other. Don't cut thread at each point. Pull it accurately inside motif from one point to another.
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Use chains, double or treble crochet to make net. Connect them to motives or each other, insert hook under the two loops. Use a styrofoam tablet for sleeves. Collecting a dress with a mesh on a sliding tailor's mannequin.
— Irregular mesh on a tablet :
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Begin crocheting the irregular mesh on the tablet from the sleeves. On a tablet, you can print a grid pattern and knit on it. An example is like this napkin picture included in the source.
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Where the arrow is - vosushny loops; where 2 stripes - a column with 2 yarns. (Interpretation: arrow symbols in diagrams indicate fluffy or chain loops; two stripes indicate a post/column worked with two strands.)
— Final assembly & fitting :
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Lay motifs on the chosen supporting fabric or mannequin; attach motifs with crochet stitches into the fabric or by sewing where needed. Use sliding tailor's dummy to fit and make adjustments to size. Mechanisms can be regulated separately for the breast, the waist, and the hip volumes.
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When assembling panels and joining edges, pin all motifs tightly, fill background areas with chain and double crochet netting, and press-steam final composition to stabilize shapes before final sewing. Use cotton single-tone fabric draft under the work if you need a strong background and to control proportions while fitting.
This Modern Irish Lace floral dress pattern helps you create couture-level beauty using many small crocheted motifs assembled into a flowing garment. The instructions guide you through motif finishing, wet-steaming, netting, and fitting on a mannequin, so your final piece looks professional and unique. Make it in bold colors or delicate pastels—each dress is a wearable work of art. 🧶✨👗
