The Baby Ava Dress

Meet the newest pattern in the Sweet Everly B fam. The Baby Ava Dress. A free crochet baby dress pattern that has the sweetest rainbow applique.

The baby dress is a beginner pattern that’s crocheted in rows. Yay for easy!

It’s so simple to adjust the length of this dress. The design is slightly shorter with the idea of wearing leggings or tights. If you want a longer dress just add a few more rows to the front and back panels.

The Baby Ava Dress has a big sister, The Ava Dress. You can find this crochet dress pattern featured on The Hook Nook Life Blog. It comes in sizes toddler to girls size 16.

The yarn used for The Baby Ava Dress is from Hobby Lobby, Yarn Bee Must Be Merino. The yarn is merino wool, acrylic, and nylon mix making it sooo soft. It’s a DK #3 weight. I love using lighter yarns for baby clothes.

The rainbow yarns are listed below and are the perfect muted blush and rust colors. Let’s get started with the crochet baby dress pattern.

What You Need

• Yarn for Dress: Weight #3: 1-2 skeins of Yarn Bee Must Be Merino (3.5oz/227yds per skein)  Color// Linen 
• Yarn for Rainbow: Weight #4: I Love This Cotton// Colors:
  • Yarn A Antique Cream
  • Yarn B Antique Gold
  • Yarn C Rosy

• Crochet Hook: G/6 – 4.25mm

What You Need To Know

• Gauge: 16 ehdc x 11 rows = 4” square Tutorial all about gauge
• Notes: To adjust the length of the dress you can add more rows at the end to make it longer or leave rows out to make it shorter. Remember to count your rows. You’ll want the same number of rows for the front and back panels.
• The pattern is written for size 0-3 months with the larger sizes in parenthesis as follows: size 0-3(size 3-6, size 6-12, size 12-18, size18-24). 
• Special Stitches: Extended Half Double Crochet (ehdc): YO insert hook into stitch, YO pull through stitch, YO pull through 1 loop, YO pull through all 3 loops on the hook. 
• Abbreviations:
  • ch(s) = chain(s)
  • ehdc = extended half double crochet
  • sc = single crochet
  • sl st = slip stitch
  • st(s) = stitch(es) 

SIZING

Pick the size that best matches the actual chest measurement of your child. You can find tips for measuring here. 

Crochet Baby Dress Pattern

Front and Back Panels. (make 2) 

The chain 2 at the beginning of each row does NOT count as a stitch.

ch 18(18,20,20,22) 

Row 1: 1 ehdc in 3rd ch from the hook, 1 ehdc in each ch across, turn. 16(16,18,18,20)sts 

Row 2: ch 2, 1 ehdc in each st across, turn. 16(16,18,18, 20)sts

Rows 3-14(15,15,16,16): ch 2, 2 ehdc in the first st, 1 ehdc in each st across until final st, 2 ehdc in last st, turn. <The final st count of row 3 is 18(18, 20, 20, 22)sts> <The final st count of row 14(15,15,16,16) is 40(42, 44, 46, 48)sts.> 

Rows 15-23(16-25, 16-29, 17-31, 17-33): ch 2, 1 ehdc in each st across, turn. 40(42,44,46,48)sts 

Straps 

Ch 5 (leave a long tail for sewing onto the dress)

Row 1: 1 sc in 2nd ch from the hook, 1 sc in each ch across, turn. (4sts) 

Rows 2-15(15,20,20,25): ch 2, 1 sc in each st across, turn. (4sts)
Cut the yarn, leave a long tail for sewing the strap onto the dress. 

Finished length of straps 3”(3”, 4”, 4”, 5”)

Rainbow 

(The rainbow is the same for all 5 sizes.) 

  Start with Yarn A

Start with a magic circle or ch 2. 

Row 1: work 6 sc in the magic circle, OR work 6 sc in the first ch, turn. Do NOT join. (6sts)

Row 2: ch 1, {2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next st} repeat across, turn. (9sts) 

  Switch to Yarn B

Row 3: ch 1, {2 sc in next st, 1 sc in next st, 1 sc in next st} repeat across, turn. (12sts) 

Row 4: ch 1, {2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of the next 3 sts} repeat across, turn. (15sts) 

  Switch to Yarn C

Row 5: ch 1, {2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of the next 4 sts} repeat across, turn. (18sts) 

Row 6: ch 1, {2 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of the next 5 sts} repeat across. (21sts) 

Finished size of the rainbow: 3.25” wide x 2” tall

Sewing It All Together  

• Place the front and back panels on top of each other. The sides are reversible so it doesn’t matter which side is facing up. 

• Starting at the bottom corner of the dress, sew together the front and back panels along the side edges (along the dotted line). I used the locking mattress stitch. Leave the top 3”(3.5”,4”, 4”,4.5”) unstitched. This will be the armhole area. Repeat along the other side of the dress. 

• Sew the straps to the top outside edges of the front panel using the locking mattress stitch. Being careful not to twist the strap, sew the other end of the strap to the top outside edge of the back panel. 
• Turn the dress inside out before adding the rainbow. This will be the correct side and your seams will be on the inside. 
• Place the rainbow on the front panel, 2 rows from the top. Sew along the top curve of the rainbow and along the bottom. I used the backstitch technique to create a sturdy seam. 

Sew in all your ends and have your little one try on the dress. You did it! Tag @sweeteverlyb on Instagram and Facebook so I can see your finished crochet dress.

High Waisted Baby Bloomers Pattern

Bear Cub Hat Pattern

The Plain Jayne Baby Sweater

Crochet designer//Wanna be knitter// heart of an 80 year old// When I'm not crocheting you can find me in the kitchen baking with my little ones, drinking iced coffee or watching Gilmore Girls.