A deep burgundy sleeveless piece with wide shoulder straps, a ribbed bodice, and a fitted waistline that opens into a full, short skirt. The flat-lay shows what the dress photo hides: the skirt is split into two wide legs, so this is really a romper-dress, a dress silhouette with shorts underneath. Large flat bows sit at the base of each strap, and a scatter of small loop-style bows, tilted at different angles, dots the front of the skirt.
Two sizes of bow are doing the decorating. The big ones are flat and padded-looking, wrapped at the center with yarn, while the small ones are slim chain loops with short tails. Because everything is one color, the bows read through shape and shadow alone, and the whole piece looks quietly tailored rather than busy.
It suits someone who has made a simple baby top or shorts and wants to combine them. The shaping is basic. Where it gets fiddly is making matching bows and keeping the leg openings comfortable.
Reading the Construction
The bodice shows clear vertical ridges, which usually means a ribbed texture made with back-loop-only stitches or alternating post stitches worked in rows. It reads as dense and stretchy, which suits a fitted top on a small child. The straps look like narrow strips of a similar textured stitch, probably worked separately and sewn to the front and back.
Below the waist, the fabric changes to a flat, tight stitch, likely single crochet, with small gathers or pleats where it joins the bodice. The skirt is wide at the hem and divides into two legs, so it was probably worked in the round to the crotch point, then divided and worked down each leg, or made as two matching panels joined at the center seam.
The large bows look like short rectangles pinched in the middle and wrapped with a few turns of yarn, with two tails worked as separate small strips. The small bows are probably made from a chain loop pair plus two short tails, wrapped at the center. All are sewn on afterward.
Materials You’ll Need
- Burgundy or wine-red yarn (a soft cotton or cotton blend is a reasonable suggestion for a baby garment; the stitches look fairly chunky, so the yarn is probably medium weight)
- A crochet hook sized to your yarn (see below)
- Yarn needle for seaming and attaching bows
- Scissors
- Stitch markers, useful for the waist gathers and leg division
- A tape measure or a baby sizing reference, since no official size chart is given
- Buttons or snaps if you want a closure at the straps or crotch for easier changing
Yarn and Hook Notes
The fabric looks dense and well defined, so a worsted weight cotton is a sensible starting point, with a hook roughly in the 3.5mm to 4.5mm range. A slightly smaller hook for the bodice will keep the ribbing snug, and the skirt can go up a size for drape. Swatch the ribbed stitch and the single crochet separately, and wash the swatch, since cotton can change size after the first wash.
For a baby garment, pick a yarn that machine washes well. The yarn label has the final say.
Skill Level
Confident beginner to intermediate. The stitches are basic, but the garment asks for several things at once: a ribbed bodice, straps that match, a waist join with gathering, a skirt that splits into legs, and two sizes of bow. Anyone who has made baby shorts will find the leg division familiar.
Stitches Likely Involved
- Chain (ch): foundation rows and the small loop bows
- Slip stitch (sl st): joining and finishing the edges
- Single crochet (sc): the skirt and legs, and possibly the straps
- Half double crochet (hdc) in back loop only (BLO), or front and back post stitches: the ribbed bodice
- Increase (inc) and decrease (dec): shaping the waist, skirt, and leg openings
- A flat bow: short rectangles pinched and wrapped with yarn
Building It: A Practical Sequence
Work the bodice first. Make a ribbed rectangle sized to your baby’s chest, and compare it to a garment that fits.
Make the straps. Work two narrow strips, sew them to the bodice, and try the piece on a reference doll or garment to set the length.
Join the skirt at the waist. Add evenly spaced increases so the fabric gathers into the bodice instead of puckering in one spot.
Work down to the crotch point, then divide into two legs. Work each leg to the same length and finish with a round of single crochet so the openings don’t curl.
Crochet the bows. Make the large flat bows and the small loop bows in two batches so the sizes stay consistent.
Attach everything. Sew the big bows at the base of each strap and arrange the small bows on the skirt before stitching them down.
Weave in ends and block lightly. Add snaps at the crotch or straps if you want an easy-change closure.
Adjusting the Fit and Look
Match chest width and leg length to a baby sizing reference, since the bodice rib stretches but the skirt does not. Make the legs shorter for a skort look, or longer for a jumpsuit. The bows can be reduced to just the two large ones, or you can leave them off for a plain version. The same pattern works in forest green, navy, or blush.
Where It’s Easy to Go Wrong
Straps that don’t match. Make both at once and compare them before sewing.
Uneven waist gathers. Use stitch markers to space increases evenly around the waist.
Leg openings that are too tight. A baby needs room to kick and crawl. Check against a sizing reference before closing the rounds.
Bows that vary in size. Make them all in one sitting with the same tension.
Loosely sewn bows. Babies tug at details. Stitch around the base and add a second pass through the center.
Care
Hand wash in cool water and lay flat to dry, which protects the bow attachments. If the yarn label allows machine washing, use a gentle cycle in a mesh bag. Avoid high heat, and follow the yarn label.
Common Questions
Is this a dress or a romper?
Both. The skirt front looks like a dress, but the flat-lay shows divided legs underneath.
Can I skip the legs and make a plain dress?
Yes. Work the skirt in the round all the way to the hem instead of dividing it.
Is it a good beginner project?
It suits a confident beginner. The ribbed bodice and the leg division need some care.
Do I have to add the bows?
No. They are decorative, and the dress works without them.
