Every Day is Independance Day!

Directoire dress pattern, from McCall's Needlework & Crafts, Spring-Summer, 1972

Bonjour to my American Amis! Just because July 4th is over, and your lawns are littered with blackened cardboard tubes stamped with “Made in China”, that doesn’t mean its time to pack away the patriotic duds. And just because you’re in the mood for red, white and blue, that doesn’t mean you can’t also be cosmopolitan and French.

That’s right, French. 1972 was long before "France Sucks" t-shirts, Freedom Fries and Freedom Kissing. France was still an American ally... well, okay they pulled out of NATO, and then accused the U.S.A. of imperialism in Vietnam. But when it came to fashion, they were still your best buds from the Revolution, and they shared your patriotic passion for red, white, and blue.

So, go ahead and don this Freedom Frock in the spirit of ’72. You can wear your American patriotism from head to toe, and at the same time pretend you’re storming the Bastille. And with no risk of decapitation. It’s the best of both worlds!

For the complete pattern (and more snark!):

TRICOLOR GOWN

SIZES: Directions for size 8. Changes for sizes 10, 12 and 14 are in parentheses.

Body Bust Size: 31 1/2’’ (32 1/2’’-34’’-36’’)

Finished Bust Size: 33’’ (35’’-37’’-39’’)

For body measurements, see page 28.

I'm sure you know how to use a measuring tape! Right?

MATERIALS: Unger Dolly...

Unger Dolly is a “French boucle yarn of 100% courtelle (machine-washable synthetic)”, which seems to be an alarmingly light weight. Could it be... sport weight? Ack!

...11 (12-13-14) 40-gram balls red (A), 4 (4-5-5) balls white (B) and 5 (5-5-6) balls blue (C). Aluminum crochet hook size F/4 and steel crochet hook No. 0. (Or English sizes 8 and 10)

Most likely the F/4 is 3.75 mm, and the No. 0 is 3.25mm, lending further weight to the theory that Unger Dolly is sport weight. Prepare yourself for a *lot* of crocheting!

GAUGE: 10 patterns (V st plus ch 3 is 1 pat) = 11’’. See page 24.

If you’re tackling this project and you don’t already know how to measure gauge, page 24 isn’t going to help.

Note: Skirt is worked vertically.

Dress Length Note: Skirt is planned for 39’’ length. For longer dress, work 4 additional foundation chains for each 1’’ length desired (1 V st pat); for shorter dress work 4 chains less for each 1’’.

DRESS: SKIRT: Beg at center back, with size F hook and A, ch 147 loosely (see Dress Length Note).

Row 1: Hdc in 3rd ch from hook, sk next ch, work dc, ch 1, dc in next ch, (V st), *ch 3, sk next 3 ch: work V st of dc, ch 1, dc in next ch, repeat from * across, end hdc in each of last 2 ch – 36 V sts.

Check gauge; row should measure 39’’.

Turn each row.

Row 2: Ch 2 (counts as 1 hdc), hdc in next st, ch 3, long V st in 2nd ch of skipped ch 3 on foundation ch, * ch 3, long V st in 2nd ch of next skipped ch 3 on foundation ch, repeat from * across, end ch 3, hdc in each of last 2 sts – 35 long V sts.

Row 3: Ch 2, hdc in next st, long V st in ch-1 sp of V st 2 rows below, * ch 3, long V st in ch-1 sp of next V st 2 rows below, repeat from * across, end hdc in each of last 2 sts – 36 long V sts.

Row 4: Ch 2, hdc in next st, * ch 3, long V st in ch-1 sp of V st 2 rows below, repeat from * across, end ch 3, hdc in each of last 2 sts – 35 long V sts. Drop A; join B.

Row 5: With B, repeat row 3.

Row 6: With B, repeat row 4. Drop B.

Rows 7-14: With A, repeat rows 3 and 4 four times. Repeat rows 5-14 for pat (10 rows) until piece measures about 40’’ (42’’-44’’-46’’) from start, end pat row 9 (3rd row of A).

Next Row: With A, ch 2, hdc in next st, * ch 1, sc in ch-1 sp of V st in row below, ch 1, long V st in ch-1 sp of V st 2 rows below, repeat from * across, end ch 1, hdc in each of last 2 sts. End off.

FINISHING: With A, weave back seam from upper edge down, leaving 15’’ opening at lower edge for center back slit. From right side, with A and No. 0 crochet hook, work 1 row sc around back slit, keeping work flat. Fold skirt in half lengthwise, with slit at center back; place a marker at each upper side edge.

Ha, you thought I posted this pattern too late for Independence Day. You’ll be lucky if you finish this French-style frippery by the 4th of July, 2010.

BODICE: BACK: From right side, beg at right back side edge marker, with No. 0 hook and C, work 61 (65-69-73) hdc evenly spaced along upper back edge of skirt, end at left side marker. Turn.

Row 2: Ch 2 (counts as 1 hdc), hdc in each hdc across. Change to size F hook.

Row 3: Ch 2, hdc in next hdv, V st in next hdc, * ch 3, sk next 3 hdc, V st in next hdc, repeat from * across, end ch 3, sk next 3 hdc, V st in next hdc, hdc in each of last 2 hdc – 15 (16-17-18) V sts.

Row 4: Work row 2 of skirt, working long V sts in 2nd hdc of 3 skipped hdc on row 2 – 14 (15-16-17) long V sts. Working in pat, work 2 more rows C. Join B, * work 2 rows B, 8 rows C, repeat from * until bodice measures 5 1/2’’ from start or desired length to underarm, end wrong side – 14 (15-16-17) long V sts. End off.

Check gauge: piece should measure 16 1/2’’ (17 1/2’’-18 1/2’’-19 1/2’’) wide. Turn.

Or possibly Bastille Day, 2011.

Shape Armholes: Join color to be used in first V st of last row, ch 1, work 1 hdc, work in pat until 13 (14-15-16) long V sts are completed, hdc under ch 1 of last V st of row below.

Next Row: Ch 2, work long V st in next V st 2 rows below, work in pat to within 1 pat of end, hdc in end. Turn. Repeat last row once – 11 (12-13-14) long V sts on one row, 10 (11-12-13) on following pat row. Work even until armholes measure 2 1/2’’ from start, end on row with 10 (11-12-13) V sts.

Shape Neck: Keeping to pat, work until 3 (3-4-4) V sts are completed, hdc in next st of row below. Turn. Work even on these sts until armhole measures 6 3/4’’ (7 1/4’’-7 3/4’’-8’’) above first row of armhole shaping. End off. Count back 3 (3-4-4) V sts on last long row, join yarn with hdc in next st, work in pat across – 3 (3-4-4) long V sts. Work same as for first shoulder. End.

FRONT: Work same as for back beginning neck shaping 2 rows lower than on back.

Or for the end of the world in December 2012.

SLEEVES: Beg at lower edge, with No. 0 hook and C, ch 47 (49-51-53) loosely.

Row 1: Hdc in 3rd ch from hook and in each ch across – 45 (47-49-51) hdc.

Rows 2 and 3: Ch 2, hdc in each st across. Change to size F hook.

Row 4: Ch 2, hdc in next st, sk next st, V st in next st, * ch 3, sk next st, V st in next st, repeat from * across, end hdc in each of last 2 sts – 20 (21-22-23) V sts.

Next Row: Ch 2, hdc in next st, * ch 3, long V st in skipped st of row 3, repeat from * across, end ch 3, hdc in each of last 2 sts – 19 (20-21-22) long V sts. Work in pat for 2 rows, then work 2 rows B, 8 rows C, until piece measures 3’’ from start, end with 19 (20-21-22) long V st row. End off.

Shape Cap: Join yarn being used in first V st of row below, hdc in same st, work pat until there are 18 (19-20-21) long V sts completed, end hdc in last st. Turn. Work in pat, working 1 pat less at end of every row 11 (11-13-13) times. End.

FINISHING: With C, sew shoulder and side seams. Sew sleeve seams. Baste upper edge of each sleeve and shirr to fit armholes.

No, that’s not a typo. To shirr is “to gather cloth by drawing the material up on parallel rows of short running stitches” (thank you, Websters!). Of course, to shirr can also mean, “to bake in small buttered dishes, often with crumbs, cheese, etc.” I’ll leave it to you to decide which you’d rather do at this point in the garment creation process.

Sew in sleeves. From right side, with C, work 1 row sc around neck edge, working through 2 rows of pat at front and back neck edges.

THE BELT (not shown): With No. 0 hook and C, ch 7 loosely.

Yeah, “not shown”. That’s because a large part of what makes this dress something other than a shapeless, stars... I mean stripes and stripes nightie is the gold pin holding the – most decidedly NOT crocheted – sash in place. Oh well, it’s too late now!

Row 1: Hdc in 3rd ch from hook and in each ch across – 5 hdc. Ch 2, turn.

Row 2: Hdc in each hdc across. Ch 2, turn. Repeat last row until piece measures 72’’ from start or desired length. End off.

Et voilà! Vous êtes très sexy. Well, by 1972 standards anyway...

Click here for the printable pattern.