I started by making a regular bow using the same stitches as the top. I just crocheted back and forth in rows until I had a long piece and then I used a video tutorial from youtube and folded a bow. But I didn’t like the look, I wanted it to be a little bit more neat so I use another technique which I will show you here.
florence top crochet pattern >>
Use my crochet pattern for this tube top. Get the pattern here. Make sure to make it a bit longer so the top edge can be folded down! Just 5 cm or so. Sew up and down to make sure the edge is in place, then before finishing, add the elastic inside and sew or tie it with double knots. Make the bow seperately (3 pieces in total) and sew the middle, the big part of the bow (but only the back side of it) and the two ends (but only the middle of them, to leave the ends more free).
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The inspiration comes from the character Summer Roberts from The OC where she in one episode is wearing a tube shop in gingham with a bow on the middle:
Hook: 3 mm
Yarn: Superfine cotton, 50 g =170 m
Stitch: single crochet (sc) chain (ch) decrease stitch
– turn after ever row (turnin chain, doesn’t count as a stitch)
Chain 2.
row 1: 2 sc in 2nd chain from the hook, ch 1
row 2: 2 sc in the 1st stitch, 1 in the next, ch 1
row 3: repeat row 2, making 1 increase on every row until you have 13 stitches on the row / 12 rows
row 13: make 1 sc in every stitch, ch 1
now you decrease on every row by crocheting together the first 2 stitches. repeat until you have 2 stitches on the row.
now increase again, repeating the first part and finally decrease again. don’t break off.
now place it sideways in front of you, grab the last and first row with each of your hands and fold them so they meet in the middle, forming a bow shape.
now make a chainless foundation (or chains) until you can wrap it around the middle a few times – use the remaining yarn to sew up and down and make sure it is secured. now put it aside and make the ends.
Chain 10
row 1-4: 1 sc in every stitch, ch 1
row 5-: 1 dec in the beginning of the row, by crocheting the first 2 stitches together
repeat until you have 2 stitches left, break off but leave a yarn end to sew onto the bow.
Make one more like it. Now sew them onto the bow, onto the back/middle center of the bow. Now you have your finished bow and you can sew it onto the top by sewing through the middle, the big part (only back) of the bow and the ends (but only the middle, so you leave the ends more loose).
Sew in the ends.