The Meadow Window Daisy Valance is a café-style curtain made from flower blocks. Each block has a turquoise-teal daisy with a golden yellow center, set inside an open forest-green frame. The joined frames form a green lattice. Leaves are sewn below each flower, and green V-points with leaf tips hang along the bottom edge.
There are three colors: teal for the petals, gold for the centers, and forest green for the frames, leaves, border and hanging tabs. Light passes through the open chain spaces, which suits a sunny kitchen window.
This pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished valance body measures 39 in (99.1 cm) wide by 11.5 in (29.2 cm) tall. With the pointed leaf edge, it is about 16 in (40.6 cm) long, not counting the tabs.
Construction is simple. You make 14 square flower blocks and 35 small leaves. Join the blocks into a grid of 2 rows by 7 columns, then work one border round. Add the pointed bottom edge and the 15 tabs, and sew on the leaves.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 39 x 11.5 in (99.1 x 29.2 cm) body; about 16 in (40.6 cm) long including points and leaves
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4), cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 5 mm (H-8)
- Number of pieces: 14 flower blocks + 35 leaves
- Layout: 7 blocks wide x 2 blocks tall
- Block size: 5.5 in (14.0 cm) square
- Size before border: 38.5 x 11 in (97.8 x 27.9 cm)
- Border depth: 0.25 in (0.6 cm) on sides and top; bottom points add about 2.5 in (6.4 cm), plus 2 in (5.1 cm) leaves
Materials
Use a smooth mercerized or matte cotton in worsted weight. Cotton holds the petal shapes, blocks crisply and stands up to sunlight and washing better than most acrylics. The amounts below assume about 1.9 m per gram (about 190 m per 100 g).
- Color A, Teal (petals): 120 g, about 228 m
- Color B, Gold (centers): 25 g, about 48 m
- Color C, Forest Green (frames, leaves, joining, border, tabs): 200 g, about 380 m
These quantities include a margin of roughly 15 percent for swatching and weaving in ends.
Tools:
- 5 mm (H-8) crochet hook
- Tapestry needle
- Stitch markers
- Rust-proof pins and a blocking mat or towel
- Spray bottle
- Measuring tape
- Scissors
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- tr – treble crochet
- sk – skip
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- RS / WS – right side / wrong side
Special stitch – Petal: Into one ch-7 loop, work (sc, hdc, 2 dc, tr, ch 2, tr, 2 dc, hdc, sc). Each petal has 10 sts plus a ch-2 tip.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 16 sc and 18 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm) in Color C. So 4 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm).
Make one complete block before anything else and measure it at each checkpoint:
- After Round 2: gold center about 1.5 in (3.8 cm) across
- After Round 4: flower about 4.5 in (11.4 cm) from petal tip to petal tip
- After Round 6: block 5.5 in (14.0 cm) square, measured from corner to corner along one side
If the block is larger than 5.5 in (14.0 cm), go down half a millimeter in hook size. If it is smaller, go up half a millimeter. A difference of only 0.125 in (0.3 cm) per block adds up to almost 1 in (2.5 cm) across the full width, so it’s worth getting this right.
Flower Block (make 14)
Round 1 (Color B)
Make a magic ring. Ch 1, work 12 sc into the ring. Join with sl st to the first sc. (12 sc)
Round 2 (Color B)
Ch 1, 2 sc in each st around. Join. (24 sc) Fasten off.
Round 3 (Color A)
Join Color A in any sc. Ch 1, sc in the same st, ch 7, sk next st, rep from * 11 more times. Join with sl st to the first sc. (12 sc and 12 ch-7 loops)*
Round 4 (Color A)
Sl st into the first ch-7 loop. Work 1 Petal in each ch-7 loop around. Join with sl st to the first sc. (12 petals: 120 sts and 12 ch-2 tips) Fasten off.
The petals are slender and pointed, with a slightly raised center ridge where the stitches wrap around the chain loop.
Round 5 (Color C, frame)
This round turns the round flower into a square. Four petal tips become corners, and two tips sit between corners on each side.
Join Color C in any ch-2 petal tip. Ch 1, (sc, ch 7, sc) in the same tip for the first corner. *[Ch 5, sc in next tip] 2 times, ch 5, (sc, ch 7, sc) in next tip, rep from * 2 more times, then [ch 5, sc in next tip] 2 times, ch 5. Join with sl st to the first sc.
(16 sc, 4 ch-7 corner loops, 12 ch-5 spaces; 3 ch-5 spaces per side)
Round 6 (Color C)
Sl st into the first ch-7 corner loop. Ch 1. *(3 sc, ch 2, 3 sc) in the corner loop, 5 sc in each of the next 3 ch-5 spaces, rep from * 3 more times. Join.
(84 sc and 4 ch-2 corners)
Per-side count: 3 + 15 + 3 = 21 sc between the corner ch-2 spaces. In this pattern, the corner ch-2 spaces are not counted as stitches. Fasten off and leave a 24 in (61.0 cm) tail on 7 of the blocks for joining.
Checkpoint: The block measures 5.5 in (14.0 cm) square. That is 21 sc at 4 sc per inch, or 5.25 in (13.3 cm), plus the corner space.
Leaves (make 35)
Using Color C, ch 9.
Leaf round: Starting in the 2nd ch from hook, work sc, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc. (7 sts) Work 3 sc in the last ch. Working along the other side of the foundation, work sc, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc. (7 sts) Sl st in the skipped ch at the tip. (17 sts and 1 sl st)
Fasten off and leave an 8 in (20.3 cm) tail. Each leaf is about 2 in (5.1 cm) long and 1 in (2.5 cm) wide.
Make All Pieces
- Flower blocks: 14. Color B for Rounds 1–2, Color A for Rounds 3–4, Color C for Rounds 5–6.
- Leaves: 35 in Color C. 28 go on the blocks (2 per block) and 7 go on the bottom points.
Layout grid (RS facing, top edge at the top):
[F][F][F][F][F][F][F] Row 1 (top)
[F][F][F][F][F][F][F] Row 2 (bottom)
All blocks are identical, so they can go in any position. Lay them out first to mix any small color differences between dye lots.
Joining
Method: Slip stitch join through back loops, Color C.
Hold two blocks with WS together and the RS facing you. Line them up corner to corner. Insert the hook through the back loop of the front block and the back loop of the back block, and sl st.
Stitch-to-stitch logic:
- Sl st through both corner ch-2 spaces.
- Work 21 sl sts, matching sc to sc.
- Sl st through both closing corner ch-2 spaces.
Because both blocks have exactly 21 sc per side, every stitch has a partner and nothing is added or skipped.
Order:
- Join the two rows along the long horizontal seam first, working through all 7 block pairs in one continuous seam.
- Join the 6 vertical seams. Each one crosses the horizontal seam at a shared 4-corner point. Sl st through all the corner spaces there.
Tension: Keep your sl sts as loose as your sc. If needed, go up one hook size for joining. Tight seams pucker the lattice and pull the width in.
Checkpoint: The joined panel measures 38.5 x 11 in (97.8 x 27.9 cm). That is 7 x 5.5 in and 2 x 5.5 in.
Leaf Appliqué
Under each flower, place 2 leaves in a V. Their bases meet at the center sc (the 11th sc) of the block’s bottom edge, and the tips point up and out between the lowest petals and the frame. Sew them down with the tails, catching only the back of the stitches. Twist the base tails together and stitch them along the frame to form a short stem.
Border
Border gauge: Same as the block, 4 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm).
Round 1 (Color C, all around)
With the RS facing, join Color C in the top-right outer corner ch-2 space. Ch 1. Work around the panel as follows:
- 3 sc in each outer corner ch-2 space
- 1 sc in each sc
- 1 sc in each seam point (the joined corner spaces)
Counts between the corner 3-sc groups:
- Top: 7 x 21 + 6 seams = 153 sc
- Bottom: 153 sc
- Each side: 2 x 21 + 1 seam = 43 sc
- Corners: 4 x 3 = 12 sc
- Total: 153 + 153 + 43 + 43 + 12 = 404 sc
Join with a sl st. Fasten off.
Why the math works: Each block takes up 22 stitch-widths along the edge, 21 sc plus 1 seam or corner. At 4 sc per inch, 22 stitches = 5.5 in (14.0 cm), so the border sits flat against the blocks without ruffling or cupping. Counting the middle corner sc, the top edge has 155 sts. That equals 7 x 22 + 1.
Checkpoint: 39 x 11.5 in (99.1 x 29.2 cm).
Bottom Points, Row 2 (Color C)
Number the bottom edge stitches 1 to 155, counting the center sc of each bottom corner group. The anchor stitches are at the corners and seams: sts 1, 23, 45, 67, 89, 111, 133 and 155.
With the RS facing, join in st 1. Ch 1, sc in st 1. *Ch 15, ch 3, sl st in the 3rd ch from hook (tip picot), ch 15, sk 21 sts, sc in the next anchor st. Rep from * 6 more times.
(7 points, 8 anchor sc) Do not fasten off.
Bottom Points, Row 3 (Color C)
Ch 1, turn. Sc in the first anchor sc. *Work 15 sc over the next ch-15 (1 sc in each ch), (sc, ch 2, sc) in the tip picot, 15 sc in each ch of the next ch-15, sc in the next anchor sc. Rep from * 6 more times.
(7 x 32 + 8 = 232 sc, 7 ch-2 tips) Fasten off.
Each side of a point is 3.75 in (9.5 cm) long. The two sides span 5.5 in (14.0 cm), which gives a point depth of about 2.5 in (6.4 cm). Sew one leaf to each ch-2 tip so that it hangs straight down.
Tabs (Color C, make 15)
Tabs are worked in rows directly onto the 155 top stitches. Count the top edge the same way as the bottom, with st 1 at the top-left corner center sc.
- Tab 1: sts 1–5
- Tabs 2–14: centered on sts 12, 23, 34, 45, 56, 67, 78, 89, 100, 111, 122, 133 and 144. Each tab covers its center st plus the 2 sts on each side.
- Tab 15: sts 151–155
For each tab:
- Row 1: Join in the first st. Ch 1, sc in the same st and in the next 4 sts. (5 sc)
- Rows 2–18: Ch 1, turn, 5 sc. (5 sc)
Fasten off and leave a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail. Each tab is 1.25 in (3.2 cm) wide and 4 in (10.2 cm) long. Fold the tab to the WS and sew the last row to the back of Round 1 to make a loop about 2 in (5.1 cm) deep. The loop fits rods up to 1 in (2.5 cm) in diameter.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends along the green frame lines, where they hide best.
- Lay the valance RS up on a mat or a folded towel.
- Pin the top edge straight to 39 in (99.1 cm).
- Pin each side to 11.5 in (29.2 cm), keeping the corners square.
- Pin each block corner along the lattice so the blocks measure 5.5 in (14.0 cm).
- Pin each point tip down about 2.5 in (6.4 cm) below the border, and open each leaf flat.
- Pin out the petal tips evenly around each center.
- Mist until damp, but not soaked. Let it dry completely before you unpin.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- 14 blocks, each 5.5 in (14.0 cm) square with 21 sc per side
- 12 even petals on every flower
- Seams flat, with no puckers at the 4-corner points
- Border Round 1: 153 / 43 / 153 / 43 sc plus 12 corner sc
- 7 equal points, all about 2.5 in (6.4 cm) deep
- 35 leaves securely sewn: 28 on the blocks and 7 at the point tips
- 15 tabs, evenly spaced, all the same length
- Body 39 x 11.5 in (99.1 x 29.2 cm)
Troubleshooting
- Block curls or cups: The Round 5 chains are too tight. Loosen your chains or go up a hook size for that round only.
- Block ruffles: The chains are too loose. Use ch 4 instead of ch 5 on the side spaces, but keep 5 sc in each space so the count stays at 21.
- Petals lean sideways: Make sure you skip exactly 1 st between sc in Round 3.
- Seam ripples: Count 21 sl sts per side. If the count is right, your joining tension is too tight.
- Points twist: Count 15 sc on each side of every point, then pin and block flat.
- Tabs uneven: Recount the 18 rows on each tab before sewing.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with a mild detergent and roll it in a towel to remove water. Dry flat and re-pin the points if needed. Avoid long hours of direct afternoon sun to slow fading.
Final Notes
Everything depends on one measurement: 4 sc = 1 in (2.5 cm). That gives 21 sc per side and a 5.5 in (14.0 cm) block. Seven blocks across make 38.5 in (97.8 cm), and two blocks tall make 11 in (27.9 cm). Border Round 1 brings the body to 39 x 11.5 in (99.1 x 29.2 cm). The 2.5 in (6.4 cm) points and the 2 in (5.1 cm) leaves bring the length to about 16 in (40.6 cm). Check each step of that chain and the valance will hang straight and even.
Happy crocheting!