This valance brings a row of sunflowers to a kitchen window. Six large sunflowers sit in a band of cream lace. A soft scalloped edge runs under the band. Eleven strands of small sunflowers and open lace diamonds hang below it. Light comes through every gap, so the piece looks bright even on a grey morning.
The colors are warm and simple: golden yellow petals, chocolate brown centers, and a cream or ecru lace frame. The style is cottage farmhouse. It suits wooden rods, checked tea towels, and a jug of wildflowers on the sill.
All instructions use US crochet terms. The finished valance measures 36.5 in (92.7 cm) wide and 8.5 in (21.6 cm) tall at the scallop centers. With the strands, the whole piece hangs about 19.5 in (49.5 cm).
You build it in parts. First make six sunflower squares and join them in one row. Then add a border with a hanging edge on top and scallops on the bottom. Last, make the small sunflowers and lace diamonds and link them into strands with chains.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 36.5 in x 8.5 in (92.7 cm x 21.6 cm) band; 19.5 in (49.5 cm) total length with strands
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: DK (#3) cotton
- Hook: 4 mm (G-6)
- Number of pieces: 6 large sunflower squares, 11 small sunflowers, 22 lace diamonds
- Layout: 6 squares in 1 row
- Piece size: 6 in (15.2 cm) square
- Size before border: 36 in x 6 in (91.4 cm x 15.2 cm)
- Border depth: 0.25 in (0.6 cm) on the sides, 1 in (2.5 cm) on top, 1.5 in (3.8 cm) at the bottom scallop centers
Materials
Use a smooth mercerized or matte cotton in DK weight, about 115 m per 50 g. Cotton keeps its shape in sunlight and blocks crisply. Avoid fuzzy yarns, because they fill the lace holes.
- Brown (centers): 40 g, about 92 m
- Golden yellow (petals): 55 g, about 127 m
- Cream (lace, border, diamonds, chains): 150 g, about 345 m
Quantities include roughly 25-35% extra for swatching and differences in tension.
Tools:
– 4 mm (G-6) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Stitch markers
– Scissors
– Measuring tape
– Blocking mats and rust-proof pins
– Spray bottle
– 9 curtain clip rings or sew-on rings
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- tr – treble crochet
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- RS / WS – right side / wrong side
Special stitch – picot tip: ch 3, sl st in the 3rd ch from the hook. This makes the point of each large petal.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Swatch gauge: 20 dc and 10 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm) with a 4 mm hook. That is 5 dc per inch.
Finish one large square before starting the rest. Check it at each stage:
- After Round 3: the brown center measures 2.25 in (5.7 cm) across.
- After Round 4: the flower measures 4.25 in (10.8 cm) from petal tip to petal tip.
- After Round 6: the square measures 5.25 in (13.3 cm) per side.
- After Round 7: the square measures 6 in (15.2 cm) per side.
If your square is too big, go down 0.5 mm. If it is too small, go up 0.5 mm. An error of 0.25 in (0.6 cm) per square adds up to 1.5 in (3.8 cm) across the valance, so fix it now.
Large Sunflower Square (Make 6)
Round 1 (brown): Magic ring, ch 2 (does not count as a st), 12 dc in ring, sl st to first dc. (12 dc)
Round 2: Ch 2, 2 dc in each st around, sl st to first dc. (24 dc)
Round 3: Ch 2, *dc in next st, 2 dc in next st; rep from * 11 more times, sl st to first dc. (36 dc)
Fasten off brown.
Round 4 (yellow, petals): Join yellow in any st, ch 1, sc in same st, (hdc, dc, tr) in next st, picot tip, (tr, dc, hdc) in next st; *sc in next st, (hdc, dc, tr) in next st, picot tip, (tr, dc, hdc) in next st; rep from * 10 more times. Sl st to first sc. (12 petals: 12 sc, 72 petal sts, 12 picot tips)
Each petal uses 3 sts of Round 3, so 12 petals x 3 = 36 sts. The picot gives each petal a sharp point. Fasten off yellow.
Round 5 (cream, framing): Number the picot tips 1-12. The corners go on tips 1, 4, 7 and 10.
Join cream in tip 1. Ch 3 (counts as dc), (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in same tip. Ch 5, sc in next tip, ch 5, sc in next tip, ch 5*, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in next tip; rep from * 2 more times, then from * to ** once. Sl st to top of ch-3. (24 dc, 4 corner ch-2 sps, 8 sc, 12 ch-5 loops)
Round 6: Sl st in next 2 dc and into corner ch-2 sp. Ch 3 (counts as dc), (dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in same sp. Dc in each of next 3 dc, 5 dc in ch-5 loop, dc in sc, 5 dc in ch-5 loop, dc in sc, 5 dc in ch-5 loop, dc in each of next 3 dc*, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in corner sp; rep from * 2 more times, then from * to ** once. Sl st to top of ch-3.
Per side: 2 + 3 + 5 + 1 + 5 + 1 + 5 + 3 + 2 = 27 dc, including the 2 corner dc at each end. (108 dc, 4 corner ch-2 sps)
Round 7 (mesh): Sl st in next dc and into corner sp. Ch 5 (counts as dc + ch 2), dc in same sp. (Ch 1, skip 1 st, dc in next st) 13 times, ch 1, skip 1 st*, (dc, ch 2, dc) in corner sp; rep from * 2 more times, then from * to ** once. Sl st to 3rd ch of ch-5.
Per side: 1 corner dc + 14 ch-1 sps + 13 dc + 1 corner dc = 29 positions. (60 dc, 56 ch-1 sps, 4 corner ch-2 sps)
Fasten off and weave in ends. The square measures 6 in (15.2 cm).
Make All Pieces
- Large squares: 6 (brown Rounds 1-3, yellow Round 4, cream Rounds 5-7)
- Small sunflowers: 11 (brown center, yellow petals)
- Lace diamonds: 22 (cream)
Layout of the band:
[S1][S2][S3][S4][S5][S6]
Instructions for the small sunflowers and diamonds are in the Strands section.
Joining
Join the squares into one row with a slip stitch seam.
Place two squares RS together with the edges lined up. Using cream and working through both layers, sl st loosely in the corner ch-2 sps. Work 1 sl st in each of the 29 matching positions (dc in dc, ch-1 sp in ch-1 sp), then sl st in the next corner ch-2 sps. That is 31 sl st per seam.
The squares are identical, so the positions match one to one. Nothing is added or skipped.
Keep each sl st as loose as a normal chain. A tight seam pulls the band into a curve. If needed, use a 4.5 mm hook for the seams only.
Join S1 to S2, then S2 to S3, and so on, for 5 seams.
Checkpoint: the band measures 36 in x 6 in (91.4 cm x 15.2 cm).
Border
Border gauge: 1 sc per position. Round 7 has 29 positions in 6 in (15.2 cm), about 4.8 per inch. Working the border at the same rate keeps the edge flat.
Round 1 (all sides): Join cream in the top-right corner sp. Ch 1, (sc, ch 2, sc) in corner sp.
- Long sides: 1 sc in each of the 29 positions of each square. Skip the joined corner sps at the seams. 6 x 29 = 174 sc, plus 1 corner sc at each end = 176 sc.
- Short sides: 29 sc + 2 corner sc = 31 sc.
- In each outer corner sp, work (sc, ch 2, sc).
Sl st to first sc. (414 sc, 4 corner ch-2 sps). Size: 36.5 in x 6.5 in (92.7 cm x 16.5 cm).
Top edge, Row 2: With RS facing, join in the first sc of the top edge. Ch 3 (counts as dc), dc in each st across. (176 dc) Turn.
Top edge, Row 3: Ch 1, sc in each st across. (176 sc) Fasten off. The top edge is now 1 in (2.5 cm) deep.
Bottom edge, Row 2: With RS facing, skip the corner sc and join in the first of the 174 middle sc of the bottom edge. For each square’s 29 sts: sc in st 1, (ch 4, skip 3 sts, sc in next st) 7 times. (8 sc, 7 ch-4 loops per square)
The sc land on sts 1, 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25 and 29, so 29 = 4 x 7 + 1. At each seam, the last sc of one square sits next to the first sc of the next. Turn.
Bottom edge, Row 3 (scallops): For each square: 4 hdc in loop 1, 5 dc in loop 2, (dc, 3 tr, dc) in each of loops 3, 4 and 5, 5 dc in loop 6, 4 hdc in loop 7. Sl st between the 2 seam sc, then start the next square.
Per square: 4 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 4 = 33 sts. Turn.
Bottom edge, Row 4 (lace edge): For each scallop: sc in st 1, (ch 3, skip 1 st, sc in next st) 16 times. Skip the seam sl st. (17 sc, 16 ch-3 loops per scallop)
33 is an odd number, so each scallop starts and ends with a sc. Fasten off. At its center, each scallop hangs 1.25 in (3.2 cm) below Round 1.
Why the math works: each square has 29 positions per side, so the border works over exactly 6 x 29 = 174 sts. The 4-st loop repeat plus 1 divides 29 exactly. Each scallop stays under its own square, and each dip between scallops falls on a seam.
Checkpoint: the band measures 36.5 in x 8.5 in (92.7 cm x 21.6 cm).
Strands
Small sunflower (make 11):
– Round 1 (brown): Magic ring, ch 2, 10 hdc in ring, sl st to first hdc. (10 hdc) Fasten off.
– Round 2 (yellow): Join in any st. *Sc in st, ch 4, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next ch, hdc in next ch; rep from * in each st around. Sl st to first sc. (10 petals) Fasten off.
The flower measures 1.75 in (4.4 cm). Petals 1 and 6 are opposite each other and serve as the top and bottom points.
Lace diamond (make 22, cream):
– Round 1: Ch 4, sl st to form ring. Ch 3 (counts as dc), 2 dc in ring, ch 2, (3 dc, ch 2) 3 times in ring, sl st to top of ch-3. (12 dc, 4 ch-2 sps)
– Round 2: Sl st to first ch-2 sp. Ch 6 (counts as dc + ch 3), dc in same sp, ch 3, *(dc, ch 3, dc) in next sp, ch 3; rep from * 2 more times. Sl st to 3rd ch of ch-6. (8 dc, 4 corner ch-3 sps, 4 side ch-3 sps)
Turn the square on point. The diamond measures 2 in (5.1 cm) from point to point.
Linking: Make every link in cream. Join in the bottom point of the upper piece and chain the number given. Sl st into the top point of the lower piece, sl st in the next st, and fasten off.
- Strand A (make 6): attach to the center sc (sc 9 of 17) of each scallop. Ch 10, small sunflower, ch 8, diamond, ch 8, diamond. Length about 11 in (27.9 cm).
- Strand B (make 5): attach under both dip sc at each seam. Ch 6, diamond, ch 8, small sunflower, ch 8, diamond. Length about 10 in (25.4 cm).
Strand B starts higher and is shorter, so it ends above the A strands. The flowers and diamonds end up at alternating heights across the window.
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends before blocking.
- Pin the band flat to 36.5 in x 8.5 in (92.7 cm x 21.6 cm).
- Pin each square corner and seam so the edges stay straight.
- Pin the top of each scallop and open out each ch-3 loop.
- Pin each petal tip outward on the large sunflowers.
- Lay the strands straight and pin each diamond open at all 4 points.
- Mist with water until damp, not soaked.
- Let it dry completely, then unpin.
- Clip or sew 9 rings to top Row 3 at sts 1, 22, 44, 66, 88, 110, 132, 154 and 176.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Each square measures 6 in (15.2 cm) per side.
- Round 6 has 27 dc per side; Round 7 has 29 positions per side.
- Each seam has 31 sl st and lies flat.
- Border Round 1 has 176 sc on each long side and 31 on each short side.
- Top Rows 2 and 3 have 176 sts each.
- Each scallop has 33 sts in Row 3 and 17 sc in Row 4.
- 6 A strands and 5 B strands are attached in the right places.
- The band measures 36.5 in x 8.5 in (92.7 cm x 21.6 cm).
- All ends are woven in securely.
Troubleshooting
- Petals cup forward: Round 3 is too tight. Use a hook one size larger for Round 4.
- Square ruffles at Round 6: your ch-5 loops are too long. Use ch 4 and keep 5 dc per loop.
- Square sides bow inward: the ch-5 loops are too short or too tight. Chain more loosely.
- Band curves after joining: the seams are too tight. Redo them with a larger hook.
- Top edge waves: the dc row is loose. Use a 3.75 mm hook for top Rows 2-3.
- Scallops flip up: pin them flat while damp and let them dry fully.
- Strands twist: block them straight. Check that each link joins the true top and bottom points.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, then press out the water in a towel. Dry flat and reshape the scallops and petals while damp.
Final Notes
Here is the measurement chain from start to finish. The brown center is 2.25 in (5.7 cm). The flower is 4.25 in (10.8 cm). Round 6 is 5.25 in (13.3 cm), and Round 7 is 6 in (15.2 cm). Six squares make a 36 in x 6 in (91.4 cm x 15.2 cm) band. The border brings it to 36.5 in x 8.5 in (92.7 cm x 21.6 cm). The strands add about 11 in (27.9 cm), for a total length of 19.5 in (49.5 cm).
If each square is the right size, everything after it fits. Check the first square carefully and enjoy watching the sunflowers line up.
Happy crocheting!