Bluebell Lane is a pair of airy lace curtain panels. Each panel has trailing bellflower vines set between slim ladder strips, so the fabric looks like a garden trellis when light comes through it. Every vine carries 13 small 3D bells, and each bell has a ribbed body and a scalloped rim. A pair of pointed leaves sits just above each bell.
The design uses one color, a soft periwinkle blue. That keeps the look calm and lets the texture of the bells stand out. The style is cottage-romantic but still uncluttered. The pattern uses US crochet terms throughout.
Each finished panel measures 26.6 in (67.6 cm) wide by 82.6 in (209.8 cm) long, and you make two.
Construction overview: You crochet ladder strips lengthwise in short rows. You make each vine as one continuous chain stem with the leaves worked as you go, and you make the bells separately and sew them on. Next, you join the vines to the ladders with slip stitches at the leaf tips and bell rims. Two sc rounds frame the panel, a filet mesh header is worked across the top, and a reverse sc round finishes the edges.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size (each panel): 26.6 in (67.6 cm) wide x 82.6 in (209.8 cm) long
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: Sport (2), cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Number of pieces: 2 panels. Each panel has 6 ladder strips, 5 vines and 65 bells.
- Layout per panel: Ladder–Vine–Ladder–Vine–Ladder–Vine–Ladder–Vine–Ladder–Vine–Ladder
- Piece sizes: Ladder strip 1.4 in x 78.4 in (3.6 cm x 199.1 cm). Vine column 3.4 in x 78 in (8.6 cm x 198.1 cm). Bell 3.2 in wide x 2.7 in tall (8.1 cm x 6.9 cm).
- Size before border: 25.4 in x 78.4 in (64.5 cm x 199.1 cm)
- Border depth: 0.6 in (1.5 cm) on the sides and bottom. The top gets 3.6 in (9.1 cm), including the mesh header.
Materials
Yarn: Use a smooth sport-weight mercerized cotton or a cotton/linen blend. These hang straight, show stitch definition and resist sagging better than acrylic. Choose a yarn of about 150 m per 50 g.
- Periwinkle blue: 550 g, about 1,650 m (1,804 yd), for both panels
Quantities include a margin of about 15% for swatching, joining tails and gauge differences.
Tools:
– 3.5 mm (E-4) crochet hook, plus a 3.25 mm hook in case your chains run loose
– Tapestry needle
– 20 locking stitch markers
– Measuring tape
– Blocking mats and rustproof pins, or a clean sheet on the floor
– Spray bottle
– 22 curtain ring clips (11 per panel)
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- rev sc – reverse single crochet (crab stitch)
- BB – back bump of a chain
Special stitch – Leaf: Ch 9. Starting in the 2nd ch from the hook and working back toward the stem: sc, hdc, dc in each of the next 3 ch, hdc, sc, sl st in the last ch (8 sts). The skipped chain at the far end is the leaf tip.
Special stitch – Leaf Pair: Work 1 Leaf, then a second Leaf from the same stem chain, so the two leaves point to opposite sides.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge: 20 dc and 10 rows = 4 in (10.2 cm). One dc row is 0.4 in (1.0 cm), and one sc row is about 0.2 in (0.5 cm).
Chain gauge (for the stem): 5 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm), measured after the stem has been reinforced with slip stitches.
Make one ladder strip and one vine with its bells before you start production. Check these sizes:
- Ladder, first 16 rows: 6.2 in (15.7 cm) long and 1.4 in (3.6 cm) wide.
- One bell: 3.2 in (8.1 cm) wide when flattened and 2.7 in (6.9 cm) tall.
- Vine, first 30 chains after reinforcing: 6 in (15.2 cm).
- Full ladder: 78.4 in (199.1 cm).
- Full vine: 78 in (198.1 cm).
If your pieces are too big, go down a hook size. If they are too small, go up a hook size. The stem chain is the most common problem: if it measures more than 6 in (15.2 cm) per 30 ch, make only the chains with the 3.25 mm hook.
Ladder Strip (make 6 per panel)
Foundation: Ch 8.
Row 1 (bottom bar): Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across, turn. (7 sc)
Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as dc throughout), ch 2, skip 2 sc, dc in next sc, ch 2, skip 2 sc, dc in last sc, turn. (3 dc, 2 ch-2 sps = 7 sts)
Rows 3–196: Ch 3, ch 2, skip ch-2 sp, dc in the center dc, ch 2, skip ch-2 sp, dc in the 3rd ch of the turning ch, turn. (7 sts)
Row 197 (top bar): Ch 1, sc in the first dc, 2 sc in the ch-2 sp, sc in the center dc, 2 sc in the ch-2 sp, sc in the top of the turning ch. (7 sc) Fasten off.
You now have 195 ladder rows (Rows 2–196) at 0.4 in each, which is 78 in (198.1 cm). The 2 sc bars add 0.2 in each, so the strip is 78.4 in (199.1 cm) long.
Bellflower Bell (make 13 per vine, 65 per panel)
Work in joined rounds without turning. Do not turn: always working from the right side is what gives the bell its vertical dc ribs.
Rnd 1: Magic ring, 6 sc in ring, sl st to the first sc. (6)
Rnd 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in each st, sl st to the first sc. (12)
Rnd 3: Ch 3, dc in each st around, sl st to the top of ch-3. (12)
Rnd 4: Ch 3, dc in the same st, dc in next, [2 dc in next, dc in next] 5 times, join. (18)
Rnd 5: Ch 3, dc in next, 2 dc in next, [dc in next 2, 2 dc in next] 5 times, join. (24)
Rnd 6: Ch 3, dc in each st around, join. (24) This straight round makes the bell’s waist.
Rnd 7: Ch 3, dc in next, 2 dc in next, [dc in next 2, 2 dc in next] 7 times, join. (32) This is the flare.
Rnd 8 (scalloped rim): [Sc in next, skip 1, 5 dc in next, skip 1] 8 times, sl st to the first sc. (8 scallops: 8 sc + 40 dc)
Fasten off and leave a 10 in (25.4 cm) tail for sewing. Weave in the ring tail. Rnds 1–2 make the rounded cap, and Rnds 3–7 make the ribbed body.
Vine (make 5 per panel)
Foundation: Ch 15. Put a marker in the 15th ch: this is Bell Point 1.
Repeat 12 times: Ch 6, Leaf Pair, ch 24. Put a marker in the last ch: this is the next Bell Point.
Finish: Ch 6, Leaf Pair, ch 9.
Stem count check: 15 + (12 x 30) + 15 = 390 stem ch. At 5 ch per inch, that is 78 in (198.1 cm). You should have 13 Leaf Pairs (26 leaves) and 13 Bell Points.
Reinforce: Turn and sl st into the BB of each stem ch all the way down to the bottom, sliding past the base of each leaf. (390 sl st) Fasten off. This stops the stem from stretching while the curtain hangs.
Attach bells: Sew the center of each bell’s Rnd 1 to a Bell Point so the bell hangs down over the stem, with its rim pointing toward the floor. Add 2 small tacks at the back of Rnd 3 to keep the bell centered. Each leaf pair now sits 1.2 in (3.0 cm) above the top of its bell, and the bells repeat every 6 in (15.2 cm).
Make All Pieces
Per panel:
– 6 ladder strips
– 5 vines (130 Leaves in total, worked into the stems)
– 65 bells
For both panels: 12 ladder strips, 10 vines, 130 bells.
Layout per panel (L = ladder, V = vine), viewed from the right side:
| L | V | L | V | L | V | L | V | L | V | L |
1.4 3.4 1.4 3.4 1.4 3.4 1.4 3.4 1.4 3.4 1.4 (in)
Lay all the ladders out flat with Row 1 at the bottom, leaving a 3.4 in (8.6 cm) gap between neighboring ladders. Place one vine down the center of each gap.
Joining
The panel is held together only by the vine’s contact points, which keeps it open and lacy. Number the bells 1 to 13 from the bottom (k = 1 to 13). For bell k:
- Bell rim: Using the bell’s sewing tail or a new strand, sl st the outermost dc of the scallop on each side to the post of the outer dc on the neighboring ladder at Row 3 + 15(k − 1).
- Leaf tips: Sl st each leaf tip of the pair above bell k to the neighboring ladder’s outer dc post at Row 14 + 15(k − 1).
That gives joins at Rows 3, 14, 18, 29, 33, 44, and so on up to Rows 183 and 194. Each vine has 52 contact points (13 x 4).
Tension: Keep each join snug but flat. The leaf should reach the ladder with only slight stretch, and the gap should stay 3.4 in (8.6 cm). If the ladders start to pull inward, the leaf tips are being drawn too tight.
Stem ends: Leave the bottom and top of each stem loose for now. Border Rnd 1 catches them.
Checkpoint: The joined body measures 25.4 in x 78.4 in (64.5 cm x 199.1 cm). That is 127 sts across (6 x 7 + 5 x 17) at 5 sts per inch.
Border
Border gauge: Same as the main gauge, 5 sts per inch (2.5 cm).
Rnd 1: With the right side facing, join at the top right corner. Work around the panel as follows:
- Top edge: For each ladder, 7 sc across its top bar. For each vine gap, ch 8, sc in the top of the stem, ch 8. That is 17 sts per gap. Top total = 6 x 7 + 5 x 17 = 127 sts.
- Corners: Ch 2 at each corner. The ch-2 corners are not counted in the side totals.
- Sides: 2 sc around each dc row end (195 x 2 = 390) and 1 sc in each sc-bar row end (2), for 392 sc.
- Bottom edge: Work into the free loops of each ladder’s foundation chain (7 sc per ladder). Across each vine gap, ch 8, sc in the bottom of the stem, ch 8 (17 sts). Bottom total = 127 sts.
Join. Rnd 1 total: 127 + 392 + 127 + 392 = 1,038 sts plus 4 ch-2 corners.
Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in each st (working into the chains of the vine-gap bridges), and work (sc, ch 2, sc) in each corner sp. Join. Count: top 129, sides 394 each, bottom 129, total 1,046. Fasten off.
Header: Work in rows across the top 129 sts only.
- Row 1: Join in the first sc of the top. Ch 4 (counts as dc + ch 1), skip 1, [dc in next, ch 1, skip 1] 63 times, dc in last sc, turn. (65 dc, 64 ch-1 sps = 129 sts)
- Rows 2–7: Ch 4, [dc in next dc, ch 1] 63 times, dc in the 3rd ch of the turning ch, turn. (129 sts)
- Row 8: Ch 1, sc in each dc and each ch-1 sp across. (129 sc) Do not fasten off.
The header is 7 dc rows at 0.4 in plus 1 sc row at 0.2 in, which is 3.0 in (7.6 cm).
Rnd 3 (rev sc): Work rev sc around the whole panel:
- Top: 1 rev sc in each of the 129 header sts, plus 1 extra rev sc in each top corner st. (131)
- Each side: 15 rev sc along the header row ends (2 per dc row, 1 per sc row), 2 in the old corner ch-2 sp, and 1 in each of the 394 Rnd 2 sts. (411)
- Bottom: 2 rev sc in each bottom corner sp (4) and 1 in each of the 129 sts.
Rnd 3 total: 131 + 411 + 411 + 129 + 4 = 1,086 sts. Join and fasten off.
Why the math works: The top and bottom of Rnd 1 are exactly the sum of each piece’s own width (7 per ladder, 17 per vine gap), so the edge neither ruffles nor pulls in. The side count of 392 equals the ladder’s height in stitches (78.4 in x 5). Rnd 2 adds just 2 sts per side, for the corner turns. The header uses 129 sts, an odd number, so the 1-dc, ch-1 mesh starts and ends on a dc.
Final dimensions: Width is 25.4 + 0.4 + 0.4 + 0.2 + 0.2 = 26.6 in (67.6 cm). Height is 78.4 + 0.6 at the bottom + 3.6 at the top = 82.6 in (209.8 cm).
Final Blocking
- Weave in all ends along the stems or ladder posts.
- Soak the panel in cool water for 15 minutes, then press the water out gently. Do not wring.
- Roll the panel in towels to remove excess moisture.
- Lay it flat and pin it to 26.6 in x 82.6 in (67.6 cm x 209.8 cm).
- Pin the ladders straight and the vine gaps at 3.4 in (8.6 cm).
- Shape each bell: puff out the cap, center it over the stem and spread the 8 scallops evenly.
- Open each leaf to a point and pin the header mesh square.
- Let it dry fully, which takes 24–48 hours. Then repeat for the second panel.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- Each panel measures 26.6 in x 82.6 in (67.6 cm x 209.8 cm).
- Every ladder has 195 dc rows and both sc bars.
- Every vine has 13 bells and 13 Leaf Pairs, spaced 6 in (15.2 cm) apart.
- All 52 contact points per vine are joined at the correct rows.
- The border counts are 1,038, then 1,046, then 1,086.
- The header has 65 dc per row.
- Both panels line up when hung side by side.
Troubleshooting
- Vine too long: The stem chain is loose. Remake it with the 3.25 mm hook, or tighten the reinforcing sl sts.
- Bells cup inward: Rnd 7 is too tight. Go up a hook size for Rnds 7–8.
- Bell rim ruffles: Use 4 dc per scallop in place of 5.
- Ladders bow: The joins are too tight. Redo them with a looser sl st.
- Header flares: Use a smaller hook for the header only.
Care
Hand wash cool and dry flat, reshaping the bells while damp. Never hang the panels wet, because the weight will stretch them.
Final Notes
The measurement chain runs like this:
- Gauge: 5 sts and 2.5 dc rows per inch.
- Ladder: 1.4 in x 78.4 in.
- Vine: 6 in repeats, 78 in long.
- Joined body: 25.4 in x 78.4 in.
- Border: 127 and 392 sts on Rnd 1.
- Header: 3.0 in (7.6 cm).
- Finished panel: 26.6 in x 82.6 in (67.6 cm x 209.8 cm).
Check each link in that chain and the two panels will match. Clip 11 rings about 2.6 in (6.6 cm) apart along each header, then hang your bluebells in the light. Happy crocheting!