This Bluebell Meadow flower is a bold six-petal motif. It has a cream center, deep royal blue petals, and a raised light blue edge that looks like twisted cord. Two sage green leaves sit behind the flower, one pointing up and one pointing down to the left. The result is a fresh, cottage-style appliqué that looks good on its own or stitched onto a bag, basket, or cushion.
The color scheme is simple: cream, royal blue, light blue, and sage green. The darker petals make the pale center and edging stand out, so the flower reads clearly even from a distance.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished flower measures about 5.75 in (14.6 cm) from tip to tip. With leaves, it is about 7.5 in (19.1 cm) tall.
You work the flower in the round in one piece. First comes the cream center, then a round of chain loops, then two petal rounds in royal blue, and finally a two-round light blue edging. The leaves are worked separately around a foundation chain and sewn on the back.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished flower size: 5.75 in (14.6 cm) tip to tip
- Overall size with leaves: about 7.5 in (19.1 cm) tall
- Skill level: Easy-Intermediate
- Terminology: US crochet terms
- Yarn weight: Worsted (#4), cotton or cotton blend
- Hook: 4.0 mm (US G-6)
- Number of pieces: 1 flower motif + 2 leaves sewn behind it (one finished motif)
- Layout: Single motif; no joining
- Piece size before border: 5 in (12.7 cm) tip to tip after Round 5
- Border depth: about 0.375 in (1.0 cm), made of 2 light blue rounds
- Leaf size: about 2.25 in (5.7 cm) long and 1.25 in (3.2 cm) wide
Materials
Use a smooth worsted-weight cotton for clear stitches and a crisp edge. Cotton also blocks flat and holds the petal points well. Acrylic will work, but the petals may curl a little more. Choose a royal blue that is clearly darker than your light blue so the corded edge stands out.
- Cream (center): 5 g / 9 m
- Royal blue (petals): 15 g / 27 m
- Light blue (edging): 8 g / 14 m
- Sage green (leaves): 6 g / 11 m
These quantities include a small margin for your gauge swatch and tails.
Tools:
– 4.0 mm (US G-6) crochet hook
– Tapestry needle
– Scissors
– Stitch marker
– Rust-proof pins and a blocking mat or folded towel
– Spray bottle
– Ruler or tape measure
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch – chain
- sl st – slip stitch
- sc – single crochet
- hdc – half double crochet
- dc – double crochet
- sc2tog – single crochet 2 together
- rev sc – reverse single crochet (crab stitch)
- sp – space
- st(s) – stitch(es)
- rep – repeat
Special stitch – reverse single crochet (rev sc): Work from left to right (right to left if you are left-handed). Insert your hook into the next stitch to the right, yarn over, and pull up a loop. Yarn over again and pull through both loops on the hook. This makes the corded, rope-like edge.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Gauge matters because the petal shaping and edging use exact stitch counts. Before you make the full flower, work Rounds 1–2 of the center as a test.
- Center gauge: Rounds 1–2 = 1.5 in (3.8 cm) across.
Checkpoints:
– After Round 2 (center): 1.5 in (3.8 cm)
– After Round 3 (chain loops): 2.25 in (5.7 cm)
– After Round 4 (first petal round): 3.75 in (9.5 cm) tip to tip
– After Round 5 (full petals): 5 in (12.7 cm) tip to tip
– After Round 7 (edging): 5.75 in (14.6 cm) tip to tip
If your center is larger than 1.5 in (3.8 cm), go down one hook size to 3.75 mm. If it is smaller, go up to 4.5 mm. A difference of just 0.125 in (0.3 cm) at the center grows to about 0.5 in (1.3 cm) at the petal tips, so adjust before you continue.
Flower Center (Cream)
Round 1: Make a magic ring. Ch 3 (counts as dc), work 11 dc into the ring. Pull the ring partly closed, leaving a small hole about 0.25 in (0.6 cm) wide. Sl st to the top of beginning ch-3. (12 dc)
Round 2: Ch 1, 2 sc in the same st and in each st around. Sl st to the first sc. (24 sc)
Fasten off cream and weave in the tail on the back. The center should lie flat and measure 1.5 in (3.8 cm).
Color-change tip: Fasten off each color fully instead of carrying it. Weave cream tails only through cream stitches and blue tails only through blue stitches so nothing shows through on the front.
Petal Base (Royal Blue)
Round 3: Join royal blue with a sl st in any sc. Ch 1, sc in the same st, ch 5, skip next 3 sts, sc in next st, ch 5, skip next 3 sts; rep from * 4 more times. Sl st to the first sc. (6 sc, 6 ch-5 loops)
Check: 6 repeats × (1 sc + 3 skipped sts) = 24 sts, so every stitch of Round 2 is used.
Each ch-5 loop arches over the 3 skipped cream stitches. Later, this arch leaves the small open slit you see at the base of each petal.
Petals (Royal Blue)
Round 4 (first petal round): Sl st into the first ch-5 loop. In the same loop work (sc, hdc, 3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc, hdc, sc). In next ch-5 loop work (sc, hdc, 3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc, hdc, sc); rep from * 4 more times. Sl st to the first sc. (6 petals; 10 sts + 1 ch-2 sp per petal; 60 sts + 6 ch-2 sps total)
The ch-2 space marks each petal tip. Measure: 3.75 in (9.5 cm) tip to tip.
Round 5 (full petals): Ch 1. For each petal, work: sc in the sc, hdc in the hdc, 2 dc in next dc, dc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in the ch-2 sp, 2 dc in next dc, dc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc, hdc in the hdc, sc in the sc. Rep for all 6 petals. Sl st to the first sc. (18 sts + 1 ch-2 sp per petal; 108 sts + 6 ch-2 sps total)
Per-petal check: 1 sc + 1 hdc + 5 dc + 2 dc + 2 dc + 5 dc + 1 hdc + 1 sc = 18 sts.
The increases in Round 5 make the petals wider and rounder, and the (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) at each tip creates a soft point. Neighboring petals touch at their sc stitches without overlapping.
Fasten off royal blue. Measure: 5 in (12.7 cm) tip to tip. If the petals ripple, pin them flat gently now. This makes the edging easier to work.
Border: Light Blue Corded Edging
Border gauge: 2 rounds = about 0.375 in (1.0 cm) deep. Each petal edge has 18 sc across it before the corded round.
Round 6: Join light blue with a sl st in the last sc of any petal. Ch 1. Sc2tog over the same sc and the first sc of the next petal. This forms the dip between petals. Sc in each of next 8 sts, (sc, ch 2, sc) in the ch-2 tip sp, sc in each of next 8 sts, sc2tog over the last sc of this petal and the first sc of the next petal; rep from * around, ending with the 8th sc after the last tip. Do not work a final sc2tog. Instead, sl st to the top of the first sc2tog. (Per petal: 18 sc + 1 sc2tog = 19 sts + 1 ch-2 sp; total 114 sts + 6 ch-2 sps)
Round 7: Ch 1. Working left to right, rev sc in each st around, and work (rev sc, ch 1, rev sc) in each ch-2 tip sp. Sl st to the first rev sc. (Per petal: 19 + 2 = 21 rev sc + 1 ch-1 sp; total 126 rev sc + 6 ch-1 sps)
Fasten off and weave in the tails.
Why the math works: Round 5 has 18 sts per petal. Round 6 works the 16 inner stitches one-for-one (8 on each side of the tip), adds 2 sc at the tip, and turns each pair of touching end sc stitches into one sc2tog. That gives 6 × 16 = 96 sc + 6 × 2 tip sc = 108 sc, plus 6 sc2tog, for 114 sts. Round 7 works 1 rev sc into each of those 114 sts and adds 2 rev sc per tip: 114 + 12 = 126 rev sc. The sc2tog keeps the dips tight, and the extra stitches at the tips let the edging curve around the points without cupping. Finished size: 5.75 in (14.6 cm) tip to tip.
Leaves (Sage Green, Make 2)
Foundation: Ch 9.
Round 1: Sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, dc in each of next 3 ch, hdc in next ch, sc in next ch, (sc, ch 2, sc) in last ch. Rotate and work along the opposite side of the foundation: sc in next ch, hdc in next ch, dc in each of next 3 ch, hdc in next ch, sc in last ch. Sl st to the first sc. (16 sts + 1 ch-2 tip sp)
Check: 7 sts + 2 tip sc + 7 sts = 16 sts.
Round 2: Ch 1, sc in each of next 8 sts, (sc, ch 2, sc) in the ch-2 sp, sc in each of next 8 sts. Sl st to the first sc. (18 sc + 1 ch-2 sp)
The foundation chain makes a center vein line down the leaf. Each leaf measures about 2.25 in (5.7 cm) long and 1.25 in (3.2 cm) wide. Leave a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail for sewing.
Attaching the leaves: Turn the flower face down. Place the first leaf behind the top petal so it points straight up, with about 1 in (2.5 cm) of the leaf showing beyond the edging. Place the second leaf behind the lower-left petal, pointing down and outward, also with about 1 in (2.5 cm) showing. Use the tails to whipstitch the base of each leaf to the back of Round 5 only, so no green shows on the front. The overall height should now be about 7.5 in (19.1 cm).
Final Blocking
- Weave in all remaining tails through matching colors on the back.
- Lay the motif face up on a blocking mat or folded towel.
- Spray it lightly with water until damp, not soaked.
- Pin the center first. Make sure it is flat and 1.5 in (3.8 cm) across.
- Pin each petal tip so opposite tips are 5.75 in (14.6 cm) apart. Space all six tips evenly.
- Pin each dip between petals so the edging forms a smooth curve.
- Pin the leaf tips, smoothing each leaf along its center vein.
- Let it dry completely, for at least 6 hours, before you remove the pins.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- The center measures 1.5 in (3.8 cm) and the hole is small and tidy.
- Each petal has a small open slit at its base.
- All 6 petals are the same size, with 18 sts each in Round 5.
- The light blue edging has 126 rev sc and forms a clear cord.
- The dips between petals are tight, and the tips have soft points.
- The flower measures 5.75 in (14.6 cm) tip to tip.
- The leaves are secure, each shows about 1 in (2.5 cm), and no green stitches show on the front.
- The overall height is about 7.5 in (19.1 cm).
- All tails are woven in invisibly.
Troubleshooting
The center cups or bowls. Your Round 1 dc may be too tight. Use a hook 0.5 mm larger for the center only, or pull the magic ring less tightly.
The petals ruffle. Your Round 5 is too loose. Go down one hook size for Round 5, or block firmly while damp.
The petals curl forward. This is common with acrylic. Block with light steam, holding the iron above the piece without touching it.
The edging looks wavy. Check your Round 6 count: 19 sts per petal. Extra stitches cause waves, and missing stitches cause pulling.
The rev sc looks twisted or uneven. Keep each loop loose and pull it up to the same height before you finish the stitch.
The slits at the petal bases closed up. Make sure you skipped exactly 3 sts in Round 3 and worked the petal stitches into the ch-5 loops, not into the skipped stitches.
The leaves peek out in the wrong places. Before sewing, pin both leaves in place and check the front. Move them until only about 1 in (2.5 cm) of each shows.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild soap, press out the water in a towel, and dry flat. Reshape the petal tips while damp.
Final Notes
The measurement chain is simple. The center is 1.5 in (3.8 cm), the chain loops are 2.25 in (5.7 cm), the first petal round is 3.75 in (9.5 cm), and the full petals are 5 in (12.7 cm). The light blue edging brings the flower to 5.75 in (14.6 cm), and the leaves bring it to about 7.5 in (19.1 cm) tall. If you check your size at each step, your Bluebell Meadow flower will come out just like the one shown.
Happy crocheting!