This curtain brings a summer garden into your window. A lacy valance in soft lavender and chocolate brown runs across the top. Twelve slim brown chain strands hang below it, dotted with little five-petal flowers, and six openwork dragonflies sit at different heights between them.
The palette is just two colors. Lavender carries the airy parts: the valance lace, the wings and half the flowers. Brown provides the structure: the motif centers, seams, scallops, chains, bodies and the other flowers. When light comes through, the open wings glow.
The pattern uses US crochet terms. The finished curtain is 36.5 in (92.7 cm) wide. The valance is 4.5 in (11.4 cm) deep, and the strands hang 37 in (94.0 cm) below it, so the total drop is 41.5 in (105.4 cm).
Construction is modular. You make 12 square motifs and join them in one row. Then you add a border with a scalloped bottom edge and a picot at the center of each scallop. A chain strand hangs from each picot, and the flowers and dragonflies are made separately and sewn onto the strands.
Finished Size and Construction
- Finished size: 36.5 in (92.7 cm) wide x 41.5 in (105.4 cm) long
- Skill level: Intermediate
- Terminology: US
- Yarn weight: DK (#3) cotton
- Hook: 3.5 mm (E-4)
- Number of pieces: 12 valance motifs, 12 strands, 96 flowers, 6 dragonflies (each = 1 body, 2 eyes, 4 wings)
- Layout: motifs in 1 row of 12, with one strand under each motif
- Motif size: 3 in (7.6 cm) square
- Valance size before border: 36 in x 3 in (91.4 cm x 7.6 cm)
- Border depth: 0.5 in (1.3 cm) at the top, 1 in (2.5 cm) at the scalloped bottom, 0.25 in (0.6 cm) at each side
Materials
Use a smooth DK cotton with about 120 m per 50 g (2.4 m per gram). Cotton holds the lace shape, stretches little when hanging and shows the openwork clearly.
- Brown: 100 g (240 m)
- Lavender: 140 g (336 m)
These quantities include a margin of about 30% for swatching, sewing tails and differences in tension.
Tools: 3.5 mm (E-4) hook, tapestry needle, 12+ stitch markers, rust-proof pins, blocking board, measuring tape, 13 curtain clip rings, curtain rod, optional spray starch.
Abbreviations (US Terms)
- ch: chain
- sl st: slip stitch
- sc: single crochet
- hdc: half double crochet
- dc: double crochet
- tr: treble crochet
- st(s): stitch(es)
- sp: space
- MR: magic ring
- BLO: back loop only
- RS: right side
Special stitches:
- Shell: 13 dc in the same st.
- Picot: (sc, ch 3, sc) in the same st.
- Petal: (hdc, dc, hdc) in the same st.
Gauge and Checkpoints
Make and measure one valance motif before you start the rest.
- Motif: 3 in (7.6 cm) square after Round 4.
- Edge gauge: 14 sc along one motif side = 3 in (7.6 cm).
- Chain gauge: 5 ch = 1 in (2.5 cm).
Checkpoints:
- Round 1: 1 in (2.5 cm) across
- Round 2: 1.75 in (4.4 cm) across
- Round 3: 2.75 in (7.0 cm) square
- Round 4: 3 in (7.6 cm) square
If your motif is too big, switch to a 3.25 mm hook. If it is too small, switch to a 3.75 mm hook. Check your chain gauge as well, because the strand lengths depend on it.
Valance Motif (make 12)
Round 1 (brown): MR, ch 3 (counts as dc), 11 dc in ring, sl st to top of ch-3. (12 dc) Fasten off.
Round 2 (lavender): Join in any dc. Ch 5 (counts as dc + ch 2), [dc in next dc, ch 2] 11 times, sl st to 3rd ch of ch-5. (12 dc, 12 ch-2 sps)
Round 3 (lavender): Sl st into next ch-2 sp. Ch 4 (counts as tr), (tr, ch 2, 2 tr) in same sp. 3 dc in each of next 2 ch-2 sps, (2 tr, ch 2, 2 tr) in next ch-2 sp; repeat from * 2 more times, 3 dc in each of next 2 ch-2 sps, sl st to top of ch-4. (40 sts, 10 per side, plus 4 corner ch-2 sps)* Fasten off.
Each side reads: 2 tr, 3 dc, 3 dc, 2 tr. The taller tr corners turn the circle into a square.
Round 4 (brown): Join in any corner ch-2 sp. Ch 1, 3 sc in same sp, sc in next 10 sts, 3 sc in next corner sp; repeat from * 2 more times, sc in next 10 sts, sl st to first sc. (52 sc)* Fasten off.
Stitches per side: 14, including both corner sts (the middle sc of each corner group). Each side runs: corner sc, 1 sc, 10 sc, 1 sc, corner sc. Check: 4 x 14 = 56, minus 4 shared corners = 52.
Dragonfly (make 6)
Body (brown, make 6)
Ch 22.
Round 1:
- Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in next 11 ch.
- Hdc in next 8 ch.
- Work 5 hdc in last ch (head end).
- Working along the opposite side of the chain: hdc in next 8 ch, sc in next 11 ch, then 2 sc in the last ch (the one already holding the first sc).
- Sl st to first sc. (12 + 8 + 5 + 8 + 11 + 2 = 46 sts)
The sc section makes the slim tail and the hdc section makes the thicker thorax. Fasten off, leaving a 12 in (30.5 cm) tail. The body is 4.25 in (10.8 cm) long.
Eyes (brown, make 12)
MR, ch 1, 6 sc in ring, pull the ring tight, sl st to first sc. (6 sc) Each eye is 0.4 in (1.0 cm) across. Sew 2 eyes side by side at the head end. With the eyes, the dragonfly measures 4.75 in (12.1 cm) long.
Upper Wing (lavender, make 12)
Ch 17.
Round 1:
- Sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in next ch, dc in next ch.
- [Ch 1, skip 1 ch, dc in next ch] 5 times.
- Hdc in next ch, sc in next ch, 5 sc in last ch (tip).
- Working along the opposite side: sc in next ch, hdc in next ch, dc in next ch, [ch 1, skip 1 ch, dc in next ch] 5 times, hdc in next ch, 2 sc in last ch.
- Sl st to first sc. (26 sts, 10 ch-1 sps)
The foundation chain forms the center vein, with 5 rectangular windows on each side.
Round 2: Ch 1, sc in each st and in each ch-1 sp. Work 2 sc in each of the 5 tip sts and in each of the 3 base sts (the first sc plus the final 2 sc). Sl st to first sc. (26 + 10 + 5 + 3 = 44 sc)
Round 3: Sl st in each sc around to form the firm rim. (44 sl sts) Fasten off.
The upper wing is 3.5 in (8.9 cm) long x 1.25 in (3.2 cm) wide.
Lower Wing (lavender, make 12)
Ch 15. Work as the Upper Wing, but repeat the bracketed section 4 times on each side instead of 5.
- Round 1: (24 sts, 8 ch-1 sps)
- Round 2: (24 + 8 + 5 + 3 = 40 sc)
- Round 3: (40 sl sts)
The lower wing is 3.25 in (8.3 cm) long x 1.25 in (3.2 cm) wide.
Assembly
Sew the upper wings to the sides of the thorax just below the eyes, angled slightly forward. Sew the lower wings directly beneath them, angled slightly back. The wingspan is 7.5 in (19.1 cm).
Flowers (make 96)
Flower A (make 54): With lavender, MR, ch 1, 10 sc in ring, sl st to first sc. (10 sc) Fasten off. Join brown in any sc. [Petal in next sc, sl st in next sc] 5 times. (5 petals) Fasten off.
Flower B (make 42): Work as Flower A, but use lavender for both rounds.
Each flower is 1 in (2.5 cm) across. Leave a 6 in (15.2 cm) tail for sewing.
Make All Pieces
| Piece | Qty | Color |
|---|---|---|
| Valance motif | 12 | Rounds 1 and 4 brown, Rounds 2–3 lavender |
| Flower A | 54 | Lavender center, brown petals |
| Flower B | 42 | All lavender |
| Body | 6 | Brown |
| Eyes | 12 | Brown |
| Upper wings | 12 | Lavender |
| Lower wings | 12 | Lavender |
Valance layout (1 row x 12; S = strand below):
[M1][M2][M3][M4][M5][M6][M7][M8][M9][M10][M11][M12]
S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11 S12
Strand plan (A/B = flower, D = dragonfly center; inches from top):
Odd strands 1,3,5,7,9,11: A4 B8 A12 B16 A20 B24 A28 B32 A36
High strands 2,6,10: A4 B8 D14 A20 B24 A28 B32 A36
Low strands 4,8,12: A4 B8 A12 B16 A20 D26 B32 A36
In cm: 4 in = 10.2, 8 in = 20.3, 12 in = 30.5, 14 in = 35.6, 16 in = 40.6, 20 in = 50.8, 24 in = 61.0, 26 in = 66.0, 28 in = 71.1, 32 in = 81.3, 36 in = 91.4.
Totals:
- Flower A: 6 strands x 5 + 6 strands x 4 = 54
- Flower B: 6 strands x 4 + 6 strands x 3 = 42
Joining
Block all motifs to 3 in (7.6 cm) square first.
Hold two motifs RS together. With brown, sl st through the BLO of both layers, matching one stitch to one stitch from corner sc to corner sc: 14 sl sts per seam. Join M1 to M2, then M2 to M3, and continue for 11 seams in total. The seams go into existing stitches, so they add no stitches to the edge.
Keep the sl sts as loose as the sc underneath. Tight seams pucker the band and shorten it, so go up a hook size for joining if you need to.
Checkpoint: The joined strip measures 36 in x 3 in (91.4 cm x 7.6 cm).
Border
Border gauge: 14 sc = 3 in (7.6 cm), the same as the motif edge.
Starting counts:
- Each long side: 12 motifs x 14 sts = 168 sts
- Each short side: 14 sts
- The seam corners are already counted in the 168, so nothing is added at the seams.
Round 1 (lavender): Join in any st. Ch 1, sc in each st around, working 3 sc in each of the 4 outer corner sts. Sl st to first sc. Fasten off.
- Long sides: 168 worked one per st + 2 extra = 170 sts each (including corners)
- Short sides: 14 + 2 extra = 16 sts each (including corners)
- Total: 170 + 170 + 16 + 16 − 4 shared corners = 368 sc
Top Row (brown, RS facing): Join in the top-right corner st. Ch 1, sc in each of the 170 sts across. (170 sc) Fasten off.
Scallop Row 1 (brown, RS facing): Join in the bottom-right corner st. Ch 1, sc in same st, *skip 6 sts, Shell in next st, skip 6 sts, sc in next st; repeat from * 11 more times, sc in last st. Fasten off.
Count: 14 sc + (12 shells x 13 dc) = 14 + 156 = 170 sts. Each shell sits over a motif center, and the sc between shells land on the seams.
Scallop Row 2 (lavender, RS facing): Join in the first sc. Ch 1, sc in each st across, working a Picot in the 7th (center) dc of each shell. Fasten off.
Count: 170 worked one per st + 12 extra sc = 182 sc, plus 12 ch-3 picots.
Why the math works: The 168 edge sts plus 2 corner increases make 170. That equals 1 + (12 x 14) + 1, so exactly 12 shells fit, with one picot under each motif.
Strands (brown, make 12): Sl st into a picot, ch 185 and fasten off. Each strand is 185 ÷ 5 = 37 in (94.0 cm). Place a marker every 20 ch, which is every 4 in (10.2 cm).
Attaching the flowers: Following the strand plan, sew each flower to the chain at its top petal and at the gap opposite it, so the chain runs behind the center.
Attaching the dragonflies: Sew each body along the chain. Center it at ch 70, which is 14 in (35.6 cm), on high strands, or at ch 130, which is 26 in (66.0 cm), on low strands.
Final Blocking
- Soak the valance and the wings in cool water, then press out the water without wringing.
- Pin the valance to 36.5 in x 4.5 in (92.7 cm x 11.4 cm), keeping the top edge straight.
- Pin each shell into a smooth half-circle and each picot to a point.
- Pin the wings into pointed ovals, opening every window. Starch them lightly if you like.
- Let everything dry completely.
- Hang the curtain for a day so the chains settle, then steam any kinks from a distance.
Final Quality-Control Checklist
- [ ] 12 motifs at 3 in (7.6 cm), each with 52 sc in Round 4
- [ ] 11 flat seams of 14 sl sts each
- [ ] Border Round 1 has 368 sc and the Top Row has 170 sc
- [ ] 12 shells and 12 picots, each centered under a motif
- [ ] 12 strands at 37 in (94.0 cm)
- [ ] 54 Flower A and 42 Flower B, placed according to the plan
- [ ] 6 dragonflies, alternating between high and low strands
- [ ] All tails woven in securely
Troubleshooting
- Motif cups: Round 3 is too tight. Loosen the tr corners or use a larger hook.
- Motif ruffles: Your stitches are too tall. Use a smaller hook.
- Valance wider than 36.5 in (92.7 cm): The seams are too loose. Rejoin them with a smaller hook.
- Shells curl: Work the dc more evenly and pin the shells firmly when blocking.
- Wings curl: The Round 3 sl sts are too tight. Rework them more loosely, then starch.
- Strands twist: Hang them with a light weight overnight, or steam them.
Care
Hand wash in cool water with mild detergent. Dry flat, pinning the valance and wings back into shape and laying the strands straight.
Final Notes
The measurement chain:
- One motif is 3 in (7.6 cm) with 14 sts per side.
- Twelve motifs make a strip 36 in (91.4 cm) wide, with 168 sts per long side.
- Two corner increases bring each long side to 170 sts, enough for exactly 12 shells. The finished valance is 36.5 in x 4.5 in (92.7 cm x 11.4 cm).
- Strands of 185 ch hang 37 in (94.0 cm), for a total drop of 41.5 in (105.4 cm).
If you check each stage against these numbers, every flower and dragonfly will land in its planned spot.
Happy crocheting!