'Make your Own' Crochet Trim ~ oh-so-easy

I like to crochet and I like to sew, but somehow it never occurred to me to combine the two until I recently made a simple apron and wanted to add a feminine touch with a lacy trim.  Not finding anything suitable in my stash, it (finally!) entered my mind that I had all the tools on hand to crochet a simple little trim and could not believe how so very easy this project was.  Within a few minutes of 'playing' with hook and thread, using a couple of simple crochet stitches, a pretty crochet trim with an almost-picot effect was made.  From start to finish this project should take less than 1 hour and would be suitable for a beginner crocheter.

Supplies:

Size 10 crochet thread

Size 9/1.4 mm hook

Stitches:

Chain (ch)

Double crochet  (dc)

Slipstitch (sl st) 

Directions:

Loosely chain (ch) 70.    This is what my apron needed and worked up to @11 1/2" long, but chain to 'size' for your project.

Beginning in 2nd ch stitch from hook, double crochet (dc) in back loop of each ch to end.  

Turn.

*Ch 4, sl st INTO (see below) the next chain* repeat to end.   

That's it!  You're almost done now.

 

Finish off to prevent it unravelling.

The completed apron: 

While making a second trim for another apron I tweaked the pattern and I think I like this a little better.  Not much difference though, as you can see below:

At this point I've chained 70, completed all my dcs (double crochets) and am adding the 'picot-like' stitches by ch4, sl st.....

UNDER each dc.  You can see better in the photo below, the sl st is made putting your crochet hook through each open space the dc made.  Much easier and faster and this stitch 'slides' a little when complete and gives the piece a more 'lacy' look.   Finish off the same.

This is ready to be attached to my project piece.

To attach it to your project piece it could be hand stitched or using your sewing machine with matching colored thread, straight stitch through the ch stitch, then another straight stitch through the dc ch stitch.  The machine stitching literally disappears leaving the filigree openings and picot-like edges free to give it a little lacy look.

It was a 'lightbulb' moment to me to combine crochet and sewing into one project and want to encourage others to 'think-outside-the-box' in ways to customize and personalize your projects.  It did not add much time to make this little trim and it's a one-of-a-kind apron now!
~Lisa