Shaping Crochet Ruffles on a Doll Dress?

Hi Mary, Please read all of this first. I didn't really put it in order, as in step 1, 2, 3. I hope you can understand what I'm trying to say. Good Luck.

Try this. Get a piece of styrofoam (I hate the stuff, but it works), or cork board. Spread the dress out so you have a big circle, like a doily with the "body" part of the dress bunched in the center. You will need a spray bottle of starch, a spray bottle of water, straight pins and some ping-pong balls, or golf balls.

After spraying the dress with water till just a little damp, use the straight pins to pull the circles out nice and round. Not too tight, just so the crochet stitches are open and where they belong. Use lots and lots of pins. Place a ball under each ruffle and pin the ruffles over them.

Space them evenly around. Start with the smaller, inner circle of ruffles first. On the next layer of skirt ruffles, try to alternate the up and down wave of the ruffles when compared to the first circle of ruffles. Do this again with the third layer.

Now spray only the skirt ruffles (not the dress in the center) with starch. You can make this easier by placing a small plastic bag over the body part of the dress like a tent. Use plenty of starch but not so much that it's dripping. Just nicely damp. Now let it all dry. Keep the kids and cats away. He! He!. Won't hurt them, but what a mess there will be. Drying time could take awhile. It's just a bit of a pain in the "back" to bend over to put in all those pins.