Peach Daisy Lace-Up Top Crochet Pattern

This peach top is the one that makes people stop and ask, wait, you made that? It is a fitted camisole-style top with a solid double crochet body, a yoke of five daisies joined with peach chain arches across the shoulder blades, and a dramatic open back with crisscross ivory lacing running down to the lower back.

The construction is clever but truly straightforward: the lower body is one flat strip worked from one centre-back edge, around the front, to the opposite centre-back edge, so the back stays completely open for the lacing. The daisies are worked separately and joined into the yoke, two miniature daisies sit at the back hips, and broad shell scallops outlined in ivory finish the hem.

The pattern includes six sizes from XS to 2XL and is rated intermediate. It is designed with 0 to 2 inches of negative ease through the bust, and because the lacing lets you adjust the fit, if you are between sizes I suggest working the larger body and tightening the lacing. Let me walk you through every step!

Materials

• Main Color (MC): sport weight (#2) smooth cotton or cotton-bamboo blend in peach — XS: 500 yards, S: 575 yards, M: 650 yards, L: 735 yards, XL: 825 yards, 2XL: 925 yards
• Contrast A (CA): sport weight (#2) in warm ivory — XS: 90 yards, S: 100 yards, M: 110 yards, L: 120 yards, XL: 135 yards, 2XL: 150 yards
• Contrast B (CB): small amount of golden yellow, for the daisy centres
• 3.5 mm (E/4) crochet hook, or size needed to obtain gauge
• 3.0 mm hook, for firmer cords and miniature daisies (optional)
• 6 to 10 locking stitch markers
• Yarn needle
• Sharp scissors
• Tape measure
• Rustproof blocking pins
• Optional: 6 to 8 mm clear elastic thread, for hidden support along the upper front edge

Abbreviations

• 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
• RS / WS: right side / wrong side
• dc2tog: double crochet 2 together (a decrease that turns 2 stitches into 1)

Special Stitches

• Picot: Chain 3, slip stitch in the first chain.
• Cord: Chain to the required length, then slip stitch in the second chain from hook and in every remaining chain for a firm, rounded cord.
• Eyelet Edge: (Sc in edge space, ch 3, skip approximately one row-end space) repeated evenly. On the return pass, work 4 sc into each ch-3 loop for strength.
• Shell: 7 dc in the same stitch or space. The broad shell edging uses sc anchors between shells.
• Invisible Color Finish: After your last stitch, cut the yarn and pull the tail through. Thread the tail onto your yarn needle, pass under both loops of the first stitch, then back down through the last stitch, for a seamless join.

Gauge & Size

• Gauge: 20 dc x 10 rows = 4 x 4 inches after wet blocking; one full daisy measures approximately 2.75 to 3 inches across
• Finished size: six sizes XS to 2XL. To fit bust: XS 30–32 in (finished bust path 30 in, body length 16.5 in); S 34–36 in (34 in, 17 in); M 38–40 in (38 in, 17.5 in); L 42–44 in (42 in, 18 in); XL 46–48 in (46 in, 18.5 in); 2XL 50–52 in (50 in, 19 in). The finished bust path includes the approximately 3 inch centre-back opening when laced to fit, and body length is measured from the lower shell point to the top of the shoulder
• Construction: lower body worked flat in one strip; upper panels, front and straps worked from the strip; daisy yoke assembled from 5 motifs and joined with chain arches
• Skill level: Intermediate

One foundation note: the chain 2 at the beginning of a dc row does not count as a stitch unless stated otherwise.

Daisy Motif Pattern

You will make 5 full daisies for the upper-back yoke and 2 miniature daisies for the back hips. The raised petals are worked into front loops and chain spaces so they stay dimensional after blocking. Make all five full daisies before assembly, and block them to the same diameter so the yoke sits level across the shoulders.

Full Daisy Round 1: With CB (gold), make a magic ring. Ch 1, work 10 sc into the ring. Join with sl st to the first sc. Tighten the ring firmly. Fasten off. (10 sc)

Full Daisy Round 2: Join CA (ivory) in any sc. Ch 6. Working back along the chain: sl st in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next ch, hdc in next ch, dc in next ch, tr in next ch. Sl st in the next centre sc. Repeat 4 more times, spacing each petal over two centre stitches. You should have 5 pointed petals.

Full Daisy Round 3: Without turning, loosely sl st behind the petal bases to the first petal. For a slightly raised petal ridge, surface sl st around the base of each petal. Fasten off and weave in the ivory tail.

Full Daisy Round 4: Join MC (peach) behind any petal base. Ch 5, sl st behind next petal base. Repeat around. Join. This creates 5 peach joining arches. Fasten off unless joining immediately.

Mini Hip Daisy Round 1: With CB, make a magic ring. Ch 1, 5 sc in the ring. Join and fasten off. (5 sc)

Mini Hip Daisy Round 2: Join CA in any sc. Ch 4, sl st in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next ch, hdc in next ch. Sl st in the same centre sc. Repeat once in each of the remaining 4 sc. Fasten off.

Block the mini daisies to approximately 1.5 to 1.75 inches across.

Main Body Pattern

The lower body is one flat strip. The two short ends become the centre-back opening, the middle section becomes the front, and the outer sections become the back-side panels. Stitch counts by size: XS — 135 body sts (Left Back 30, Front 75, Right Back 30); S — 155 (35, 85, 35); M — 175 (40, 95, 40); L — 195 (45, 105, 45); XL — 215 (50, 115, 50); 2XL — 235 (55, 125, 55).

With MC and your 3.5 mm hook, ch 137 (157, 177, 197, 217, 237).

Row 1 (RS): Dc in the 3rd ch from the hook and in each ch across. You have 135 (155, 175, 195, 215, 235) dc. Turn.

Rows 2 to 30: Ch 2, dc in each st across. Turn. Work more or fewer rows here if you want the underarm to sit higher or lower — 30 rows is approximately 12 inches at gauge.

Optional waist contour: on Rows 10 and 16, decrease 1 stitch near each side seam position (4 decreases total across both rows). On Rows 22 and 26, increase in the same four positions to restore the original stitch count. This produces subtle shaping without changing the centre-back edges.

After Row 30, place markers to divide the strip into Left Back / Front / Right Back using the stitch counts above. Do not cut the yarn until you have checked that the centre-back opening is centred when the strip is wrapped around you. Wrap the strip around your torso with the two back edges approximately 3 inches apart — the front should lie flat without stretching more than about 10%. Adjust by adding or removing 5-stitch increments before beginning the upper sections.

Upper Panels and Front Pattern

Work the two outer back-side sections separately. Each panel tapers toward the shoulder blade while keeping the centre-back edge straight enough to support the lacing eyelets.

Left Back-Side Panel: Join MC at the outer centre-back edge of the Left Back section. Work dc across the marked Left Back stitches only. Turn.

Left Back-Side Panel, Next Row: Ch 2, dc2tog over the first 2 sts (centre-back edge), dc to last 2 sts, dc2tog (armhole edge). Turn.

Repeat the decrease row every other row 5 (6, 7, 8, 9, 10) more times. Keep the open-back edge smooth and the armhole edge gently sloped. Continue straight in dc until the top of the panel reaches approximately 4.5 (5, 5.5, 6, 6.5, 7) inches above the split row, or sits just below the shoulder blade when tried on. Fasten off, leaving a 12 inch tail for yoke assembly.

Right Back-Side Panel: Work as for the Left Back, mirroring the decreases, and match the row count exactly so both upper edges are level.

Now the front. Its stitch counts by size: XS — Front Start 75, After Armhole Shaping 67, Each Strap 12, Centre Neckline Left Unworked 43; S — 85, 77, 13, 51; M — 95, 87, 14, 59; L — 105, 97, 15, 67; XL — 115, 107, 16, 75; 2XL — 125, 117, 17, 83. Join MC at one edge of the marked Front section.

Front Row 1: Ch 2, dc across all 75 (85, 95, 105, 115, 125) front sts. Turn.

Front Rows 2 to 5: Ch 2, dc2tog over first 2 sts, dc to last 2 sts, dc2tog. Turn. After four shaping rows you have 67 (77, 87, 97, 107, 117) sts.

Work 3 to 5 rows straight, trying on as needed. The top edge should reach the desired front neckline level, usually 1.5 to 2.5 inches below the collarbones.

Front Strap Row: Work 12 (13, 14, 15, 16, 17) dc for the first strap. Leave the centre 43 (51, 59, 67, 75, 83) sts unworked. Join a second ball of MC to the final 12 (13, 14, 15, 16, 17) sts for the other strap.

Work each strap separately in dc until it reaches comfortably over the shoulder to the upper back, approximately 7 to 9 inches. End both straps after the same number of rows. Do not fasten permanently until the daisy yoke is pinned in place.

Front Neckline Finishing: Join CA at one front strap corner. Sc evenly across the neckline and up the opposite strap edge. For a delicate edge, work (sc in next 3 sts, picot) across the neckline only, keeping the strap edges plain sc so they remain comfortable. If extra support is desired, lay clear elastic thread along the wrong side of the neckline and crochet a final loose sc row over it — do not pull the elastic tight enough to pucker.

Daisy Yoke Assembly

Arrange the five daisies in a shallow arc: one centred between the shoulder blades, one on either side, and one at each outer shoulder. The motif chain arches are connected with peach chains to create the airy lace panel. Lay the top flat, RS up, with the back opening centred. Pin the centre daisy approximately 1 to 1.5 inches below the desired upper-back line. Pin one daisy to each side of the centre motif, slightly higher by about 0.25 to 0.5 inches, and the two outer daisies near the shoulder line, so all five form a balanced shallow arc.

Using MC, join a chain arch of the centre daisy to the nearest chain arch of the next daisy: sl st into the first arch, ch 5 to 8 (adjust the length so the motifs lie flat), sl st into the neighbouring arch. Repeat between all five daisies. Add a second line of peach chain arches between motifs where needed for stability, using shorter chains toward the outer shoulder motifs and slightly longer chains near the centre.

Attach the outer daisy on each side to the corresponding shoulder strap with 2 to 3 secure whipstitches through the peach joining arch, not through the ivory petal tips. Attach the lower joining arch of the second daisy from each side to the top of the corresponding back-side panel. Attach the centre daisy to a short peach chain bridge between the two panels rather than sewing it to skin-side fabric.

Try the top on and adjust the strap length until the front neckline is level and the yoke rests flat without pulling the daisies inward. Then seam or whipstitch the straps permanently to the outer motifs, and weave in all structural tails securely. A note from the designer that I love: the chain-arch lengths are intentionally adjustable — a rigid stitch-count formula cannot fit every shoulder width, so use enough chains that each daisy remains flat and its petals do not curl under tension.

Eyelets and Lacing Pattern

The eyelets run down both centre-back edges from just below the daisy yoke to the lower back, matched in pairs so the lacing makes clean, even X-shapes. With RS facing, join MC at the top of one centre-back edge. Work sc evenly down the edge, aiming for approximately 2 sc per dc row-end over every 2 rows, keeping the edge flat.

Eyelet Pass: (Sc in next 2 to 3 sts, ch 3, skip 2 edge sts) repeat evenly to the lower back. End with the same number of eyelets on both sides — 7 to 10 eyelets per side works well for most sizes.

Return Pass: Sc in each sc and work 4 sc into each ch-3 eyelet. Fasten off.

Repeat on the opposite back edge, placing every eyelet directly across from its partner. For optional reinforcement, work one final row of sl st along the fabric side of the eyelets, keeping the loops loose enough that the edge does not shrink.

For the ivory lace-up cord, use CA and your 3.0 or 3.5 mm hook: ch approximately 80 (85, 90, 95, 100, 105) inches, or about 2.5 times the vertical length of the eyelet section. Sl st in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each ch across, keeping the slip stitches loose and even. Fasten off, leaving 4 inch tails.

Thread the cord from the top pair of eyelets, centred so both ends are equal. Cross the ends into the next lower pair of eyelets, alternating left-over-right and right-over-left to create symmetrical Xs, and continue to the lowest pair. Tie a neat bow at the lower back, and trim or shorten the cord so the two free ends finish approximately 3 to 5 inches below the bow. The lacing should hold the top close to the body, not compress the rib cage — you should be able to slide two fingers under the side panel near the lowest rib while breathing normally.

Shell Hem Pattern

Work the hem after the torso and back opening fit correctly. The shells are anchored into the original foundation edge and outlined in ivory. With RS facing and MC, join at one lower centre-back corner. Work 1 sc in each foundation stitch across the full lower edge, adjusting by 1 to 3 stitches if necessary so the edge lies flat.

Shell Row: Ch 1. (Sc in next 2 sts, skip 2 sts, 7 dc in next st, skip 2 sts) repeat across, spacing the last repeat as evenly as possible. If your stitch count does not divide perfectly, distribute the extra sc stitches near the side seams.

Outline Row (CA): Join ivory at the lower back corner. Sc in each of the 7 dc of a shell, picot in the 4th dc, sl st in the sc anchor between shells. Repeat across. For a simpler outline, omit the picot and work plain sc over every shell.

Fasten off invisibly. Steam or wet block each shell into a broad rounded fan.

Finishing & Assembly

Put the top on or place it on a dress form. Mark one point on each back hip, approximately 1.5 to 2.5 inches above the shell edging and 2 to 3 inches from the centre-back edge. Pin one miniature daisy at each mark and sew through the golden centre and petal bases only, leaving the ivory petal tips slightly raised.

Weave in every yarn tail on the wrong side for at least 1.5 inches, changing direction once — structural yoke and lacing-edge tails should be woven farther. For blocking, soak the top in cool water with a small amount of wool-safe or delicate detergent for 10 to 15 minutes, press the water out gently without wringing, and roll it in a towel. Pin to measurements on a blocking mat, shape the daisies by hand without flattening their raised petals, and air dry away from direct heat. After blocking, thread the lacing again and try the top on, adjusting the shoulder strap joins if the front neckline tilts or the centre daisy pulls upward.

Tips and Fit Adjustments

If the back gap is too wide, lengthen the ivory cord and lace more loosely, or add 1 to 2 sc rows to each centre-back edge before the eyelets. If the gap is too narrow, remove one edge row or lace tighter — do not force the two edges to touch, because the open gap is part of the design. If the front neckline gapes, shorten the shoulder straps by 1 to 2 rows, or add hidden elastic under the neckline edging. If the armholes feel tight, add rows before the upper split or reduce the number of armhole decreases. If the daisy yoke buckles, shorten the connecting chain arches and block the motifs individually before reassembling; if it pulls the petals flat, lengthen the chain arches or shoulder straps so the motifs sit slightly raised. If the hem flares too much, use 6 dc per shell instead of 7, or place one extra sc between shells.

For care, hand wash or machine wash cold in a mesh bag on a delicate cycle if your yarn label allows. Reshape and dry flat, avoid hanging the wet top, untie the lacing before washing so the eyelets are not pulled out of shape, and store folded with the daisies lying flat.