Grommets!

Just finishing up the Juliet costume with some grommets/eyelets along the bodice of the gown. These are fairly easy to put on, but I did learn a few tips along the way. First of all, I used this small paper punch to cut through the three layers of fabric (yellow cotton, interfacing and lining). I trimmed the hole to make it a bit bigger but not as big as the manufacturer's directions. I followed that on my trial run and the fabric pulled out from under the grommet edges. Best to make the hole just big enough for the long grommet piece to fit through.

Then I realized the hole punch had a sharp edge near the inside of the punch and could create some fray in along the finished fabric edge when I punched the hole, so I padded it with this piece of muslin to prevent that from happening.

I used a blue washable marker to mark the grommet placement, according to the pattern markings. The kit has two small tools to help keep the two grommet pieces lined up so they can be hammered together. When hammering, a few firm blows does the trick. Beyond that, the grommet can get flattened and have some sharp snags in the opening.

Altogether I used 24 grommets, six on each side front and back. A bit time consuming but easy to do. I'm sure I'll use this technique in the future with art quilts; lots of possibilities! The 1/8" yellow cord laced through the grommets completes this part of the gown.

Viola!

Copyright ©2011, Sharon Baggs