There is only one example that I know of an eyelet from
the European medieval period. This eyelet
is based on parts found and published in the
Museum of London: Textiles and Clothing but differs in one way. I
do not use a buttonhole stitch to create my eyelets, I
use a whip stitch. Just as strong and twice as fast.
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This is an image of the tools I use, showing
scale.
The top tool is a stainless steel awl. Don't know where
I got it but I think it was in my grandmother's sewing
basket
The center tool is a wooden shishkabob skewer.
The bottom tool is a sewing awl sold by Clover. I prefer
the rounded handle. This is my favorite eyelet tool for several
reasons.
Reason 1: It allows me to really stretch the hole out
without breaking the fibers of the fabric.
Reason 2: It is comfortable in my palm
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Step 1. Making
your hole.
Slowly twist your awl into the fabric. The twist allows the
fabric to spread around the tool and alleviates tearing the
warp or weft.
Slowly push your awl and widen the eyelet hole.
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A good beginning. Wool is especially stretchy.
I find that I use my awl several times in the course
of sewing my eyelet to keep the eyelet of useful size
for lacing. A lacing point or chape must fit. |
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I start with a waste knot a bit away from the eyelet hole. |
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Step 2. I make 5-6 whipstitchs around the
eyelet hole.
If you have a facing, you can bury your knot between facing and fabric
and forget about it.s |
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Step 3. At
this point I re-stretch the hole with my awl.
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| Step 4.
Whipstitch closely around the hole
so that no fabric shows through and so that your first
5-6 whipstitches are covered. |
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Step 5. A completed eyelet.
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| Step 6.
Using my needle I run it through
several stitches, making my around the eyelet, securing
my end thread. |
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Step 7. Carry your thread to the next eyelet
hole with shallow running stitches if you have no facing.
If you have a facinig it will be buried between your
facing and your fabric.
Step 8. Back to Step 1. |
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Step 9. When I run out of thread, I tie off
as in Step 6. I also clip my waste knot from Step
1. The first 5-6 whip stitches, now covered with the
eyelet stitches secure your thread and the knot is
no longer needed.
If you have buried your knot between facing and fabric, this step
is not necessary.
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All pretty with knot clipped. |
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