Putting in Grommets

Pandas are the favorite of the 4 year old dress up queen that lives here. So, with cold weather here I have been creating a pattern for a knit tunic dress or top. The velvety spandex leggings I made about a week ago. I created a pattern for those, too. This dress is a mock up of what the final dress garment will be. Its a little too wide in the shoulder area but my daughter's chest is narrower than most 4 year olds.

The panda ears are kind of crooked. I noticed that after. You see, while I sew, my crafting room gets torn apart. My child invades all my drawers, shelves, etc... She climbs on my back while I am at the machine. Its amazing that I even am able to construct a garment. Pheww.....
So forgive the crooked panda ears, please. Anyway, I found this houndstooth knit and I had to have it. The hot pink had to be added in order to convince her to put it on. I love all colors. I really don't have a favorite. In her mind, though, pink and purple are fantastic. The panda had to have rhinestone eye balls, too.


Putting in the grommets was super easy. Bought a kit from Hancock fabrics here in town.

1. I spaced the grommets by "eye" and then traced the inside of the hole with washable pen. The instructions say to cut a hole.

2. I didn't I used an awl and pushed it through the knit. I snipped tiny cuts around the hole made with the awl.

3.The fabric was then stretched around the grommet. I used the tip of the awl to guide the fabric over the edge of the grommet.

4. The bottom grommet fits into a black ring under the fabric.

5. The top grommet fits inside of the bottom one. The top grommet is the longer and wider ring. The long silver tool fits over the top grommet and you just hammer that until the top grommet pushed through and wraps around the bottom grommet.

Voila! Easy and I love all the possible ways I may be using grommets.

The bottom grommet pushing through the fabric hole made with the awl and tiny cuts




Punching the awl through the fabric

Simple Dritz kit I purchased

Bottom black ring and the top peice for the hammer comes with the kit.

Placing the grommets by sight

sofa table sewing

Then, this painful event occured while serging.... I use a sofa table for my machines. I like that it is sturdy and doesn't vibrate. I scooted my chair under the serger and rammed the sharp point of the wood into the soft part of my knee. It hurt so bad I had to lie on the couch. Of course that wasn't enough to deter me from my mission. I sat down, throbbing knee, and continued serging.
I need to write a post on accidents in the sewing room. You know, like burning yourself with the glue gun or the iron, stepping on a needle, cutting your fingers with scissors. My favorite is the rotary blade accident with my son when he was three. He reached up onto my counter top and pulled it down. Holding my hand out, I said, " give mommy the cutter, please" He replied with a rebellious, "no" while pulling his arm back to show his posession of it. That action caused the blade to slice through his face, right next to his lips. I had a plastic surgeon stitch it up. I have never forgotten that moment. He is now 17 and has dated the entire cheering squad at his high school. It obviously hasn't affected his looks.

I try to always leave the rotary cutter on lockdown now. My female Dennis the Menace that I live with could, however, figure a way to unlock it, I am sure.

I flatlocked the top peices together on my serger. To make sure that the top didn't stretch too far at the opening. I put a 3" satin stitch across the bottom before putting in the grommets. A peice of the tearable embroidery paper was used to sew over the two adjoining peices easily. Then, you simply tear it away. Love that stuff.