August 17, 2009

spiral lacing and the worst grommet setting ever


The grommets are spaced just the way they are on Norah Waugh's pattern, staggered. The stays will be laced with one lace zig zagging back and forth. Spiral lacing. If you want to learn more about spiral lacing check out Jen Thompson's article "The Zen of Spiral Lacing." She covers it all. 


Don't look too closely at my grommets, these are the worst setting job I've ever done. I set them the same way I always have so I'm not sure what my problem was, but the inside is really ragged on a lot (OK most) of them. Brother. But once a grommet is in it doesn't come out. There's no looking back with grommets.

7 comments:

  1. I would recommend taking a file/pliers to those ragged edges, or your lace will wear away to nothing really quickly, and break. I should know - grommets always hate me with a passion. :)

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  2. Why don't you just cover the grommets with floss, then? That way, you won't see it.

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  3. Sometimes they can be removed with a good set of jewelry pliers and some patience!

    Addicted to your blog by the way....

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  4. Thanks for the advice everyone! I think I'll try hitting them with a file first. That will have to be done before covering them anyway. And I'm going to set a few in test fabric and practice removing them too. Stupid grommets.

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  5. i've had eyelets removed by a shoe repair man once, it looked like an easy job for him and he didn't even charge me. might be worth a shot.

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  6. This is good to know. I've already tackled them with a file, but if I have this problem again I'm gong to a cobbler. Thanks crissycatt!

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  7. I realize I'm commenting a year after the fact, hahaha, but I just discovered your blog here, and am excitedly reading my way though from the begining, being awed and inspired. I had the thought, would it work do you think to use a very small paint brush to cover the inside of poorly set grommets with a thin layer of that liquidip latex stuff, perhaps after sanding, just to keep them smooth so they don't kill your lacing? Is it even paintable, I've never actually worked with it. I'm contemplating trying my hand at corset making as one of my next projects, and I know for a fact that I'm not very good at grommets, so I was trying to think of a way to do damage control, lol.

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