Eyelets, Grommets and Rivets oh my

Calgary Sews Meetup – March 14, 2025

Recap by Jessica Foltinek

Tara Sinclair designer and owner of Uh Oh Creations was the presenter for the March 2025 Calgary Sews Meetup.

Tara is a member of the Calgary Sews Meetup Group. Uh Oh Creations is Calgary-based and Tara has designed many amazing bag patterns that have been sewn by bag enthusiasts around the world. Tara also hosts the Great Alberta Bagineer retreat each year.

In addition to all of that, Tara quilts and she also sews garments.

This Meetup focused on Eyelets, Grommets and Rivets — oh my. I think we’ve all had a project with a point when you need to put an eyelet or rivet in and your confidence drains away. You have one chance to get it right, and once that metal sets and pokes through, it doesn’t hold up and crumples beneath your hand in the press … well I know I’ve been there many times. I currently have a western blouse completed ( 2 years ago) up to the snap part, so we’ll see how it goes now that I have a renewed confidence thanks to Tara’s expertise, demonstrations and little tips and tricks of the trade. I also want to say that Tara has a great sense of humour!

Tara started the class by showing us her Cast-Iron press from Tandy Leather.

If you are considering investing in one, make sure it’s with a company you know and trust and can have working relationship with. Also, once you are in a system, you are in it for the life of the machine meaning all the dies and rivet systems go together and they are not standardized and are not all compatible (some are, some aren’t…)

If you are interested in Kam press and Kam Snaps there is a local vendor Quammie Home Crafts who sells the die press and hand tools and Kam Snaps.

Does the size of the press matter? Depends, how often and how many items you are pressing and setting. Cast-Iron won’t break, and you are wanting to set metal using metal tools. Hand tools work as well.

Eyelets and Grommets

An eyelet is just a shaft (self-finishing as the metal curls around the back once it’s set) and a grommet is a shaft and a washer (cleaner finish as the metal curls around the washer.) So if you are deciding between an Eyelet and a Grommet, consider that if you are not going to see the wrong side of an eyelet (like on the casing of a hoodie) then maybe an eyelet is all you need. The pressed side will be rough from the flared/’mushroomed’ metal.

When inserting an eyelet or grommet you need to first punch a hole slightly smaller than the size of eyelet you are using. Keep in mind the hole will stretch–depending on fabric and bias–so it will need stabilizing with interfacing, fray chek, and potentially extra fabric or a plastic washer. And if your fabric has a loose weave then no hole is needed and a stiletto could be used.

This is a hand setting tool from Tandy Leather for eyelets. Tara uses a poly mallet for snaps as a rubber mallet bounces and a metal hammer will demagnetize magnetic snaps.

Eyelet rests in an anvil face down, fabric,, setting tool and with your fingers out of the way, hammer on.

Hole
Hardware
Sandwich Between Fabric
Then Hammer

The Dritz kit is a bit rougher and does feel a bit cheaper compared side by side to the Tandy eyelets Tara demonstrated in class.

GROMMETS

Out curve goes on the outside and the ‘inney’ on the inside.

JEANS BUTTON

In Calgary, PacCana, Rick Rack and Out of Hand carry them

If the back is pointy it doesn’t need a hole cut and if it is blunt it does.

Make sure there is a cushion on the wrong side when hammering.

RIVETS

Add decoration and/or strength

Length of the post is the key to accuracy — how many thickness of fabric is it going through? The goal is 1 mm sticking out once it’s poked through.layers of fabric.

When you feel it pinch the fabric is set. Doesn’t matter what end of the rivet goes in the anvil as they are both curved.

SNAPS

Outer side is the top piece–shorter shaft so that it doest interefere with the ‘snap’ function. You need a pointy tool that fits invertween the spring bars that won’t damage them.

So as a summary, there are many options for Rivets, Grommets, and Snaps on the market. Kam, Tandy leather, Paccana, Dritz and Prym Before investing, know which brands need which tools and are compatible and become comfortable with that system.

Attached below is a handout Tara passed out in the class with my notes on it.

Eyelets Download