Honeycomb Tutorial Time: Eyelet Polka Part 2 - Stitching

Welcome to part two of 'Eyelet Polka'. By now you would have gathered together your materials, and selected your colour palatte. If you've only just stumbled across this blog post, then click here to read part one.

Ready? Let's get cracking.

Eyelet Polka

In this first tutorial we are going to look at eyelets. I’m going to show you four ways of doing them, and they will get ever so slightly more difficult.

Additional material you’ll need: 

• a light weight fabric with either with a print or plain block colour; this will be showing through your eyelets so you might to compliment the three colours you select to do the eyelets in. For my example I’ve used Liberty Tana Lawn.

PREP STAGE:

Yummy colours

• Click here to download the template. Print it at 100% in black and white.
• Pick three colours out of your palette, I chose DMC 725,899,955

• Cut a piece of the calico, I’m using a 6” frame so I’ve cut out a piece that’s about 25cm square in size.
• Transfer the template onto the fabric, you may find that you can see the template through the fabric, but if you can’t use a lightbox or your window. Now draw on the eyelets, use dots at the centre to mark number 1, and circles for 2-4, but don’t draw the hexagon outline or the actual numbers.
• Get the fabric in your frame, make sure it’s taut. Nothing worse than working on saggy fabric.
• Select your three colours from your palette.

EYELET ONE

• The first eyelets that your going to do are indicated on your fabric as dots.
• To secure your thread do a couple of tiny stitches near to the dot. Now come up through the fabric a couple of millimetres from the dot, then take the needle down through it.

• When you come up through the fabric to start your next stitch you will be slightly pulling on the thread to ease open the hole where the dot used to be. Keep your stitches around the hole neat and even in length as you can as you go round. It will end up looking like a star burst.

Backside of fabric - Running needle under stitches

• To finish off our eyelet take your thread to the back, and slide your needle under the stitches a couple of times, then cut the end off. Be careful not to cut your sewing!

• You may find that the hole of the eyelet isn't really visible, simply use a slightly thicker needle or your stiletto to open it up, it also helps to smooth the inside of the eyelet. Repeat for the other two dots, changing the colour of your thread for each one.

EYELET 2

• Start as before, but before you over-sew the edge to start your eyelet you will need to do a running stitch around the circle that you’ve drawn.

• Pierce the centre of the eyelet with a stiletto, or if you don’t have one use a large needle. You can use the point of your scissors but I don’t recommend it for this eyelet type as you will risk cutting the fabric. Wiggle the stiletto/needle to make the hole a little more pronounced.

• Back to your discarded thread, now you will over-sew the edge of the hole, as before by bringing your needle up a little way from the running stitch and then down through the hole you already made.

• Work around the hole, keeping your stitches as even possible. This takes a bit of practice, which is why you do this type three times.
• Finish off your thread as you did with the first eyelet, at the back, and smooth the eyelet with your large needle or stiletto. Repeat two more times.

EYELET 3

• This is the same as eyelet 2, except you will be adding some padding. Stitch round the circle in running stitch, as before. Then working outwards; stitch a single row of chain stitch. Then finish off that thread so you can start the over sewing with a clean thread.

• Work the eyelet exactly the same as the previous eyelet (steps 2-5).

• REPEAT two more times.

EYELET 4

• This is the very last eyelet you need to do, and because it’s a little tricky I am only going to make you do it once. So pick your very favourite colour out of three to work with.
• Work a running stitch around the eyelet, as done for eyelet 2 and 3.
• Cut the centre of the eyelet both vertically (up and down) and horizontally (left to right) cutting from the middle. This is why you need to have a wickedly sharp pair of scissors. If you’re a bit worried about this, you can make a hole in the middle of your eyelet, with your needle to start yourself off.
• Fold back the excess fabric and bring the needle up ready for over sewing just beyond the running stitch, you might find you can use it as a chance to stitch through one of the flaps keeping it in place.

• Take the needle down into the hole and repeat all around the eyelet. Again, keep your stitches close together and even in length.
• When finished, turn to the back of the work and cut any excess fabric that might be showing.

Back of work, trimming the excess fabric

Completed, front.

Top Tip:

If you find that you’ve got gaps between your stitches, don’t panic, simply thread up your needle again, turn to the back of the fabric and slide it through some of the stitches.Bring the needle up through stitches to the front, and work your way round again, filling in the gaps. Take it slowly, and use your needle to guide the thread round the hole to help achieve a smooth finish.

Now sit back and admire your handy work, you've completed the embroidery for the Eyelet Polka. Don't forget to show of your work on my flickr group, I'll be setting up a thread should you have any queries or questions, but by all means you can leave comments  here if your stuck.

But, you’re not done yet you need finish the shape off by doing wrong side applique. Come back this Easter weekend for the final part!