Hand sewn corset eyelets

Of course one could use grommets, but why spend the money when you can subject your hands to all sorts of pain by sewing the eyelets by hand?

I used an awl to make each of the 16 holes required for lacing this corset.

The great thing about an awl is that it does not sever the individual threads of the fabric, rather it pushes them out of the way in order to make the hole, thus keeping the integrity of the fabric in tact which makes the eyelets stronger.

And here is my sample piece where I played around with different size holes and button hole stitches.

Sure, I didn't use the button hole stitch so often found in the sewing books, but I liked the look of this better. I don't know if it will be as strong, but it does have a cleaner finish.