All About the Hook & Eye

If you didn't know already, I have another job besides running Tailored Trends.  I also work as a technical designer for a cheerleading company here in North Texas.  We work on cheerleading uniforms for everything from middle school teams to professional teams.

A couple months ago, we worked on a uniform for a cheerleading team that had a zipper on front of the bra.  Well let's just say when you have a zipper on a high stress area like the bust, there's a good chance that zipper won't stay up without a little extra support.

Our factory didn't take this into consideration, so we had to do some problem solving a couple of days before their performance.  Insert the hook & eye.  By adding a hook & eye just above the zipper, we were able to come up with a simple fix for a big problem.

What surprised me most about the whole situation, was how few people in the office knew how to properly insert a hook & eye.  If it was so hard for a group of skilled fashion designers, I figured it was necessary to share this essential skill with you!

What is a hook & eye?

A hook & eye is a type of hidden closure.  It can be used to help two edges of a garment meet, or it can be used as a hidden closure for overlapped areas of a garment.

Why is a hook & eye needed?

For high stress areas, like waistbands and above zippers, hook & eyes are necessary.  They work better than snaps in high-stress instances, because they are more secure.

What are the different types of hook & eyes?

Sew-in: This is the most common hook & eye you’ll see when sewing.  They come in a variety of sizes and colors.  Smaller sizes are used on lightweight fabrics, while larger sizes are used on heavyweight fabrics.  A hook is always used, but the eye is interchangeable between the round eye and the straight eye as illustrated below.

Hook & Eye Tape:  This is the most common closure for bras and other lingerie.  In the cheer industry, they’re also found on necklines as an adjustable type of closure.

How do you choose a hook & eye?

The first thing you should consider is function.  Is this closure going to be used on a lapped waistband, above a zipper or does it need to be adjustable. 

Next, you should consider the fabric weight.  Smaller hook & eyes should be used on lightweight fabrics.  On heavyweight fabrics, larger hook & eyes may be necessary.  If this is going above a zipper, the bigger the zipper means the larger the hook & eye will need to be.

Consider the color of the garment.  Almost all hook and eyes, regardless of size and type, come in silver, but some come in a wider variety of colors that may blend in with your fabric better.

Finally, consider how well it will wear and launder.  Metal hook and eyes may not work on activewear and swimwear due to being used in high moisture environments and may rust.  Plastic options may be better for this.

How to install a sew-in hook & eye:

Supplies:

-The project you’re working on

-Measuring Tape

-Fabric Marking Pen or Tailor’s Chalk

-Hook & Eye

-Hand Stitching Needle

-Thread

-Scissors

Steps: 

The placement for this tutorial is based on a hook & eye over a zipper, for example on a waistband or at the back neckline on a dress.  The actual sewing portion of this tutorial, however, can be applied to all sew-in hook & eyes and can be found at the 1:10 mark in the video tutorial.

1. Start with the garment right-side-out.  You’ll want to sew the hook & eye in a place with at least two layers of fabric, for example a waistband or an area with a facing.  This way the stitching doesn’t show on the right side of the garment.  In some instances it may help to have the zipper unzipped.

2. Next, Measure the width of the hook or the eye, they should be the same size (figure a).  Then divide it by half.  Measure from the top of the opening above the zipper or wherever you plan to put your hook and eye (figure b). Mark the half width of the hook or eye on both sides of the garment (figure c).  This step isn’t necessary, but it helps with placement and ensuring the hook and eye line up.


3. Thread the needle so the two ends of the thread meet.  This creates a double layer of thread and a more sturdy stitch.

-Tie a knot by wrapping the loose ends of thread around your finger and pulling the tails through the loop.
4. To begin sewing, start between the outside of the garment and facing or waistband, and pull the needle through the mark you made (figure a).  Thread the hook through the needle (figure b) and hold it in place.  It can be tricky since it’s so small, but I typically just use my fingernail to hold it in place.  Make sure the edge of the hook is flush with the edge of the fabric.
5. To sew the hook, use a blanket stitch.  Take a stitch around the outside of the hook and bring it back through the hole.  Before pulling the stitch tight, insert the needle through the loop you made.  Then, pull it tight. Make sure you don't stitch through the outermost layer of fabric.  Continue to do the blanket stitch about 4-5 times on each hoop on the hook.
6. To finish, tie a knot by taking a stitch.  Before pulling the stitch tight, insert the needle through the loop you created.  Pull it tight.  Repeat two more times through the same stitch to secure the knot.
7. Push the needle back through the knot and out through a different spot in the garment to hide the knot and thread tails.
8. To finish, cut the thread.  Trim any remaining visible threads for a clean finish.
9. Repeat steps 3-8 to sew the eye.

Looking for projects to practice using a hook & eye on?

Check out the project below:

Happy Sewing,

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