Couture garments are known for their lovely interior finish. They frequently are devoid of exposed metal closures and notions, including snaps and hooks. Instead, snaps are covered with silk charmeuse, and metal hooks and eyes are applied with an attractive and strong stitch.

Covered covered snaps

To cover a snap, first make a small opening in a square of silk charmeuse with an awl or other pointed tool. Push the fabric’s fibers apart rather than breaking them, and slide the fabric onto the ball half of the snap. Hand-sew the fabric around the ball portion of the hook, then draw it up into a pouch. Apply a backstitch on the underside of the snap’s edge to secure and flatten the fabric. Take a few more stitches, then trim the excess fabric close to the snap. Cover the socket section by laying charmeuse over the ball section and snapping the socket in place. Gather the fabric around the piece as before, sew and trim it, and attach it to the garment.

Couture method for sewing hooks and eyes

To sew on an eye or loop for a hook, select a strong thread, such as decorative topstitching thread. Stitch the eye’s loops in place with a buttonhole-style stitch that creates a bead around the loops to hold the closure firmly in place.