Exploring Snaps - NEW Table Top Press

Creative juices are flowing! I wanted to up my game with snaps, rivets and grommets for my bag projects (and some other craft ideas in my head). I have used a hammer and a snap setting tool in the past, even recently buying a fun selection of hammer set rivets. I actually always had good luck with the hammer and tool, but I admit to always being nervous that I would miss the setting tool and end up hammering my hand <insert klutz moment>.  KamSnaps was having a decent sale on their table top press and some dies so I took the plunge. It arrived today and I had it set up and was practicing in a snap. I practiced first on some scrap fabric. Next I decided to hack Cody's sweatshirt. Cody is my little dog.  He has been loving his long walks but as the weather turns colder he also enjoys his warm hoodie on those walks. However, the wide leg holes sometimes trip him up, just when he finds his pace. 

Originally I had thought of putting elastic in the legs, but I would have had to unstitch the sweatshirt to be able to sew in the elastic and then sew it back together (do able). But when I was practicing with the snaps I quickly realized that the snaps would be a quick way to get him in his sweatshirt.  I first had him put on his sweatshirt and then I folded over the leg holes, keeping a finger width of space between his leg and the fabric. I free hand marked where the snaps would have to be located with an iron off pen (Frixion). I took the sweatshirt off him and then measured the gap - to my surprise, the two sides were spot on, matching! But, the distance from the edge of the fabric wasn't even. So I kept my gap measurement and then re-marked the snap sites to be equal distance from the edge of the fabric.  I'm not a perfectionist, but I know if you can get the snaps close to equal it will "snap easier" as you line them up. Then I used the hand awl to puncture a hole in the fabric, I did try puncturing the fabric with just the snap and it would have worked, but it certainly took more effort than the awl.  My press did come with an awl die too, but I didn't use it for this. 

Put it back on Cody (just minutes later - fastest hack I've done in awhile) and it fit perfectly! Excited to see how he enjoys his walks now with this customization.

NOTE: Why didn't we add snaps into our pant legs on our jeans in the 90's - would have made tight rolling our jeans so much easier! 👀😆