I am doing this wedding cake next month...
Has anyone ever done this type of "eyelet" technique before? I'm assuming you cut the edges too, before applying the fondant on the cake (double fondant?), and do the punch work after it is applied? Any comments/help appreciated!
Wow! I've seen similar cakes done in royal icing, however, I have no idea how! Fondant seems the easiest as there as so many little fondant cutters out there.
Sorry I can't help, but there are a lot of talented people on this site who I'm sure will have advice!
Please do post the photo up of your finished cake! I'm excited to see and hear how it turns out 
Martha Stewarts Wedding magazine...the fall (2005) issue. I have it at home and that cake is beautiful. I'm not sure about the punch outs, but I do remember reading that you apply the royal icing around each punched hole to give it that "fabric" look. Also, in one of the Wilton Wedding Cake Magazines, they have templates and instruction on how to do this eyelet effect. I would think you would punch after applied to the cake, but you would cut the scallopes around the edges before?????
Good luck and please post your pics!
Wanda
There is a name for what you are looking at but I'm at work and don't have it with me. It is described in The Art of Sugracraft book. They use it as a base or as medallions. So doing it on a cake as the total covering is really nice. I do remember that after they punched the holes with the tip of a knitting needle (really! smaller sizes for smaller holes) they used royal icing to go around the openings. It's hard to tell by looking at the photo but I wonder if the cake was iced first and the fondant applied as a decoration after. That would be logical to me due to the way it stretches trying to cut all of that after it was on would be pretty hard I think.
The technique is known as brodierie anglaise. Basically you cover your cake in fondant. We have little cutters in the different pattern shapes. You just push them into the icing then pipe round the holes. Try this site for the cutters. They do export to the States
http://newlook.design-a-cake.co.uk/
Although I've never attempted that technique - I think they call it a form of embroidery. From Merehurst's, "The Cake Decorator" come these instructions, page 39:
Step 1 - Make a template from greaseproof (wax) paper. Draw the desgn onto the paper template in pencil. Using a pin, prick out the main points, e.g. eyelet work and cethre of flowers. (Note - this was a flower decoration)
Step 2 - Make soft-peak royal icing. Using a fine cable needle, mark out the eyelet work. with royal icing and a No 00 writing tube, embroider th eholes, piping in a circular fashion n top of the holes.
Step 3 - Pipe the other details.
the design they showed is similar and it is done on a fondant covered wedding cake.
I think you could probably use a bigger tip, however. I use a 00 sometimes, and it is difficult. You need to let the royal icing sit for at least half an hour and then strain it through nylon hose. Even the smallest particle will clog it up and make you frustrated.
I'm sorry the picture is so bad. My scanner must be on the fritz. 
Thanks for all the sugguestions, I think I'll order some of the punches and practice!
Here's my version of Wendy Kromer's eyelet cake - we did some variations, but pretty much along her same lines. What a freakin' nightmare this cake was!!!!! I had even emailed Wendy asking for suggestions (which she most graciously responded!) as I was still unsure how to do this technique. You have to punch the design on a strip of fondant, then pick up that fondant, wrap the cake, without the pattern ripping, and getting it straight! Took hours and multiple times to get it right. Never again!!!!!!
It's beautiful! If anything, consider it one for the portfolio!! An awesome cake, sorry it was such a pain. THanks for the heads up, I won't be trying that anytime soon!!!
Wendy Kromer is a very reputable cake designer - she does a lot of cakes for Martha Stewarts wedding mag's - check out her website. She's amazing!
http://www.wendykromer.com/
They are called "eyelet cutters". If you want to emboss you press gently to mark but not peforate. To make perforated pattern press firmly with cutter and then remove cut sections. I purchased mine at country kitchen sweet art and they come 3 in a pack. see the link below.
http://www.countrykitchensa.com/catalog/Searchresults.aspx?Description=eyelet&search.x=32&search.y=6
hope this helps
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