CEG London, Class 5

Making Fabric Books

Class 5  Sewing Over Tapes  - Exposed Spine Binding

Paper Preparation

1.      Determine the size of the paper you plan to use.  i.e. 8 ½ x 11”  or 8 ½ x 5 ½ “ (standard sheet cut in half)  or custom size.

2.      Determine the number of pages in the signature.

3.      Ideally, the grain should run parallel to the spine of the book.

4.      Fold the paper in half.

5.      Nest the papers inside each other and align the folds.

6.      Create the desired number of signatures.

 

Punching Holes in Signatures

1.      Open your phonebook to the middle to use as your cradle.

2.      Place the first signature, opened to the middle, into the fold of the phone book.

3.      Make a stitching template, using a 2” wide strip of paper that is the same height as your paper.  Fold the strip in half lengthwise and mark the stitching holes on the inside of the fold line.

a.       To measure for the stitching holes, lay your tapes across the template with one tape lying at the middle and the other two tapes evenly spaced above and below the first tape.

b.      From the top of the template, mark a hole at least ½ “ from the top.  Mark the next holes just above the top tape and just below it.

c.       Mark holes above and below the middle tape.

d.      Mark holes above and below the bottom tape.

e.       Mark the final stitch hole at least ½ “ from the bottom of the template.

 

4.      Place the template into the centre fold of your pages in the cradle.  Align the edges carefully.

5.      Use your awl or piercing tool to punch the holes indicated on the stitching template.  Hold your piercing tool perpendicular to the paper to make sure the holes go through the folds of the signature.

6.      Repeat for all signatures.  Use an arrow or letter H to mark the top or head of the signatures.  This will make sure that the holes on the signatures line up when you begin to sew.

Cover Preparation

1.      This book has an open spine so you will be making a separate front and back cover.

2.      Determine the dimensions of your front and back covers.  Your covers will be ¼ “ taller and about 1/8 “ wider than the pages.  The covers will align, on the left, with the folds of the signatures.

3.      Determine the number and width and length of your tapes.  The example uses three tapes approximately 1” wide.  The length is 2” + 2” + the width of the spine  (measure the spine width of the stack of folded signatures).

4.      Decide how you will edge your cover.  i.e. wrapped edges or decorative stitching on the edges.  This will determine the dimensions of your fabric.  Refer to the General Rules of Thumb in the overview section to determine the measurements of your fabric.

5.      Decorate the cover as you wish.  Keep embellishments away from the area that will be covered by the tapes.

 

Stitching the Signatures

1.      Determine the thread length needed by measuring the height of the book once for each signature and once for the kettle stitches between each signature and tying off the ends.

2.      Use binder clips to hold the pages of the signature together for sewing.

3.      Enter the top hole from the outside and leave a 3” tail of thread.

4.      From the inside of the signature, go out the next hole, lay the thread over the first tape and enter the hole on the other side of the tape.

5.      From the inside of the signature, go out the next hole, lay the thread over the middle tape and enter the hole on the other side of this tape.

6.      From the inside of the signature, go out the next hole, lay the thread over the third tape and enter the hole on the other side of this tape.

7.      From the inside of the signature, exit the last hole in the signature.

8.      Align the second signature on top of the first.

9.      Enter the bottom hole of the second signature from the outside.

10.  From the inside of the signature, go out the next hole, lay the thread over the third tape, slide your needle under the stitch laying on the tape at the first signature  and enter the hole on the other side of the tape at the second signature.  This will have connected the two stitches over the tape in an X shape.

11.  Repeat this step for the middle tape. From the inside of the signature, go out the next hole, lay the thread over the middle tape, slide your needle under the stitch laying on the tape at the first signature  and enter the hole on the other side of the tape at the second signature.  This will have connected the two stitches over the tape in an X shape.

12.  Repeat this step for the top tape.

13.  Exit at the top hole of the second signature and tie a square knot with the 3” tail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14.  Align the third signature on top of the second.

15.  Enter the top hole of the third signature from the outside.

16.  From the inside of the signature, go out the next hole, slide your needle under the top half of the X (above the point where the threads cross) from the second signature and enter the hole on the other side of the tape.

17.  Repeat this step for the middle tape.

18.  Repeat this step for the third tape.

19.  Exit at the bottom hole of the third signature.

20.  Make a kettle stitch between the second and third signatures at the bottom hole.

a.       A kettle stitch is a half hitch knot.

b.      Use your needle to go under the thread that attaches the first and second signatures together at the bottom hole.

c.       Don’t tighten the thread all the way at this point, but leave a loop.

d.      Cross over the thread and pull the needle through the loop.

e.       Pull the knot firmly and vertically to tighten without ripping your pages.

21.  Align the fourth signature to the third and enter the bottom hole of the fourth signature from the outside.

22.  From the inside of the signature, go out the next hole, slide your needle under the bottom half of the X (below the point where the threads cross) from the third signature and enter the hole on the other side of the tape. 

23.  Repeat this step for the middle tape.

24.  Repeat this step for the top tape.

25.  When you exit the top hole of the fourth signature, make a kettle stitch between the third and fourth signatures.

26.  Align the fifth signature and enter the top hole from the outside.

27.  From the inside of the signature, go out the next hole, slide your needle under the top half of the X (above the point where the threads cross) from the fourth signature and enter the hole on the other side of the tape.

28.  Repeat this step for the middle and bottom tapes.

29.  Exit the fifth signature at the bottom hole.

30.  Repeat until you have sewn all your signatures.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

31.  When you have sewn the last signature, make your final kettle stitch and re-enter the final hole.  Make a square knot in the interior of the signature.  Trim the threads.

Attaching the Cover

Tapes may be attached to the cover by fusing with Wonder-Under, gluing with fabric glue (or another strong glue), or sewing.

1.      Fuse Wonder-Under to the underside of the extended part of the tapes.  Remove paper, align tapes on cover and fuse to cover. Repeat for other cover.

or

2.      Apply glue to the underside of the extended part of the tapes.  Align cover and press down tapes.  Apply weight to the tapes until dry.  Repeat for other cover.

or

3.      Sew tapes by hand or machine to the cover after pinning them in place.  Repeat for the other cover.