Coptic
Binding - Class notes as
signatures: multiple signature book with chain stitch
Paper Preparation
1.
This has been done for you. You will be given a set of class notes
prepared in signature format.
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.
·
From the top of the template, mark a hole at
least ½ “ from the top.
·
Mark a hole in the centre.
·
Mark a hole between the top and centre holes.
·
Mark a hole the same distance below the centre
hole.
·
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.
Decide how you will edge your cover. e.g. 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.
4.
Decorate the cover as you wish. Keep embellishments away from the area ½ “
from the spine side of the cover. You
will be punching holes in that area
Punching Holes in the Covers
1.
Align the spine side of the front and back covers.
2.
Align the stitching template to the spine side of the
covers. Centre it between the top and
bottom edges.
3.
Use your piercing tool to punch holes through the
template and the cover. You may need to
pierce the front and back covers separately, depending upon the thickness of
the cover.
4.
Placing your pages on a foam pad or piece of corrugated
cardboard will make the holes easier to punch.
Stitching the Signatures and Cover
1.
Determine the thread length needed by measuring the
height of the book once for each signature and once for the looped stitches
between each signature and tying off the ends.
2.
Use binder clips to hold the pages of the signature
together for sewing.
3.
Align the front cover (face down) and the first
signature.
4.
Using a circular needle, enter the top hole from inside
signature and leave a 3” tail of thread.
5.
Wrap the thread around the edge of the cover and come
up through the first hole from the bottom.
6.
Loop around the thread that attaches the cover and
signature together and re-enter the first hole in the signature.
7.
Exit the second hole in the signature, wrap the thread
around the edge of the cover and come up through the second hole in the cover,
from the bottom.
8.
Loop around the thread that attached the cover and
signature together and re-enter the second hole.
9.
Repeat steps 7 & 8 for the remaining holes in the
signature.
10. When
you reach the last hole in the signature, do not re-enter the same hole after
you have looped your thread, but align the second signature and enter the
bottom hole of the second signature.
11. Exit
the next hole in the second signature and loop thread around the stitch made
between the cover and the first signature and re-enter the signature hole.
12. Repeat
that step for each of the holes in the second signature.
13. When
you reach the top hole of the second signature do not re-enter the same hole
but align the third signature and enter the top hole.
14. When
you exit the next hole in the third signature make a kettle stitch around the
stitch made between the first and second signatures at the bottom hole.
· A kettle stitch is a
half hitch knot.
· Use your needle to go under the thread that attaches
the first and second signatures together at the bottom hole.
· Don’t tighten the thread all the way at this
point but leave a loop.
· Cross over the thread and pull the needle
through the loop.
· Pull the knot firmly and vertically to tighten without ripping your pages.
15. Repeat
this for the remaining holes of the signature.
16. Repeat
step 14 for the remaining signatures, always making a kettle stitch around the
previous signatures stitch.
17. When
you reach the last signature, you are going to sew the signature and remaining
cover at the same time.
18. Wrap
your thread over the edge of the cover and enter the hole from the top.
19. Make
a kettle stitch around the stitch from the previous two signatures and enter first
hole in the final signature
20. Exit
the next hole in the signature, make a kettle stitch around the stitch from the
previous two signatures and then wrap thread over the edge of the cover and
enter the cover hole from the top.
21. Loop
around the stitch that you just made between the final signature and the cover
and re-enter the signature hole.
22. Repeat
steps 20 &21 until you reach the last hole in the signature.
23. When
you repeat the steps for the last hole, you will tie a knot in the inside of
the signature when you re-enter the last hole.
Trim the tail of the thread.
