BookBinding: Sewing the Book Block
So. I took 4 sheets of resume paper and used a bone folder to fold them in half to make a 16 page signature. (I love the bone folder on the right. It makes a nice clean fold without skipping or pushing the paper out of alignment.) I had 17 signatures that I stacked in order and then I marked the spine using a ruler. I opened up the signatures and punched small holes, or stations, where I'm going to sew. Frankie (from the DVD) used a hobby saw to cut the stations but I didn't want to spill my own blood so I used a needle instead. The stations don't have to be exact. The 3 middle stations are where I sewed in the twine for the raised cord effect under the bookcloth.
These are the last two signatures. I'm working from the back of the book to the front.
With the spine facing me I started sewing by going into the first station and coming out the second and then going into the third, etc. The twine is secured by looping the thread around it and going back into the same station.
Sewing together the first 3 signatures was muy awkward. The twine was flopping everywhere while I was trying to keep the ungodly amount of thread from grabbing and tipping over everything on my desk. To be fair, the waxed thread only had one hellacious knot.
About halfway through the twine started working with me by holding the book block together. The ends of each signature are secured with a kettle stitch where you slip the needle between the last signature until you have a small loop and then put the needle through that and pull straight up.
\o/ The finished book block!
I keep thumbing through it because it already has the feel of a book. I have the same kind of amazed sense of accomplishment that I did the first time I drove on a freeway.
Next up: Rounding and gluing the spine. I kind of dread this because I'm afraid that it's going to turn into a sticky mess. I really don't want to relive all the glue mishaps I had last week when I was a wee little girl.