Long Stitch Book Binding for Rapid Journals, Sketchbooks, Etc. (No Fancy Stuff!)

This step-by-step instruction shows how to bind signatures into a cover using the simplest of sewn bindings, the long stitch.

The cover I am using here is three pieces of chipboard with a self-adhesive linen fabric patch used to make a hinge.

The signatures forming the text block are a combination of design vellum, drawing paper, grid paper, and iso paper, a nice collection for design ideation.

The thread is unwaxed dyed linen. For larger or more ambitious bindings, I would wax the thread. (if it tangles, you should have waxed it - otherwise, no worries.)

This project may take a bit over an hour the first time you do it, but with practice it runs 20-30 minutes, depending on the number of signatures.

Relaxing, yet speedy! Have fun with it.

Cover:

• Three pieces of chipboard, (2) A4 size, (1) 8.3" x 1/2"
• 3" x 15" strip of self-adhesive linen

Text block:

• (5) signatures of various papers, including
• Design vellum
• White 80 lb. drawing paper
• Grid/graph paper, 8 squares per inch
• Iso grid paper
• Each signature of 7-10 sheets, depending on paper thickness.
• Each sheet folded and creased individually (or a few at a time).

Binding:

• Unwaxed dyed linen thread, 14x the length of the binding (~84")
• The calculation is: (length of binding) x [(# of signatures)(x2)(+4)]

Helpful extras

• Several small pieces of corrugated cardboard
• Wax (for the thread)
• A drawing triangle

Make sure your signatures neatly fill the cover.

Open the cover to the inside.

Measure 1" (plus or minus) from the top of the cover

Mark the location with a bold horizontal line in pencil or marker - whatever shows clearly on your cover material. For dark covers, use a silver sharpie or similar.

This will be covered by your signatures.

Place 3 or more small (~3"x5") scraps of corrugated cardboard under your cover.

Using an awl, press firmly down at one end of your marked line to make a hole.

If you are using heavy board, it can help to rotate your hand in small circles.

Next, make a second hole at the opposite end of the line.

Evenly divide the remainder of the line, making the same number of holes as you have signatures.

Hold your cover up to the light to check quantity and spacing.

This is much harder to fix after you begin stitching.

Open the cover on your desk.

Set your signatures where they will be bound.

If you have a drawing triangle, use it to draw a vertical line up from the line of holes you punched in the cover. You can use a ruler, book, or just eyeball it, if you don't have a triangle.

Make sure your pencil makes a mark on the back of each of your signatures.

Using your awl, punch the holes you marked in the signatures.

Make sure your pages stay aligned with each other.

Use the scrap cardboard under your signatures to protect your desk.

Set aside your signatures, in a stack, upside-down and away from you.

Set the cover open on your desk, with the back of the book close to you.

Take the bottom signature from your stack, and place it on top of the front cover.

Thread your needle. You do not need to knot the string, but may choose to if it comes loose easily.

Begin stitching by passing the needle out through the hole in the signature.

Then pass it through the bottom-most hole in the spine.

After passing out through the signature and spine at the bottom, pass it back in through the outside of the cover at the top of the spine.

You've now made a loop of string, and your needle is back outside the cover.

Pull the extra thread all the way through your book, so there's only 4" or so left sticking out of the first hole.

Pass the needle under the tightened thread, then through the loop.

Important! Check to make sure the thread around the signature is tight before you tighten the knot.

Pull down toward the first hole.

The knot will snug down into that hole.

Pass the thread back in through the spine at the second hole in the top of the book.

You do not need to knot the thread for any of the middle signatures.

Pass the thread in through the last hole in the top of the book.

Pass the thread in through the top of the last signature.

Pass the the thread down and back out the bottom of the signature.

Pass the thread back into the same hole as before - the last one at the top of the book.

Important - before you tie the final knot, tighten the thread in all the signatures, so that they suck back to the spine.

Holding the book spine up, pluck each length of thread on the outside of the spine near the bottom of the book. Pull firmly, and you will see the slack in the thread disappear.

Work your way from the first signature to the last one until all the slack is out of the binding.

After the binding is tight, open the last signature again and pass the needle under the taut thread.

Pass the needle through the loop.

Once again, pull the knot toward the last hole, so that it snugs down into the hole.

Optional.

You've got a new sketchbook!

(If the binding is a little loose, you can tie a piece of string around the long stitches, creating an hourglass shape and taking out a little slack.

If your book is larger than 8", you should do this twice, at top and bottom, so that the stitches don't get too long/loose.