Signatures
All my notebooks are made using signatures, these are groups of 4 to 6 pages that have been folded together in half. For all my bindings I then press the signatures and then use an awl to poke each signature with holes for sewing. The sewn signatures are pressed again before being used.
At present I am working with three styles of bindings; case bound, coptic binding, and sewn boards binding.
Case Bound.
This is a traditional hardback binding with a flat spine. The signatures are hand sewn on tapes or link stitched, where the thread from one signature hooks into the sewing of the one below. Endpapers, the coloured pages at the front and back are ‘tipped’ on and the spine is glued.
The edges with are trimmed with my press and plough, cutting through the pages a page or two at a time.
Now I glue mull to the spine, and cover it with kraft paper. The case is made separately, book board is measured and cut to fit the book block and then covered with book cloth, fabric, buckram, and/or decorative paper in different styles. It is then put into the press to dry flat.
It all comes together when I ‘case in’ the book. I glue the mull and endpaper into the case. This may seem very simple, but this can be the most stressful part of the process. Get it wrong, or even slightly wonky and the book is a dud!
Coptic Binding
Coptic binding is the oldest type of binding there is, before this innovation people were using papyrus scrolls for writing or reusable wax tablets for note taking. For these books the covers are made in advance and the first signature is sewn into the front cover.
A much thicker thread is used and is normally coloured to match the covers as it is on display. The following signatures are sewn into the ones below and the final signature and cover are sewn in at the same time (this bit can be quite tricky). There are many variations of coptic binding and it can be used alongside other types of sewing e.g. the link stitch.
These books are ideal for use as sketchbooks as they open completely flat.
Sewn Boards Binding
This type of binding looks more like a case bound book but opens flat like a coptic binding, so its ideal for those who like to draw and write at the same time. The boards are made of layers that are sewn at the same time as the signatures – which are sewn together using a link stitch. The spine is then covered with Japanese paper to keep everything together.
The spine piece is made separately to the rest of the book and attached using book cloth. Decorative paper, or a different book cloth then covers the layers of the boards bringing them together into one piece that has an appealing puffiness to it!
