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MULTI-SIGNATURE BOOKS
Ana Cordeiro
MULTI-SIGNATURE BOOKS PAST AND PRESENT
“When books are bequeathed, rolls of papyrus, or of parchment and wood-slabs, are included, and codices as well. By the designation books, not merely rolls of papyrus, but also any kind of writing which is contained in anything, is understood.”
—IULIUS PAULUS (PRAETORIAN PREFECT), SENTENTIAE, BETWEEN 228 AND 235 CE
Our chronologically compressed perspective of record-keeping devices, also known as books, tends to flatten a few cultural dimensions in favor of linearity. We visualize a neat scheme: wooden tablets/scrolls/codices, the codex being the culmination. These three bookforms, however, coexisted in a rather symbiotic fashion for quite a while, each being the best for a specific task or purpose, much as today we’re able to choose from an abundance of formats as we decide which medium best suits its message.
The oldest known tablet was found as recently as the 1980s, after having spent about three thousand years inside a jar at the bottom of an ocean. No pun intended, but let that sink in: people have been taking notes since the Bronze Age.
Tablets were always portable, reusable, and practical. They consisted, at their most basic, as a pair of wooden or ivory boards about 1/4 inch (6 mm) thick, each hollowed out and filled with beeswax, joined together by means of a thong or a cord. The binding materials are the parts that don’t survive time. Before disintegrating, however, the bindings usually leave impressions.
After a detailed study of such impressions and other iconography and literary evidence, Georgios Boudalis, head of the Book and Paper Conservatory Laboratory of the Museum of Byzantine Culture, Thessaloniki, Greece, explored different methods of joining wooden tablets and, through comparison, argued that a combination of methods commonly used in textile-making technologies in late antiquity were used in the construction of early codices. In other words, the early codex has a lot in common with socks and sandals and such. Granting myself a small poetic license, I would say it’s not a coincidence that the word “text” comes from the Latin textus, “style or texture of a work,” literally “thing woven,” from texere, “to weave, join, fit together, braid, interweave, construct, fabricate, build.” And by the way, the origin of the word “codex” is caudex, which was another word for the wooden tablet (caudex may also defined as the axis of a wooden plant.)
Roman writing materials 44 BCE to CE 400, Roman / Verulamium Museum, St. Albans, Hertfordshire, UK / Bridgeman Images
Professor Yigael Yadin working on one of the Dead Sea Scrolls / Photo © Zev Radovan / Bridgeman Images
But between the Bronze Age tablets and the Bible, there were the scrolls, originally named “biblion,” after biblio or papyrus, from which they were made. It featured both more space and permanence than wooden tablets, and a scribe favoring this device would start with a rolled-up scroll held in his right hand, which he would proceed to gradually roll into his left hand, writing on the exposed inner surface in narrow columns as he went. Long books might have been cut into shorter tomes, after the Greek tomos, “to cut.” Each individual book would then be rolled up as a “volumen,” from the Latin evolvere, “to roll out.”
The codex as we know it does not need to be rolled out, its evolutionary brilliance being the capacity to yield its linear content at any given point inside. Exactly how this evolutionary “leap” occurred is a part of history that has, sadly, suffered from our own thirst for knowledge. As recent as the early 1900s, a codex was viewed as a repository of information rather than as information in and of itself. Too many have been taken apart and cannibalized. It’s as if, until recently, historical artifacts such as jewelry had been taken apart and reduced to smithereens in order for us to fully appreciate their substance. Only precious few codices from various time periods and geographic locations exist in their linear context. My personal lesson from all of that is: my work as an artist is to create bookforms that will hold their own space across time.
Pages from the Codex Sinaiticus (vellum), Greek, (4th century CE) / Monastery of Saint Catherine, Mount Sinai, Egypt / Photo © Zev Radovan / Bridgeman Images
The best summary I have found in my studies to help locate the book as a form in place and time was again from Georgios Boudalis: “The establishment of the codex in the first five centuries CE should be viewed not as an epiphany but as a gradual, complex, nonlinear evolutionary process. Out of the various manifestations of the book, used simultaneously and for different purposes in the same time and place, the format with the greatest number of advantages, not only practical and economic but also symbolic and social, must have been selected and adopted.”
Accordingly, I am sharing here three projects that have come together through the many years I benefited from the generosity of instructors and colleagues. In addition, there are a variety of tips I’ve picked from looking at the construction and artistry of books, and reading books about books. There is also something else to share that other bookbinders will understand, the individual touch—the essence and muscle memory that comes from the experience of making a book our own. I can’t even begin to imagine how much farther these projects may be taken by your own hands.
HARDCOVER BOOK WITH A CLOTH HINGE AND LAPPED COMPONENT
There are many ways to produce a hardcover book, some of them more conventional than others. We’ll start with a flatback, a name describing the shape of the spine—flat, as opposed to rounded. The mechanics of a flatback can be a bit tricky to approach because of the way the covers open. For the cover boards to move gracefully in relation to one another, a gap between the front cover and the spine piece needs to be established. Also called joint space, this gap can be based on an equation of parts, which results in the most classic look of a hardcover flatback. Or, the gap can be pre-established, with the help of a couple of innovative tools, resulting in a modern-looking version of the same binding (and a gentler learning curve).
The latter is the approach for this project, based on a handout my friend Lee Marchalonis prepared for a workshop she taught at The Center for Book Arts, plus a twist I was fortunate to learn from one of my teachers, Laurel Parker.
You’ll make this book in two parts: first, preparing the text block, and then casing in. You have two choices for the case: a full-cloth binding or a quarter binding. Directions for both follow.
MATERIALS
Text block papers
Paper for the flyleaf
Book cloth (the same book cloth that will be used for the cover)
Newsprint scrap
Plain PVA
Wax paper
Strips of lightweight paper
Cardstock
Linen thread
Ramie tapes
Beeswax
Japanese tissue (kozo fiber)
Western paper (110–150 grams, acid-free)
Rice or wheat paste
Methylcellulose
Mull
TOOLS
Pressing boards and weights
Snap blade
Bone folder/Teflon folder
Small brush
Needle tool
Needles
Spring dividers
Bowl for mixing glue
Reliure-en-valise is a tribute to Marcel Duchamp’s masterpiece Boîte-en-valise. It’s a box with seven different bindings (Japanese binding, longstitch/linkstitch, Coptic binding, screw-post binding, album with mats, portfolio with yapp edges, and a Jean de Gonet–style binding). It features white calf leather, black calf leather, linen cloth, Japanese cardstock, German mould-made paper, waxed linen thread, pearl buttons, and bones clasps. Made for a traveling exhibition of the Institut Français.
Design: Laurel Parker
Fabrication: Laurel Parker Book
Lee Marchalonis, Mystery of the Musty Hide, 2014 Copperplate photogravure, linoleum, handset type, handmade flax paper treated with beeswax and ink. Edition of 35, 36 pages.
Make the Text Block
1. Fold your signatures. After they are folded, it is important to let them rest for a few days under weight. This will help minimize the curve of the fold, which should not be underestimated. As a friend of mine said as she realized why her book was being disagreeable: The fold has a dimension, and that dimension was out to get her. The goal of pressing is to minimize such fold dimension, so that no extra space will be floating around between pages, causing mayhem. The more consolidated the text block, the easier the next steps and the more satisfying the end product. Note the difference in pressed signatures, below.
Make the Hinge
There are a number of ways of connecting a text block to its covers; here I will detail what I think is the most user-friendly method, which happens to be also the most wear-and-tear resistant: the best of both worlds. Using a piece of book cloth, we’ll create hinges that will be sewn along with the text block, with the purpose of making your life much easier later on.
1. With a snap blade, cut the front flyleaf (the piece of paper to be attached to the hinge) to the dimensions of the text block.
2. Cut a piece of book cloth 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide by the length of the text block. Make sure it is the same cloth as the cover.
3. With a bone folder, score a 1/8-inch (3 mm) fold to crisply mark the cloth.
4. Mask the portion beyond this 1/8-inch (3 mm) score with a strip of newsprint. Apply plain PVA outward from the fold line with a brush. The flyleaf will be attached to this fold with the cloth right side up, even though it feels counterintuitive. Figure A
5. Place a piece of wax paper on top and leave it to dry under weights. Repeat the procedure for the back flyleaf.
Prepare a Jig
1. The points along the fold where the thread weaves in and out of the folios are called sewing stations. To help position and space the sewing stations evenly along the spine, we’ll create a punching jig. There are a number of ways to create a punching jig. My favorite is to use a strip of lightweight paper 2 or 3 inches (5 or 7.5 cm) wide, cut to the height of the text block. By folding this strip of paper in half, end to end, and then in half again, the fold lines create three equidistant points. You can create more points, with additional folds, for a taller book. When the jig is placed along the inside of the spine, the folds mark the places for the sewing stations, where you will attach the sewing supports. These are reinforcements that ensure the stitching holds the signatures firmly to the spine.
Note: In contemporary books, the sewing supports are made of linen or ramie tapes. In older books, the reinforcing was done with cord, which created the classic look of Western binding with a rounded spine and evenly spaced horizontal ridges.
Sewing Supports
Today, linen tape is used for the sewing supports in larger books. For smaller volumes—let’s say, a slim book of poetry with no more than 4 or 5 signatures—ramie tapes will suffice, and they are preferred because they are easier to conceal as they get attached to the boards.
1. As a rough guide, a 6- to 8-inch (15 to 20.5 cm)-tall book might require only 3 sewing supports of 3/8-inch (1 cm) tapes. For a 10-inch (25 cm)-tall photo album with say, 100 pages, it would be better to use 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) tape placed in 4 stations along the spine.
2. This project requires 3 sewing supports. Create a 3-fold jig as described at left to establish where the sewing stations will fall along the spine. You will also need to mark the stations for a kettle stitch at the head and another at the tail. These additional sewing stations are the anchors at either end of the spine. It is through the kettle stations that the signatures will be linked to one another with a chain stitch. See kettle stitch illustration, shown here.
3. The kettle stations normally fall about 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) from the head and 3/4 inch (2 cm) from the tail—placing them at the matching distances from the head and tail can cause regrettable accidents such as sewing signatures upside down. Figure B
4. With the sewing stations determined, transfer all of them from your lightweight paper jig onto a piece of cardstock, the same length as the spine. The cardstock paper is more durable and will last longer as you work on pre-punching stitch holes into the signatures.
5. You can punch the signatures over a board to give you more control over where the holes will sit. This is particularly true when you are punching the holes on the cloth hinge: It can be unsightly to have them on the cloth side because this is where the thread will show (and this is the first place readers’ eyes will fall when they open the book). To punch the holes you’ll use your needle tool and carefully punch each signature through, one at a time. For more details, see here.
Sew the Signatures
1. Once the sewing stations are punched, the sewing begins. Lay your first signature down. You will use your dominant hand as a guide to go from outside in with your needle, and your other hand inside out. This will help create a flow in the stitching that allows the signatures to stay on top of one another without wiggle room. Sewing is meant to eliminate space so there is no wiggle in the signatures of your book. As you work your way along, add each signature on top of the last, and sew through, until you have put all the signatures together. Figure C
2. It’s tempting to pick up the signatures so you can get a better look at the location of the sewing stations as you work, but I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to control this impulse. The signatures must remain flat on the bench as you sew them together. It helps me a lot to set myself up so that my head height is at a comfortable angle for looking at the sewing stations (meaning that I use either a tall bench or a low chair). I also do the whole procedure on top of a thick board or large book, which particularly helps with angling the needle as it goes from inside out.
3. For this project, we are using a herringbone stitch, as follows: Enter at the first sewing station at the tail of the signature and leave the end of the thread—about the length of the signature—dangling. You will be sewing along the length of the signature, moving from the bottom up. Figure D
Herringbone Stitch
4. Exit and reenter at each of the stations, ending with the head kettle stitch station (see here).
5. Insert the tapes along the 3 support stations, leaving a couple of inches (5 cm) hanging below the signature.
6. Sew upward to the next signature at the head kettle stitch.
7. As the needle exits the first sewing station, use it to catch the strand of thread that wraps across the support tape of the signature below, creating a loop underneath. This is the basic principle of sewing, the means of fastening the tapes to the spine side of the signatures and also of reinforcing the connection of the signatures to one another.
8. Repeat on the second and third (or however many) support sewing stations, exit on the tail kettle stitch, and tie a double knot with the thread length left outside the first signature.
9. Sew upward to the third signature, repeat the procedure of looping under all existing supports (in this case, the ramie tapes), and exit on the head kettle stitch.
10. Loop under the link between the first and second signatures.
11. As the needle moves upward after looping, insert the needle inside the stitch it has just created and pull it upward to firm the tension and lock the kettle stitch in place. That is the procedure for all the kettle stitch stations (aka turn-over stations) at the head and the tail.
12. As the support station looping is repeated, the signatures will be collected and fastened on top of one another.
Sew in the Flyleaf
1. After you finish stitching the signatures, it’s time to sew in the front flyleaf. A double kettle stitch finishes the sewing on this end. Figure E
2. Flip the book to add the back flyleaf. Figure F
3. Use the tail of the thread that was left there. A double kettle stitch finishes up. Figure G
Line the Spine
When the sewing has united all the signatures, you’re ready to stabilize the square “backbone” of the book into one flexible unit. Lining the spine holds the signatures in their proper relation so that when the book closes, the “backbone” returns to its proper shape. As Georgios Boudalis explains in The Codex and Crafts in Late Antiquity, “The spine is as important to the anatomy of the book as it is to human anatomy.”
1. Cut a strip of Japanese tissue to the width of the spine (measured at the support) using a spring divider or a strip of paper, and trimmed to just a hair under the height of the text block. Figure H
2. Cut a piece of lightweight Western paper to a width extending beyond the spine a couple of inches (5 cm) on each side and 1/8 inch (3 mm) smaller than the Japanese tissue strip.
3. Cut a piece of mull or any 100 percent cotton fabric to the same dimensions as the paper in step 2. Figure I
4. Trim the thread left from sewing to about 1/2 inch (1.3 cm), and fray it. A very important action now is to jog the whole of the text block at the head. You do this by picking the text block up so the head is perpendicular to the table top. Tap the entire head gently against the table surface twice or three times to line up any unevenness in the alignment of the signatures. After jogging, place the text block carefully on the table and place a board and a weight on top, with the weight placed closer to the spine. If for any reason you need to pick up the text block before you begin to treat the spine, repeat the jogging.
Adhere the Lining with Rice or Wheat Paste
Note: Paste should be the first adhesive that comes in contact with the spine because it is reversible. Rice or wheat paste will allow you to remove or adjust the lining with minimal or no damage to the text block paper.
1. Brush a thin layer of paste along the spine.
2. Wait a couple of minutes, then run the bone folder along the spine until the peaks are flattened and joined together. Repeat if needed. Figure J
Note: Be mindful of the pressure you apply with the bone folder as you make this motion. It needs to be persuasive without being destructive. If this is starting to sound like a relationship, fear not. There is no need of counseling with this partner. Balance is important and sometimes gentleness is of the essence, but as my teacher used to say, “You have to show the book who is in charge.”
3. When all the peaks in the spine are flattened and the surface feels continuous and straight, begin to line it. The first layer will be the prepared strip of Japanese tissue, centered so that it straddles the spine from side to side, and lies just below the head and tail edges of the spine. Figure K
4. Use a dry brush to tap along the spine and move the tissue to fill in all the spaces between the signatures. Allow the first layer to dry. Figure L
5. Brush a thin a layer of glue mixture (70 percent PVA and 30 percent methylcellulose) along the spine.
6. Center the second prepared piece of lightweight paper on the spine. It will extend by 2 inches (5 cm) on either side of the spine, and will be slightly shorter than the Japanese tissue at the top and bottom of the spine.
7. Repeat the procedure with the dry brush to pounce the new layer of paper into all the nooks and crannies.
8. Apply another layer of glue as in step 5, then center and apply the piece of mull. Allow it to dry completely; it should feel firm and stable. If you have access to a guillotine and wish to trim the head and tail of the text block, do it after the spine is absolutely dry. The text block is now ready for casing in. Figure M
CASING IN
The process of adding covers to the text block is called “casing in.” A prepared set of cover boards is called a “case,” and there are a number of ways to make one. The methods I describe here combine user-friendliness and durability, by means of what is called a lapped component. These initial steps are for both the full cloth and the quarter binding.
MATERIALS
Text block
0.10-point cardstock (about 200-gram paper)
PVA
Methylcellulose
Newsprint
Binder’s board
Book cloth
Blotters and wax paper
Decorative/colored papers
Ramie tapes
Medium-weight paper (110–175 grams)
TOOLS
Sandpaper
Snap blade
Spring dividers
Awl
Pencil
Bowl for mixing glue
Brushes (one small and one medium)
Bone folder
Weights
Board shears
Scissors
Straightedge
Ruler
Cutting mat
Prepare the Boards
Before we attach the cover, we first have to prepare the boards it’s made from. A lapped component is, essentially, a paper wrapper inside the spine. Figure A
The lapped component binding incorporates a sheet of paper that holds the boards in place while they are being covered. It also allows the binder to stabilize the narrow space between the cover boards and the spine. This functional space is set into motion every time the book opens and closes. Having the positions of the cover boards and spine secure allows the binder to focus on adhering the cloth cleanly and well, without having to worry about anything shifting.
Make a Lapped-Component Case
The board size will be:
Height: the height of the text block plus 1/4 inch (6 mm)
Width: the width of the text block plus 1/4 inch (6 mm)
Note: This is an oversized dimension to be trimmed before covering. It’s useful to mark the fore edges of the front and back covers “TRIM” to remind yourself.
If your board edges are jagged from trimming, sand the edges. Rough edges might not be visible under book cloth, but they are likely to show under a paper covering.
Make the Spine Strip
1. With a snap blade, trim a piece of .10-point cardstock to the height of the book. The color of the cardstock will not show in the binding unless you use a white or light-colored book cloth.
2. Measure the width of the spine using a strip of paper or spring dividers. Transfer that measurement to the spine strip and trim it using a fresh blade.
3. The width of the connecting sheet is 1 inch + 5/16 inch (2.5 cm + 8 mm) for the front joint space + spine width + 5/16 inch (8 mm) for the back joint space +1 inch (2.5 cm).
4. Make pricks for all these distances on the connecting sheet using an awl and draw pencil lines to show where the spine strip will be placed. Figure B
5. On the back of the connecting sheet, draw pencil lines to mark the 5/16-inch (8 mm) distance from the spine strip on each side. These are the guides for the board placement.
6. Glue the spine strip using a mixture of 70 percent PVA and 30 percent methyl-cellulose. Brush it carefully on the connecting sheet as indicated by the pencil marks. Flip it over and use the bone folder to smooth it. Let it dry under weight for a few minutes.
Attach the Front and Back Cover Boards to the Connecting Sheet
1. Before applying glue to the connecting sheet, protect the area that won’t be glued with newsprint.
2. Position the first board on the glue and press with your fingers to make sure it adheres evenly. Figure C
3. Flip it over and use the bone folder to smooth the back. Do the same for the second board. Double-check that nothing slipped out of position after you flipped it back and forth. Figure D
4. Place the attached boards under weight and let them dry.
5. Remove the boards from the press. Center the book block inside and mark the final cover width. Figure E
6. With the book block centered inside the case, visualize the same extra area you see around the head and tail and mark that edge on the board at the fore edge of the text block. That extra area between the text block and the boards is called “the square of the book.” The square should be about 1/8 inch (3 mm) for head and tail, and 1/8 inch (3 mm) plus a hair to the fore edge.
7. Using board shears or a sharp blade, trim the fore edge square. Figure F
8. Place the text block inside again and check the square. This is the time to make any adjustments, if needed.
Make a Full-Cloth Binding
1. Lay the book cloth on your work surface. Lay the attached boards on top of the cloth. Figure G
2. Trim the cloth to the overall size of the attached boards plus 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm) for the height and plus 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm) for the width. Set the book cloth aside where it will stay clean. Figure H
3. Stack several large sheets of newsprint on your work surface. These will help you keep your surface glue free as you proceed through the steps.
4. For a full-cloth binding, it’s easiest to apply the PVA mixture to the boards. Working on top of the newsprint, brush the glue from the center outward on the front cover, back cover, and connecting sheet. Also coat the sides of the boards that face the spine.
5. Discard the soiled sheets of newsprint from the stack. Lay out the book cloth paper side up.
6. Center the glued boards on the book cloth. Make sure glue is a thin coating uniformly spread on the whole surface (including the side of the board on the spine side).
7. Flip the entire piece to the book cloth side and rub the bone folder over the surface from the center outward. Smooth any wrinkles and squeeze out any bubbles. Figure I
8. Flip the piece again so the boards are facing you. Mark the excess to be trimmed from the corners. Trim the corners with scissors (see step 8 shown here). Figure J
9. Apply glue along the length of the head edge of the book cloth. Figure K
10. To turn in the edge, lift a couple of pieces of the newsprint from underneath and use them to bend the book cloth edge over the board. Repeat with the tail edge. Figure L
Note: The sequence of doing the head and tail turn-overs first and the fore edge turn-over last keeps the single thickness of material at the lower corners, where the greatest wear and tear occurs.
11. Pinch the corners with the bone folder or your fingernails to cover the very tips of the boards without any gaps. Run the bone folder along the depth of the glued edges, making sure the book cloth is firmly adhered.
12. When the head and tail edges are done, proceed to the fore edge sides.
13. While the glue is still moist, use the spring dividers to mark a 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) margin inside the turn-ins along each edge. Using a sharp blade and straightedge, trim the excess. Figure M
14. Let the covers dry under weight, sandwiched between wax paper and blotter to absorb all extra moisture.
Make a Quarter Binding with an Inset Label
In a quarter binding, one-quarter of the board is covered with cloth and the rest is covered with paper or other material. Often, in this type of binding, there is an inset label on the front cover. To create the inset for the label:
1. After the case has been fitted to the book and trimmed at the fore edge, measure the width of the front board and mark the point one-quarter of the way in from the spine edge.
2. Draw a pencil line through the mark, parallel to the edge.
3. Measure again and find the midpoint between the pencil line and the spine edge.
4. Mark the placement of your desired label.
5. Double-check that the label placement is squared to the edges of the board. The first layer of the board will be carved out using a sharp blade. Figure N
6. Once you have a frame for the label drawn on the board, place a square edge against each of the four pencil lines and run the tip of the snap blade over each line three or four times. (This will depend on the thickness of the board and the thickness of the label material.) Be consistent with the number of cuts on each edge of the label frame.
7. Use a pencil to mark an X connecting the four corners of the label frame. Run the tip of the snap blade over the lines, the same number of times as you did along the frame edges. You might want to refresh the tip of the snap blade during this process, because the cuts will become shallower as the blade gets duller.
8. With the tip of the snap blade, lift one of the corners and peel off a layer of the board. Do the same at each corner, being careful that you peel roughly the same thickness of board from each section.
Apply the Book Cloth for the Spine
First, determine the size of the book cloth you will need for the spine and cut it to size: The length will be the height of the book, plus 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm). For the width, measure the quarter point between the spine and the fore edge of the book. Multiply that by 2. Add the width of the spine, plus 1/4 inch (6 mm).
1. Place the strip of cloth for the spine wrong side up on a stack of newsprint.
2. Brush a mixture of 50 percent PVA and 50 percent methylcellulose from the center of the strip outward. Give yourself plenty of room for your brushstrokes, to prevent the brush from grabbing the cloth and smearing glue.
3. Carefully lift the glued strip and align it with the quarter-mark pencil line on the front board. Lay it in place and smooth it with the bone folder. Pay close attention to the inner edge of the board facing the spine to be sure there are no air bubbles along the inner edge, and that the cloth is well glued. Figure O
4. Do the turn-in at the head and tail. Figure P
Apply the Paper Covering to the Case
1. Use an awl to mark the point where the paper will overlap the book cloth near the head and the tail. These will be your guides for the placement of the paper. The overlap will be small.
2. Measure your cover paper from the awl marks to the fore edge and add 3/4 inch (2 cm) for the width. Then measure from the head to the tail of the book and add 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm). Place the paper for the front board wrong side up on a stack of newsprint.
3. Using the same glue mixture that you did for the cloth, brush the glue on the paper from the center outward.
4. Carefully lift the paper and align it with the marks that you made with the awl. Set it gently in place. Apply modest pressure first to the edge where the paper overlaps the book cloth, then outward from there. Figure Q
5. If you intend to have an inset panel on your cover, as shown here, gently push the paper into the panel. Be careful not to tear the paper (but be aware that any tears toward the center of the panel will be covered with the label). Work methodically but quickly. Figure R
6. When the paper has been molded into the inset panel, use your bone folder to rub the paper cover from the center of the book outward, to squeeze out any air and smooth any wrinkles.
7. That done, it is time to address the turn-ins. It’s best to wait until the glue is dry before trimming the corners. The process from this point on is the same as with the full cloth binding. Figure S
Everything Comes Together: Casing In
The moment of reckoning has arrived: Be brave and check the fit. Place the text block inside the finished case and check that the squares are even at the head and tail. Those are the places that call for balance. Your eye will jump to those spots immediately if they are not even. The fore edge square may be the same as the head and tail or a hair wider.
1. Wrap the text block with a band of newsprint slightly shorter than the fore edge, leaving the cloth hinges outside the wrapper. Having the fore edge exposed will help you center the text block in the case.
2. Mark the outside front of the wrapper clearly with an H to indicate the head. This is important!
3. Trim the hinging material (the lining of the spine plus the cloth hinge) at the head and tail, on both front and back covers. Your trimming should taper from the tip of the spine downward like a carrot shape. Figure T
4. Set the text block on your work surface. Place a piece of wax paper (the same height and width as the text block) under the hinging material. Cut a couple of pieces of newsprint that will extend beyond the head and tail of the book by about 1 inch (2.5 cm) at each end. Place the newsprint sheets on top of the wax paper.
5. If you are using ramie tapes as shown here, this is the time to fray them. (Fraying the tapes will allow them to be concealed better under the boards.) Figure U
Consolidate the Spine Hinges
1. Using a mixture of 70 percent PVA and 30 percent methylcellulose, consolidate all the layers that extend beyond the spine, following this sequence (from the bottom up): first adhere the tapes to the cloth hinge, then adhere this combination to the Western paper, then adhere this combination to the mull. Brush the glue outwardly and evenly. Figure V
2. Discard the soiled newsprint.
3. Flip the book and repeat the procedure on the other side.
4. Leaving the wax paper in place, remove and discard the newsprint sheets without disturbing the freshly glued layers. Place a board with a weight on top of the text block and allow it to dry for at least an hour.
5. When the hinging is consolidated and dry, place a cutting mat in between the hinge and the text block and trim the consolidated hinge to about 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm).
6. Line up the front of the text block with the front cover (the H mark that you made earlier will guide you), and fit the text block snuggly inside the case. Place fresh newsprint (extending beyond the head and tail by 1 inch [2.5 cm]) in between the consolidated hinges and the wax paper. It’s now like a sandwich.
7. Place “the sandwich” on the table and open the front cover. Place a weight on the text block and brush the 70 percent/30 percent glue mixture on the hinge side. Cover it evenly, but avoid excess glue.
8. Discard the soiled newsprint. Holding the text block tightly in place with one hand, close the cover with the other hand. Figure W
9. Flip the book and repeat on the other side. Place the book under a pressing board with a weight on top, and do not open the book again until it is dry. Allow the book to dry overnight.
10. The next day, open the front cover and place a board of about the same thickness as the text block underneath the cover to support it. Measure the medium-weight paper, cut it to size, and check that it’s right. This will be your paste-down, the piece of decorative or colored paper adhered to the inside of the cover. It normally fits inside the cover square—in other words, the same height and width as the text block. However, for aesthetic reasons, it can also be a little larger and/or taller than the text block. Cut the front and back pastedowns at the same time.
11. Keeping the cover supported from underneath and open against the table, cut 2 sheets of wax paper and 2 sheets of blotter paper that are about the same length as the text block and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wider.
12. Place the pastedown on top of a few sheets of newsprint and brush on an even mixture of 50 percent PVA and 50 percent methylcellulose from the center outward. As you do this, be sure to lift the brush at the edge of the paper with each stroke so that you don’t accidentally catch an edge with the gluey brush. Avoid excess glue.
13. Pick up the pastedown and position it on the cover, guiding it, by eye, to the desired position. Place a piece of newsprint on top and rub it down gently but vigorously with the bone folder. Figure X
14. Discard the newsprint. Set the text block on your work surface and place a piece of blotter on top of the text block, and then the wax paper between the blotter and the pastedown. Flip the book and repeat the procedure on the back. Let it dry under weight.
SOFT LEATHER COVER FOR A CASED BOOK
For this project, we’ll begin by creating a leather panel for the cover of a cased book. When the panel is prepared, we’ll prepare it for use as a binding and then adhere it to the text block. This cover design features a flap that wraps around the fore edge of the book, overlapping and protecting the front cover.
MATERIALS
Strips of split leather (leather that is pared down to 0.65 to 0.75 mm thickness)
Medium-weight paper
Punching jig that you used for the signatures
Linen thread
Japanese paper
PVA glue
Mix of PVA and methylcellulose
Mull
Blotter paper
Binder’s board
Wax paper
Newsprint
Ramie tapes
TOOLS
Sharp craft knife
Metal straightedge
Awl
Needle
Brush for gluing
Pencil
Bone folder
Cutting mat
Weights
The Lacunose Leather Technique
This leather cover features a variation of an original technique developed by bookbinder and restoration expert Paul Delrue. Initially named the “Sanding and PVA-ing” method, it is now known as Lacunose (meaning “furrowed” or “pitted”). It’s created by gluing strips of leather in layers using PVA glue. After you’ve allowed the glued layers to dry under pressure, you’ll sand the overlaps for a smooth finish.
The technique offers a great degree of expression, as it makes use of the many surprises that surface throughout the process. A hint to remember from Paul Delrue: As you apply and glue the pieces of leather, vary the pattern of application, overlapping some pieces, puckering others, putting some directly on top of others.
BEFORE YOU START
Size. Determine the size of your panel. To create this wrap-around cover, the height of your panel will be the height of the text block. The width of the panel will be twice the width of the text block, plus twice the width of the spine, plus the overlap for the fore-edge flap. This overlap should be enough to cover the area from the fore edge to close to the spine.
Note: It’s a good idea to figure in an extra 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) all around to start.
Color. Determine your palette of colors and the width you’d like the leather strips to be. In choosing colors, remember that sanding will strip away the top finish of the leather: What will remain is the color on the back of the skin. As Paul Delrue says, “Choose skins that have brilliant colors hidden away inside them—colors that are only revealed through sanding. Every piece of leather reveals different colors when sanded.”
If you don’t want the leather panel to have a widely uneven surface, take care to maintain a consistent number of overlapping layers as you work. I created my example with three alternating colors and took pains to make sure each overlap was two layers—but it was all too easy to suddenly find three layers lurking here and there. When that happened, I used a sharp snap blade to cut and extract the third layer.
LAY OUT THE PANEL
Cut a piece of handmade paper to the dimensions you’ve determined for your cover. Begin by lining up strips of leather as a frame along the edges of the paper and then work within that frame. Use horizontal strips for the top and bottom of the panel and a single vertical strip along the right-hand edge. (The left side will be edge of the cover’s flap and does not need a vertical strip.)
GLUING
Use a mixture of 50 percent PVA and 50 percent methylcellulose. As you set about layering your pattern, make sure you don’t leave any surface of the paper base uncovered. Figure A
DRYING UNDER PRESSURE
After you’ve layered your design and adhered it to the paper, allow it to dry for at least one hour under weight or in a nipping press.
SANDING
Sanding has two goals. One is the abstract effect it creates, the other is to consolidate all layers into a single thickness. When you rub your fingers over the finished surface, nothing should stick out. This ensures longevity and gracious wear, because anything raised is apt to snag and lift, potentially compromising the integrity of the whole piece. Figure B
Bits of leather might peel off before you’re done sanding. Use plain PVA to glue them down again, let the glue dry, and carry on. The goal is to sand away the overlaps. Once the sanding starts to wear down the finish in the portions where there is only a single layer, stop.
After the initial sanding, I applied a layer of watery PVA glue and allowed it to dry under pressure with a sheet of acetate on top. After, I sanded again, first by machine with medium-grit sandpaper for about 15 minutes, and then for a half hour by hand, spot sanding details with a fine-grit sandpaper before pressing. Figure C
If you enjoy the sanding process, by all means, work with more layers than I have here. In doing so, you might have to re-glue some spots that lift. Press and compact each time under a sheet of acetate or Mylar. Between rounds of sanding (particularly when layers start peeling off or when more layers are added), apply a coat of watery PVA, about 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) to 1/2 cup (120 ml) of water, and allow that to dry for at least an hour. If you have access to a nipping press after the watery PVA has dried, give it a good nip under a layer of acetate. Once you have sanded to your heart’s content, brush on another coat of watery PVA, let it dry for at least one hour, place a clean piece of acetate on top, and leave it under weight (or in a nipping press) overnight.
You’re ready to prepare the binding.
Binding
For this cover with its wrap-around flap, we’ll use the same text block preparation previously shown (see here), with a couple of step variants. First, instead of cloth hinges we will produce a set of endsheets that will function as an opening pleat for the joint. Figure D
Second, we will use plain PVA to line the spine. Although plain PVA it is not usually the preferred method for spine linings, it offers the ideal degree of plasticity for a one-piece wraparound leather cover.
Preparing the Endsheets
1. Choose a light- or medium-weight colored or decorative paper for the endsheets.
2. Trim 2 pieces of the colored paper to the same height as your text block and to the width of one open folio plus 1 inch (2.5 cm).
3. Fold them in the middle, with the right side facing inside.
4. Score the folded paper 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) away from the fold. Do the same to the other piece. This will create a tab. Figure E
5. Punch the sewing stations along the tab, using the same punching jig used for the signatures (see here). These endsheets will be sewn onto the text block with the tab side facing up. As you position the punching jig, bear in mind that the front decorative paper fold will mirror the one in the back.
6. Sew the endsheets in using the thread that was left, or add a new length of thread with a weaver’s knot (see here).
Spine Lining
1. Proceed the same way as previously shown (see here) with one difference. For the first layer of Japanese tissue, you will use plain PVA instead of using paste. The following layers of Western paper and mull can be glued with a mixture of 50 percent PVA and 50 percent methylcellulose.
Pastedowns
1. For the pastedowns, choose the same paper as for the endsheets, or use a different paper as long as it is medium weight and glue-friendly. (Avoid papers that curl a lot when in contact with moisture.)
2. Trim the pastedowns to about 1 inch (2.5 cm) taller than the text block. The front pastedown should be the width of the text block plus 1/2 inch (1.3 cm). The back pastedown should be the width of the text block plus the width of the spine plus the area determined for the fore edge flap plus 1 inch (2.5 cm). Figure F
Casing In
1. Make a case template on paper to determine how the text block will fit inside the case (see here). Be sure to take into consideration that this binding has no square and that it features a fore edge flap. Figure G
2. Determine the place where the spine will sit, marking both the front and back end of the spine width in pencil. Remember, this case has no square, so the front cover width ends at the text block fore edge.
3. Determine where the fore edge flap will end: wrap the paper template around the text block fore edge and mark the width of the fore edge hinge with a pencil. From there you will be able to determine the width of the fore edge flap. Don’t pull the paper template around the text block too tightly; that would throw you off, because the leather cover will not allow sharp creases for such a snug fit. Figure H
4. Check how this paper template fits around the text block; if it doesn’t fit well, make another one.
Transfer the Measurements from the Template to the Leather Panel
1. On the paper side of the leather panel, trim the height, the front cover width, and the fore edge width, and transfer the measurements for the spine and the fore edge flap to the leather panel. Figure I
2. With a bone folder, run several score lines a few millimeters apart, starting and ending about 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) beyond the space where the spine and fore edge flap will be. The goal of the scoring is to facilitate the movement of the leather case; it will be stiff at first. Figure J
3. Erase any pencil marks that may show at the top and bottom, but leave the center lines to guide you later.
4. The panel will be a bit stiff and rebellious at this point. It has yet to learn how to be a book cover, but it will relax into shape after the book is cased and pressed. To facilitate the next steps, massage it around the spine and the fore edge joints with your palm and thumbs. Figure K
Prepare the Text Block for Casing
1. Trim a strip of blotter paper measuring the height of the text block plus 2 inches (5 cm) by 4 inches (10 cm) wide. Insert the blotter strip under the first sheet of endpapers. Make 2 scores on the outside of the first sheet of endpapers: the first score will be 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) away from the spine, the second score 1 inch (2.5 cm) away from the spine. Repeat on the back endsheet. Figure L
2. Remove the blotter strip. Wrap the text block (including the endsheets) with a band of newsprint slightly shorter than the fore edge. Leave the hinging material (mull, Western paper hinge strip, sewing tapes, and tabs) outside of the wrapper. Figure M
3. Mark the outside of the wrapper with an F and an H to indicate which side is the front and which edge is the head, so there’s no mistake. Figure N
4. Taper from the tip of the spine downward in a carrot shape, so it will slope away from the cover edge once the book is cased in. That makes it easier to conceal later. Figure O
5. Place the text block on the table. Place a piece of wax paper the same height and width as the text block under the hinging material, in contact with the text block wrapper. Place a few sheets of newsprint on top of the wax paper. The newsprint should extend beyond the head and tail by about 1 inch (2.5 cm) on each side. These will be used as waste sheets for the next step. Figure P
6. If you are using ramie tapes as shown here, now it is time to fray them.
Consolidate the Spine Hinges
1. Using a mixture of 70 percent PVA and 30 percent methylcellulose, consolidate all the layers that extend beyond the spine in the following sequence (from the top down): mull to Western paper, Western to tapes. Brush outwardly and evenly. Figure Q
2. Discard the soiled newsprint.
3. Flip the book and repeat the procedure on the other side. After you discard the newsprint (making sure the wax paper was kept in place, but without disturbing the freshly glued layers), place a board with a weight on top of the text block. Allow it to dry for at least an hour.
4. When the hinging is consolidated and dry, insert the board strip under the hinging material. Trim the hinging material at the head and tail of the front and back covers. Remove the binder board strip. Make a pencil line 1/8 inch (3 mm) away from the spine on the hinge side on the front and back hinges. Figure R
5. Situate the front of the text block with the front cover (let the previously marked F and H be your guides) and fit the text block with the spine sitting inside your previously penciled lines.
6. Place this sandwich on the table and open the front cover. Place a weight on the text block and brush the 70 percent/30 percent mixture on the hinge side, leaving the 1/8-inch (3 mm) area marked in pencil without glue. This step differs from the previous instructions about casing in, so be sure to attend to it. It will make a difference on how the book opens and closes. Figure S
7. Cover the rest of the hinge area evenly with the glue mixture, but avoid excess. Discard the soiled newsprint. Holding the text block tightly in place with one hand, close the cover with the other hand. Figure T
8. Flip the book and repeat on the other side. Do not open the book again until the hinges are dry—at least overnight. Figure U
Attach the Endsheets
1. When the hinges are dry, open the newsprint wrapper that was protecting the text block and extract the first sheet of the endsheet folio. Do the same for the back cover. Rewrap the text block along with both front and back remaining sheets of the endsheet folio. Figure V
2. The endsheets were scored twice at 1/2-inch (1.3 cm) intervals earlier. Make the first of these scores a mountain fold, and make the second a peak fold (refer to the accordion instructions shown here, if needed). In the end, after the book is cased in, these scores will function as a pleat between the cover and the text block, eliminating potential tugging and tearing of the endsheets at the joint space as the book opens and closes. Figure W
3. Draw a line 1 1/2 inches (3.8 cm) away from the second fold. Figure X
4. Use a snap-away blade to cut this line, leaving a stub. Figure Y
5. On the back of the stub, draw a line 1/8 inch (3 mm) away from the spine edge. This line marks the part of the stub that will NOT be glued down to the front cover. Figure Z
6. Mask the 1/8-inch (3 cm) area with newsprint and apply an even layer of glue on the rest. Figure AA
7. Insert a piece of wax paper on the opposite side of the glued area. Keeping the stub straight (it might want to curl a bit), close the front cover. Allow it to sit for no more than one minute, then open the front cover just wide enough to insert the bone folder and run it along the freshly glued stub. Make sure any wrinkles are smoothed out and there are no air pockets. Figure BB
8. Repeat on the back cover side. Allow the book to sit under weight to dry for at least one hour.
Apply the Pastedowns
The pastedowns were previously cut to allow an excess to extend beyond the head, tail, and fore edge on the front cover. That excess will be trimmed later.
1. Place the book on the table with the front cover open, facing toward you. You can prop the text block against a weight to get it out of your way.
2. Prepare your work surface to work with glue. Trim the materials you will need to have handy after you have adhered the pastedowns: pieces of blotter and Reemay cut to the size of the front cover, and a another set of blotter and Reemay the size of the back cover (extending all the way to the flap). Set those aside for now. Trim a piece of wax paper larger than the front cover on all sides by 1 inch (2.5 cm), and set that aside for now. Trim a few sheets of newsprint a few inches (7.5 cm) bigger than the pastedown to serve as waste paper. Place the pastedown on top of the newsprint with the wrong side up. Brush on a mixture of 50 percent PVA and 50 percent methylcellulose. Figure CC
3. With the front cover open and facing you, massage the joint space so it stays open with ease. Place the large sheet of wax paper you trimmed earlier under the front cover. Gently lift the adhesive-covered pastedown. Working carefully, place it flush along the spine side of the inside front cover. It will extend beyond the other three sides. Rub it with the bone or Teflon folder as needed. Place a sheet of Reemay and a sheet of blotter inside the cover (the Reemay in contact with the freshly glued pastedown, the blotter between the Reemay and the text block). Figure DD
4. The operation is the same for the back cover, except that the pastedown is long enough to extend beyond the fore edge flap. Figure EE
5. Set the book to dry with the front and the back cover closed, but leave the flap open. Place a board and heavy weight on top of the front cover, and another board and weight on top of the open flap. Figure FF
6. Allow both sides to dry entirely, then trim the pastedowns. Do this by placing the inside of the cover against the cutting mat surface so the book hangs on the edge of the table. Figure GG
7. The covers will be stiff at first, especially at the fore edge flap (because it was laid out to dry open). Re-score the fore edge flap, and form it where it belongs. It will relax after being closed under light weight. Figure HH
RELIEF TECHNIQUE COVER WITH MONASTIC ENDBANDS
This project features an adaptation of a relief technique I learned from Biruta Auna. This technique is a way of adding surface design to leather covers using linoleum relief cuts or found objects to create texture, images, and different hues.
With the right amount of moisture, leather can be as satisfying a sculpting medium as clay. Using a nipping press (or a couple of high-pressure clamps) and a soot sponge (or a piece of foam), even a grainy surface such as goat leather will retain a relief design.
MATERIALS
18 inches (45.5 cm) white linen thread
Text block without endsheets (The text block should have a minimum of 7 signatures.)
Core material for the endband (see here)
Flyleaf paper
Pastedown paper
PVA
Methylcellulose
Waste paper
Piece of leather with full thickness (large enough to wrap around the text block forming the front cover, the spine, and the back cover)
Rice or wheat paste
Scrap of binder’s board
Reemay
Leather dressing
Cotton balls
Piece of cotton cloth
2 colors of linen thread, trimmed to 10 inches (25.5 cm) each
TOOLS
2 sewing needles (medium length, sharp, with a large eye)
Snap blade
Straightedge
Thin piece of metal
Bone folder
Scissors
Unmounted linoleum cut or found object to use for an impression
Spray bottle
Brushes
Pressing boards
Soot sponge or piece of foam
Nipping press or high-pressure clamps
Guillotine, to trim the head and tail of the text block before sewing the endbands
Thimble
Needle-nose pliers
2 curved needles
Pin tool or a tapered awl
Biruta Auna is a Latvian artist-designer who graduated from the University of Art in Tallin, Estonia. Auna specializes in experimental decorative techniques in leather, which she uses in her bound journals, albums, and boxes. Biruta Auna, Papillons.
Prepare the Text Block
This project features a hand-sewn Monastic endband that I learned about from a book by Jane Greenfield. The endband helps secure the cover to the text block spine. The endband is woven in two steps: the primary endband, which is sewn directly onto the text block through the kettle stitches, and the main endband, which connects the primary endband to the leather cover. Endbands may be sewn onto untrimmed text blocks, but the result will be uneven. That might be a choice, but the classic look of it requires the head and tail of the text block to be trimmed by a guillotine. If you have access to one, now is the time to trim.
The primary endband is woven in after the signatures are sewn together but before you add the endsheets. It is a new sewing, completely independent from the herring-bone stitches. It uses the kettle stitch stations at the head and tail to weave in and out of the signatures, looping around a core placed on top of the spine. This process feels a bit clumsy at the start, because you have to maneuver around a core that is not yet fixed in place. But once you advance a couple of signatures, the core will be anchored and a rhythm will begin to flow.
1. Using white linen thread, insert a straight needle from the outside of the text block’s first signature kettle stitch, leaving a 2-inch (5 cm) tail on the spine side. Figure A
2. Loop around the core, which should extend 1/4 inch (6 mm) beyond the spine width on both sides. Figure B
3. Go back inside the first signature and exit at the kettle stitch. Figure C
4. Tie the tail from step 1 with a double knot, using the other end of the thread. Figure D
5. With the book spine facing you, thread around the first loop through and under the core, from left to right. The thread will now be toward the fore edge of the book. Figure E
6. Continuing with the spine facing you, pull the thread gently toward the fore edge of the book. Adjust the tension and get rid of any slack. Figure F
7. Bring the thread toward the spine to the left of the first loop and over the core. Make a loop by taking it back under the core. Pull the thread gently toward the fore edge. Adjust the tension to get rid of any slack. Figure G
8. Repeat this last step to create as many loops at required to have the thread lined up with the center of the second signature. Turn the book toward you to insert the needle inside the signature at the kettle stitch station, exiting on the spine side. Figure H
9. Turn the book so the spine faces you. Again begin the process of looping around the core from back to front, creating new loops from right to left, until the thread is lined up with the center of the third signature. From here on, repeat the last steps, going back inside at the center of all the signatures and looping around the core. Figure I
10. Exit from the last signature on the spine side. Tie the thread on the outside of the previous kettle stitch. Figure J
11. Using a fresh blade on a snap knife, trim the excess core material by inserting a thin piece of metal just under the tip of the core. Figure K
12. Finish up by adding a tad of plain PVA to the tips of the core, so the thread loops will be held in place. Figure L
Make the Endsheets
Proceed with the same instructions given shown here.
Work the Leather
1. Make a paper template for your cover. Measure the height from the tip of the head primary endband to the tip of the tail primary endband. The width will be the width of the text block plus the width of the spine plus 1/2 inch (1.3 cm). Figure M
2. Use the template to mark the leather for your cover. Score the lines into the leather with a bone folder. Figure N
3. Then, using a pair of sharp scissors, cut along the scored lines. Be particularly careful when cutting the lines that mark the height of the cover—there will be no further trimming there. Figure O
4. The width on the back cover side will be trimmed after casing in. Keep this in mind as you decide on the placement of your relief-making object.
Note: Before you work directly on the full piece of leather for your cover, you might test your design imprints on a smaller piece of leather, just the size of the front cover.
5. When you’ve planned the placement of your relief-making object, use a spray bottle with plain water to moisten the right side (finished side) of the leather. Let that dry and repeat a couple of times. Figure P
6. Place the leather finished side down on a smooth Formica or Plexiglas surface (be mindful of scratches and bumps on the surface—they might produce marks on the wet leather). Using a heavy brush, apply a thick coat of paste on the unfinished side. Fold the leather piece in half with the pasted surface on the inside and wait a few minutes. Figure Q
7. Open the piece of leather. Using a scrap of binder’s board, scrape off the excess paste and apply a second thick layer. Fold the leather again, wait a few minutes, open it up, and scrape the excess off again. This will saturate the leather with paste, making it more clay-like. Figure R
8. Line the pasted side with a piece of Reemay. Place a couple of waste sheets of paper on a pressing board and set the pasted leather Reemay side down on top of the waste sheets. Figure S
9. Center the object on the pressing board. Place the leather on top of the object, right side down. Figure T
10. Position the leather so the object is where you want it.
11. Place a piece of soot sponge or foam on top of the leather. Add another pressing board and press the whole stack either by using a nipping press or high-pressure clamps. If you are using a nipping press, make sure the design is centered directly under the press screw, and squeeze it tight. Figure U
12. If you are using high-pressure clamps, make sure you frame the design from the opposite ends and all the way to the center. Figure V
13. Allow the leather to dry for at least 4 hours.
14. When you remove the leather from the pressing boards, the Reemay will be stuck to the pasted side. Pull it out. If it tears, don’t worry. The leather will also probably be deformed from being pressed around the object. Figure W
15. Apply the leather dressing. Be gentle with the amount: A slightly dampened cotton ball will suffice. Wait a few minutes and polish it a little using a dry piece of cotton.
Casing In
Follow the directions for casing in shown here, with a few exceptions.
• When you make a paper template, measure the height from the tip of the head endband to the tip of the tail endband. Figure X
• The width will be the front cover plus the spine plus the back cover, plus an extra 1 inch (2.5 cm) to be trimmed off after casing. That will allow you to fold the leather around as a cover, because the skin will tend to stretch a little and throw off the last measurement. This project doesn’t feature the fore edge flap. Figure Y
• As you trim the excess from the pastedowns, also trim any unevenness in the leather. Keep the blade firm and remember that at times you will be trimming two thicknesses of material (paper and leather). Figure Z
• After you glue the pastedown for the back cover, trim the excess leather from the back cover to make it flush with the front cover. Figure AA
• Apply leather dressing. Be gentle with the amount: a slightly dampened cotton ball will suffice. Wait a few minutes and polish it a little using a dry piece of cotton. Figure BB
The Monastic Endband
Core materials for the endbands may consist of a piece of leather glued to itself to form an 1/8-inch (3 mm)-thick layer, to be trimmed to an 1/8-inch (3 mm)-wide strip, with the length equal to the width of the book spine plus 1/2 inch (1.3 cm). The core material could also be made from 7-ply linen thread, trimmed to a length equal to the width of the book spine plus 1/2 inch (1.3 cm).
Monastic bookbinders of the thirteenth century developed this endband. Books featuring it were bound with heavy leather-covered boards for the front and back covers, but the spines were held only by the endbands. That is why I chose it for this project: it prevents us from having to adhere the text block spine to the cover. Unlike the thirteenth-century monks with their enormous tomes, however, we have the luxury of letting go of the heavy wooden boards. Be heartened by the fact that, as book conservator Jane Greenfield has explained, “this endband is easier than it seems.”
Hand-sewn endbands add a professional finish and a charming touch, much as elegant embroidery would make an impression on the hem of a tunic. Most endbands are sewn with colored silk thread. The monastic, being not only charming but also rather utilitarian, requires linen thread. Be sure to choose two contrasting colors; otherwise, the pattern will not catch the eye. You might also want a thimble and/or a pair of needle-nose pliers, to help with sewing through the leather.
Note: The basket weaving community works with a great color selection of linen thread. If you order from them, 3-ply or 4-ply will be perfect (but make sure both colors are of the same thickness).
1. Stand the book on your work surface with the tail side up. (I recommend starting with the tail, because it will give you the experience to take a better turn at the head endband, which is more noticeable.)
2. Tie the ends of threads A and B together with an overhand knot. Use them to thread the curved needles.
3. Insert curved needle A inside the first signature at the tail kettle station, pulling it upward between the book spine and the leather cover. Figure CC
4. Repeat with curved needle B.
5. Switch both threads to straight needles. Both A and B will be now on the fore edge side.
6. With the book fore edge facing you, bring A over the primary endband and insert the needle just below the primary endband from the inside out, piercing through the leather. You might want to use a thimble to push, and/or needle-nose pliers to pull the needle through the leather. Avoid wiggling the needle sideways as you attempt to extract it, as it might break. Figure DD
7. Thread A will now be on the outside of the spine. Turn the book spine to face you. Bring A toward the fore edge, over the primary and back toward you under the primary endband again, piercing the leather to the right side of the first hole. A thimble might come in handy. Figure EE
8. Tighten the thread gently, using your thumb to keep the leather touching the book spine. Leave thread A dangling on the spine side for now. Figure FF
9. Turn the book so the fore edge faces you. With thread B, go inside the loop you have made with thread A, from left to right. Tighten the previous loop from thread A gently. Figure GG
10. With the fore edge facing you, let thread B form a loop on top of itself by bringing it back toward the fore edge. Insert its needle under the primary endband to the right of thread A, exiting on the spine through the leather. You might want to use the thimble to push and the pliers to pull the needle. Don’t pull B too tight. Leave B dangling on the spine side for now.
11. Turn the book so the spine side faces you. Pick up A and insert it to the left of B, through the leather and under the primary endband. I find it easier to use a tapered awl or pin tool to pre-punch this hole. Insert the needle and pull it through. Don’t make a huge hole. Figures HH and II
12. Now thread A will be on the fore edge side, and B will be dangling from the spine.
13. Turn the book so the fore edge side faces you. Make sure the loop you made with B is loose enough to have a needle inserted under its crossing. If it is too tight, loosen it up a bit. With A, go under the crossing of B, going from the spine side toward the fore edge, then toward the right. Figure JJ
14. Form a neat loop sitting on top if itself with A, as you did in step 10 with B. If you loosened the previous loop and it is too large, now is the time to adjust the tension on it.
15. Turn the book so the spine side faces you. Bring A toward the spine. Now both threads will be dangling on the spine side.
16. On the spine side, pick up B and bring it to the left of A, inserting B through the leather under the primary endband. I find it easiest to use a tapered awl or pin tool to pre-punch this hole, and then insert the needle to pull it through. Now B will be on the fore edge side, and A will be dangling on the spine side.
17. Turn the book so the fore edge side faces you. Pick B up and go under the crossing of A, going from the spine side toward the fore edge, then toward the right. Form a neat loop sitting on top of itself with B, and leave the needle dangling on the spine side. By now a pattern has emerged. As you move along, make the tension at each cross easy at first, then adjust it gently once you have inserted the other needle under it.
18. Both B and A are on the spine side now. Repeat steps 16 and 17 with A, and then repeat them again with B, alternating colors across the spine. The crossings are easier to form as the pattern emerges. Figure KK
19. When you reach the end of the primary endband, cross A over B (or B over A) on the spine side, and go under the primary toward the fore edge. Both threads will now be on the fore edge side, centered on the center folio of the last signature. Open the book flat on the table. Loop one thread from left to right, between the kettle station and the station below it. Do the same with the other thread but from right to left, so they face opposing directions, anchored by the existing sewing thread. Tie them with an overhand knot. Trim the threads. Figures LL and MM
20. Turn the book so the head side faces up, and start over.