The Coptic stitch, slowly
The Coptic stitch is the binding most people fall for first. The spine is left bare, the chain of stitches is visible, and the finished book lies completely flat. It is also the binding that taught me the most about patience.
Before you sew
- Fold signatures of four sheets each; six signatures make a comfortable notebook.
- Punch the sewing stations with a jig so every signature lines up exactly.
- Wax the thread. Unwaxed linen tangles and frays by the third signature.
- Use a curved needle if you have one. It makes linking under the previous stitch much easier.
The first signature is the hard part
Attaching the first signature to the front cover sets the tension for the whole book. Too tight and the cover will not open fully; too loose and the book slumps. I aim for the cover to swing open under its own weight but not flop past ninety degrees.
Kettle stitches
At the head and tail of each signature you drop down and loop under the stitch of the signature before. That kettle stitch is what locks the text block together. If a book ever feels wobbly, the kettle stitches are usually why.
A habit worth keeping: after each signature, close the book and look at the spine from the side. Uneven chains are much easier to fix now than after the last signature is on.
My first Coptic book took an entire weekend. The tenth took an evening. The stitches themselves never got faster; I just stopped having to undo them.