In the art of
bookbinding, the longstitch technique is used for binding the sections (signatures) of a book without using glue. In ''Non-adhesive Binding: Books without Paste of Glue'' (1999)
Keith A. Smith
Keith A. Smith (born 1938 in Tipton, Indiana) is an American artist and author. He has taught at the Visual Studies Workshop, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and the University of Illinois. He is a recipient of two Guggenheim Fellow ...
describes that binding a book with a "longstitch through a slotted cover" involves directly sewing each section through the cover, which has slots for attaching each section, and creates a pattern of staggered lines that is visible on the spine of the book.
Another longstitch technique uses the
chain stitch
Chain stitch is a sewing and embroidery technique in which a series of looped stitches form a chain-like pattern. Chain stitch is an ancient craft – examples of surviving Chinese chain stitch embroidery worked in silk thread have been dated ...
to fasten sections, and was used in parchment-covered books with reinforced spines, in the 1375–1500 period.
[Szirmai, J.A. (1999). "The Archaeology of Medieval Bookbinding" ''Scolar Pr.''] The sections were sewn directly through holes in the cover material, with two sections being sewn through each row of holes, which allowed the creation of a chain stitch at the first sewing station and at the last sewing station.
There are many ways to elaborate on the simple longstitch binding. Besides altering the stitching pattern to include crosses, altering the length of the longstitches to have their own patterns, and other patterns, artists have also used multiple colored
thread. There are also a number of different ways to close a longstitch book. Though some longstitch bound book covers are just
trimmed
''Trimmed'' is a 1922 American silent Western film directed by Harry A. Pollard and featuring Hoot Gibson. It is not known whether the film currently survives, and it may be a lost film.
Cast
* Hoot Gibson as Dale Garland
* Patsy Ruth Miller ...
to the edge of the book block, there are a variety of ways to fold over one side of the cover and fasten it. Buttons can be stitched into the binding and a thread attached to the cover flap. A slit can also be cut into the front cover and a strip from the back cover can be slipped through the slit. Modern book artists have elaborated on closure styles.
References
Further reading
*Smith, Keith A. (1995). "Non Adhesive Binding, Vol. 1, Books Without Paste or Glue."''keith a smith BOOKS (Rochester, NY).''
*Smith, Keith A. (1995). "Non Adhesive Binding, Vol. 2, 1- 2- and 3-Section Sewings."''keith a smith BOOKS (Rochester, NY).''
*Smith, Keith A. (1995). "Non Adhesive Binding, Vol. 3, Exposed Spine Sewings."''keith a smith BOOKS (Rochester, NY).''
*Smith, Keith A. (2001). "Non Adhesive Binding, Vol. 4, Smith's Sewing Single Sheets."''keith a smith BOOKS (Rochester, NY).''
*Smith, Keith A. (2003). "Quick Leather Bindings, Non Adhesive Binding, Volume 5."''keith a smith BOOKS (Rochester, NY).''
Bookbinding
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