Another style of fastener consists of a cord or braid similarly inserted with a fancy knot in place of the bead.
Problem XIV
SEWING AND BINDING A BOOK
Time: 10 hours.
Materials: Newsboard,[5] vellum, cover paper, white paper, tape, sewing linen, and “super.”
There are several ways of sewing a book and even more ways of binding it after it is sewed. The first method here given is the simplest, and is such as is feasible in a fifth or sixth grade without a sewing frame, a press, or other apparatus than the simple tools required in the previous problems.
First determine the shape and size of the book. It is better at first not to attempt a book which is very thick, seven to twelve signatures being sufficient for a beginning. A “signature” is the name applied to a folded sheet, several of which go to make up the inside of a book. If the sheet is folded once it is called a “folio”; if twice, a “quarto”; if three times, an “octavo.” (See Plate XLVI.) These signatures, when sewed together, form what is technically known as “the book,” and the covers and back “the case.”
[5] A book-cover may be made of heavier newsboard than the articles previously described, although in elementary grades it will probably be more convenient to use one weight only. Number 30 is commonly used for books of ordinary size (say 7½ × 5¼ inches), while for larger books (10 × 7 inches) a still heavier board is used.
With a piece of cheap paper experiment a little, folding it one or more times and if necessary trimming the edges to change size or proportions. When the size is determined, cut a sufficient number of sheets, fold, and “stack” (pile) them for sewing. If the paper provided is too small to be used for a “quarto,” place one “folio” inside another which will give two thicknesses of paper at each fold and will have the same effect as a “quarto.” If desired, two or three sheets of paper may be placed together before folding so that there will be several thicknesses at the back.
Plate XLVI. Diagram to show methods of folding sheets of paper.