Sea Lemon - Improved Tutorial on Kettle Stitch Binding for Casebound Books

Introduction

• Speaker: Jennifer from Sea Lemon
• Context: Improved video tutorial on stitching for case binding (since 2012).
• Reason: Previous video was hard to follow due to editing and video quality.
• Focus: In-depth tutorial on stitching and binding method.

Background

• Kettle Stitch Binding: Commonly used in case bound books.
• Process Timing: Stitching is done before adding glue to the spine.
• Variations: Many variations exist; Jennifer’s variation is similar to coptic stitch binding.
• Benefits: Keeps the book flexible, easy to open, and lay flat.

Materials Needed

• Pages: Folded in half and grouped into signatures with binding holes made.
• Thread: Regular, thin sewing thread (prevents bulky text block).
• Needle: Regular sewing needle, double-threaded.
• Optional: Bee's wax to prevent thread tangling.

Stitching Process

Estimating Thread Length

• Work with approx. 2 feet of thread at a time to avoid tangling.

Initial Stitching

1. Preparation: Tie a knot at the end of the thread.
2. First Signature: Place on the bottom, maintaining the order of signatures.
3. Sewing: Sew through the first hole, then the next, continuing this process.
4. Managing Tangles: Go slowly to untangle and consider waxing the thread.

Completing First Signature

• After sewing through all holes, weave back through the previous holes to the start.
• Knotting: Tie a knot on the inside, pull it through the first hole, and tie another knot on the outside.

Adding Additional Signatures

1. New Signature: Place on top and sew through the first hole.
2. Stitching Technique: Loop the needle behind the previous thread and repeat for all holes.
3. Handling Signatures: Can be done on a table or by holding signatures; personal preference.

Tying Off and Adding More Thread

• When thread is short, tie a knot on the inside, pull it to the outside, trim, and start with a new threaded needle where you left off.

Final Signature

• Continue the same binding process for the last signature.
• End by tying a knot on the inside, pulling to the outside, and trimming if necessary.

Final Steps

• Completion: The text block is now ready for gluing and further casebinding steps.
• Flexibility: Thread ends can remain as they will be glued down.
• Applicability: This stitching method can be applied to any casebound book projects.

Conclusion

• Engagement: Follow on social media, share project pictures with hashtag #SeaLemon.
• More Projects: Subscribe for more bookbinding projects and comment with requests.
• Links: Additional resources and related projects are provided in the description.