Tag Archives: holes

japanese stab binding tutorial: sushi

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jsb-37Second place in the tutorial poll. A very simple bind, no twists or complicated V shapes. 58 total holes. If you’d rather have cinnamon rolls instead of sushi, ignore the steps marked with an asterisk “*”.

**click any image to enlarge**

hole pattern
jsb.sushi.holes

sewing pattern
jsb.sushi

EXIT = needle pointed DOWN and ENTER = needle pointed UP
=====
enter 1, leave a tail but don’t knot it, wrap around right edge, enter 1 again
exit 2, wrap around spine, exit 2 again
enter 3
exit 4
enter 5
exit 6
enter 5
exit 4
enter 3
exit 2
enter 1
exit 7
enter 8
exit 9
enter 10
exit 11
enter 12
exit 13
enter 14
exit 15
enter 16
exit 17
enter 18
exit 19
enter 20
*exit 16
*enter 20
exit 19
enter 18
exit 17
enter 16
exit 15
enter 14
exit 13
enter 12
exit 11
enter 10
exit 9
enter 8
exit 7
enter 6
exit 21
enter 5, wrap around spine, enter 5 again
exit 22
enter 23
exit 24
enter 25
exit 24
enter 23
exit 22
enter 5
exit 21
enter 26
exit 27
enter 28
exit 29
enter 30
exit 31
enter 32
exit 33
enter 34
exit 35
enter 36
exit 37
enter 38
exit 39
*enter 35
*exit 39
enter 38
exit 37
enter 36
exit 35
enter 34
exit 33
enter 32
exit 31
enter 30
exit 29
enter 28
exit 27
enter 26
exit 25
enter 40
exit 24, wrap around spine, exit 24 again
enter 41
exit 42
enter 43, wrap around spine, enter 43 again
exit 44, wrap around left edge, exit 44 again
enter 43
exit 42
enter 41
exit 24
enter 40
exit 45
enter 46
exit 47
enter 48
exit 49
enter 50
exit 51
enter 52
exit 53
enter 54
exit 55
enter 56
exit 57
enter 58
*exit 54
*enter 58
exit 57
enter 56
exit 55
enter 54
exit 53
enter 52
exit 51
enter 50
exit 49
enter 48
exit 47
enter 46
exit 45
enter 44
exit 45
enter 40
exit 25
enter 26
exit 21
enter 6
exit 7, tie off

japanese stab binding tutorial: woven

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I’ll be honest, I’ve been working on this tutorial for days. It might be the most convoluted one. I’ve checked and double-checked for errors. If you find one, leave a comment and I’ll fix it as soon as I can.

But ‘woven’ is not that difficult to sew once you understand the technique. If you’ve tried the marionette tutorial, then you could sew this bind with that method. However…if you can figure this technique out, it will give you more options! The ‘woven’ part will actually be partially over the spine edge – though the diagram doesn’t show it well. I rate this pattern somewhere in the intermediate range, with beginning holes.

A few things to remember: when you are making the first diagonal Xs, do not make the knot too tight. Also, leave a bit of slack in the first three Xs. Your fingers will thank you when you try to thread the needle under the massive knot to make the last X between holes 16 and 20. If when you first read the pattern and can’t visualize what to do, just think how an X is written… you sew the first diagonal from the beginning hole to the matching hole on the opposite side of the pattern, and then complete the X on the way back to the original hole. Clear as mud? Well – jump in and try it and hopefully it will make sense!

hole pattern
jsb.woven.holessewing pattern
 jsb.woven

EXIT = needle pointed DOWN and ENTER = needle pointed UP
=====

enter 1, (leave a tail but don’t knot it) wrap around right side, enter 1 again
exit 2, wrap around spine, exit 2 again
enter 3, wrap around spine, enter 3 again
exit 4, wrap around spine, exit 4 again
enter 5, wrap around spine, enter 5 again
exit 6, wrap around spine, exit 6 again
enter 7, wrap around spine, enter 7 again
exit 8, wrap around spine, exit 8 again
enter 9, wrap around spine, enter 9 again
exit 10, wrap around spine, exit 10 again
enter 11, wrap around spine, enter 11 again
exit 12, wrap around left side, exit 12 again
enter 13, wrap around left side, enter 13 again
exit 14, wrap around left side, exit 14 again
enter 15, wrap around left side, enter 15 again
exit 16, wrap around left side, exit 16 again
wrap around spine, exit 16 again
enter 15
exit 14
enter 13
exit 12
enter 11
exit 10
enter 9
exit 8
enter 7
exit 6
enter 5
exit 4
enter 3
exit 2
enter 1, thread needle under 2, over 3, under 4, over 5, under 6, at angle to between 6 and 7; *opposite side* thread needle under 7, over 8, under 9, over 10, under 11
enter 12, thread needle under 11, over 10, under 9, over 8, under 7; thread needle backward (point left) under loop from 1, pull to the right (knot/twist should be vertical), *opposite side* thread needle under 6, over 5, under 4, over 3, under 2
enter 1
exit 17, thread needle over 2, under 3, over 4, under 5, over 6, thread needle under knot/twist between 6 and 7, point right, *opposite side* thread needle over 7, under 8, over 9, under 10, over 11
exit 13, thread needle over 11, under 10, over 9, under 8, over 7, thread needle under twist between 7 and 6, point left, *opposite side* thread needle over 6, under 5, over 4, under 3, over 2
exit 17
enter 18, thread needle under 2, over 3, under 4, over 5, under 6, thread needle under twist between 6 and 7, point right, *opposite side* thread needle under 7, over 8, under 9, over 10, under 11
enter 14, thread needle under 11, over 10, under 9, over 8, under 7, thread needle under twist between 7 and 6, point left, *opposite side* thread needle under 6, over 5, under 4, over 3, under 2
enter 18
exit 19, thread needle over 2, under 3, over 4, under 5, over 6, thread needle under twist between 6 and 7, point right, *opposite side* thread needle over 7, under 8, over 9, under 10, over 11
exit 15, thread needle over 11, under 10, over 9, under 8, over 7, thread needle under twist between 7 and 6, point left, *opposite side* thread needle over 6, under 5, over 4, under 3, over 2
exit 19
enter 20, thread needle under 2, over 3, under 5, over 5, under 6, **thread needle under twist between 6 and 7, don’t wrap knot,** *opposite side* thread needle under 7, over 8, under 9, over 10, under 11
enter 16, thread needle under 11, over 10, under 9, over 8, under 7, ••thread needle under twist between 7 and 6, don’t wrap knot,** *opposite side* under 6, over 5, under 4, over 3, under 2
enter 20, wrap around spine, enter 20 again,
wrap around right edge, enter 20 again
exit 19, wrap around right edge, exit 19 again,
enter 18, wrap around right edge, enter 18 again
exit 17, wrap around right edge, exit 17 again
tie off

The theory of japanese stab binding

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…or at least how I understand it. I’ve had many questions since I began posting my own Japanese stab bind designs: about how I create them, the thought process behind the designs and sewing mechanisms, the tools I use, etc. I’ll break down my personal process in another post; for this one I want to explain some of the basics for those of you just starting out in the world of bookbinding and are looking for a style that allows for incredible expression.

If you have researched bookbinding at all, you will have most likely come across the basic Japanese stab bind (JSB). It looks like this: four holes, four wraps around the spine, and a wrap around each edge.

Fold line
The most import part of the traditional JSB to remember is what I call the ‘fold line’. This is made by the holes that are farthest away from the spine, or closest to the content on the inside of your book. It is vital that they be in a straight line, otherwise your book will end up with a crooked fold and the cover will be more likely to tear.

Having thread run along the fold line is helpful because it keeps the cover from tearing off as easily – there is more surface for the cover to bend against, instead of just single holes. It also keeps with the traditional JSB look. I’ve only sewn a handful of binds that didn’t have thread reinforcing the fold line, but the holes were even.

“Butterfly” bind.

Edges and spine
It isn’t absolutely necessary to include the edge wraps, but good practice to do so. If you have a tendency to sew loosely, or if you ever have trouble making your knot tight enough, it is important to include the edge wraps. They also help with reinforcing the fold line, and keep the book together better. The spine needs to always have some kind of wrap. As you can see from the example binds in this post, there are numerous ways to do this.

Holes
The absolute minium of necessary holes would be one hole…but you would end up with a fairly wobbly and shaky book and your design would be limited to a triangle. Two holes would still create a weak bind, but if the book were quite small, or had only a few pages, it would probably work. But good news: there is no maximum limit to how many holes your design can have, and it doesn’t matter if it is an even or an odd number. You are only limited by your patience, persistence, and stamina when it comes to drilling all of those holes! I would say my patterns have an average of 30 holes each.

“Crocus” has 53 holes.

**A potential problem area is how close your holes are to each other…the closer they are, the more likely your book block will rip when you pull the thread tight. And NOTHING is more disheartening than when that happens! I try to keep my holes at least .25″ (or 7 mm) apart. On occasion I will place them closer, but I then sew the book very, very carefully.

Process
This is where it gets a bit complicated to explain by using words and not physically demonstrating (maybe one day I’ll try to create a video tutorial).

The traditional JSB with 4 holes has the sewing start at hole #2. But if you have a complicated design, it’s easier to start at the very edge.  The central objective of JSB is to sew your entire bind while never repeating the same line; in other words, never having two threads between the same two holes.


To achieve this, you essentially sew half of the design in one direction, then at the halfway mark you return back to the start by sewing the pattern in reverse. You must get the concept “over-under-over-under”…then, “under-over-under-over” firmly in your mind. This is fairly easy to figure out on a geometric pattern – and it can become convoluted with an organic/non-geometric design very rapidly! The ease or difficulty is very much dependent on what the design is and who is sewing it.

For example, below is “mushroom”, which is a geometric pattern with 5 repeats. The first ‘mushroom’ segment is completed before the second is begun. In fact, because of the gap between each segment, each mushroom is sewn exactly the same way. If they had been touching at the fold line, the needle direction of the second mushroom would have been completely opposite of the first (every ‘enter’ would become an ‘exit’). The third mushroom would have been like the first, the fourth like the second, etc.

In “peacock”, an organic pattern, the sewing starts in the middle, creating the feather’s rachis first, then the center circles, then the final circle with fringe coming off of it. It looks complicated, but once you have mastered the concept of ‘over-under-over under,’ it isn’t too difficult to figure out.

“Woven” is an exception to the rule: it is a geometric pattern, but the sewing actually goes from one side to the other and back again just to complete one ‘V’ shape. But the edges and the sides still use the ‘over-under-over-under’ approach.

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Early in my experimenting I decided that straight perpendicular lines by themselves were boring. I figured out that the spine could be wrapped with a ‘V’ shape by crossing one loop with another previous loop (or loops). So far the only shape that seems impossible is a circle, but I’m working on it!

I hope this is helpful. If you ever run into a snag with your own pattern or design (or with one of mine) send me an email. And send pictures of your creations, I would love to see!