Giveaway #38: In Stitches
Thursday, April 1st, 2010Number 18, MariAnn LC, won Giveaway #37, our Valentine Journal. Please send us your address so we may send your gift!
In our studio, we use nonadhesive binding for our book stitching. That just means we don’t use glue of any kind to keep our journals, photo books and presentation books together, we just use tough book binding thread and two trusty stitches.
The two stitches we use are a criss-cross stitch and a braid stitch.* Which stitch we use for which book is based on the number of signatures each book holds (and the book’s size).
What’s a signature? A set of paper sheets (we use between 8 and 12 depending on the book) folded to create pages. One sheet renders 4 pages when folded. For example, our Large Journal contains 216 pages–we wouldn’t be able to fold 54 sheets of paper in one section, so we have to divide it up into 6 sections of 9 sheets each. Each of these 6 sections of 9 sheets has 36 pages(and 36 times 6 is 216).
The braid stitch can only be used on books whose number of signatures is a multiple of three (3, 6, 9, etc.–only two signatures will render a “twist” rather than a “braid.”) The books also need to have spine enough to accommodate at least two stacked braids. That’s why you only find the braid stitch on our Medium 108-Journal, our Large Journal, our Skinny Large Journal and small specialty books and some Photo Albums.
The criss cross stitch is more versatile; it accommodates any book, any number of signatures, nearly any size. This is why we use it for most of our books.
Our Large Journal has one of my favorite spines. And it’s our current Giveaway. 
Because it has more pages than any of our other Travel and Writing Journals, our Large Journal has a satisfying weight and size. The spine is broader than our other journals and accommodates four braids.
Sure, it has a little bit of personalization (RJM), but this journal is ready for the writing.
Where’s your favorite place that design and function meet? Tell us in your comment for a chance to win: click HERE to read the rules of this Free Giveaway but DO NOT comment on that link to enter. You enter by commenting on THIS post.
Good luck!
Remember that the winners need to contact us with their address and phone number in order to get their gift.
*Because of each stitch’s specific duties and our pre-made spine templates, we don’t offer a choice of stitching on our journals, although, for a considerable charge, we have used the criss cross stitch on a braid book for some customers.
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