Pro tip: a bookbinder told me my sewing was too loose after I showed her a binding I did last month

She said my kettle stitches looked like they were holding a drunk accordion together, so I switched to tighter thread tension and finally stopped getting saggy spines on my journals.

3 comments

3 Comments

jamieperez1mo ago

Right, because nothing says "professional bookbinding" like a drunk accordion holding your pages together. Maybe she's open for side gigs as a thread therapist?

paul_morgan1mo ago

Five months in and I'm still trying to figure out the perfect tension for my kettle stitches. What specific thread weight and needle size did you switch to after she called it a drunk accordion? I'm using size 18 needles with 0.8mm linen thread right now but still get that weird loose look on my first few stitches.

the_sam1mo ago

Wait, you're using 0.8mm thread? That's like rope compared to what I use... I'd be shocked if that isn't part of your problem right there.