Awesome Handmade Books: French Link Stitch Bookbinding

Awesome Handmade Books - French Link Stitch Bookbinding Examples
So with so many bookbinding fans out there, I thought I would do a weekly roundup of some of my favorite handmade books out there on the internet, many of which I’ve conveniently rounded up on my Handmade Books + Journals Pinterest board.

This week: French Link Stitch Bindings! (it’s that lovely “X” stitch)

French Link Stitch Binding by Ruth Bleakley

French Stitch Coptic Binding by Ruth Bleakley

 

French Stitching on Tapes by A Yen for Paper 

 

Coptic and French stitch - Magda RibeiroCoptic and French stitching on tapes by Magda Ribeiro

 

Pequenos Sketchbooks by Zoopress StudioPequenos Sketchbooks by Zoopress Studio

 Here it is IN ACTION! – traditionally the french link stitch is used when sewing onto tapes in a traditional case binding, it gives the book a little more structure, but isn’t usually visible. Today book artists have integrated it into coptic stitch bindings to great effect. Make sure you use waxed Irish linen thread for a coptic stitch book – you can find sewing instructions for coptic stitch in this great book How to Make Books by Esther K. Smith.

French link stitch looks more complicated than it is – you simply sew underneath the previous section, crossing in an “X”. You need at least 8 signatures for the pattern to show up.

Check out this great super-detailed tutorial by Molly Brooks:

The Exposed Tape Binding in 140ish Easy Steps

French Link tutorial by Molly Brooks

French Link Stitch by SimonGoode

French Link stitching on tapes by Simon Goode

 

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About the Author

Ruth

17 Comments

Cynthia Schelzig

Quite beautiful indeed….how a little thread and a beautiful stitch gets me everytime….geeeezzzz

Reply
Laura

These are great features Ruth, with lovely photos! I’ve used the link stitch before, but your coptic binding in the first photo has me baffled. Are you willing to share your secrets?

Reply
Ruth

Hi Laura!

Hmm, I did it ages ago – I think what makes it look different is that most times you see the french stitch being used, you only see it on 4 sewing stations, but my book has 8 sewing stations with link stitch! (or is it…four…confusing – in any case, the covers have 10 holes instead of the usual 6) – so they’re simply much closer together, and I think that exaggerates the “X” and makes it look like I’m jumping from signature to signature, but I’m not! As for starting…lol I have no idea what I did there!

Reply
Fallon

You have some amazing books here! Im really trying to find some websites that have free tutorials on book binding could you let me know if you know of any? or maybe online videos?
All the best
Fallon x

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Book Binding | Slow It Down

[…] along the sections in preparation for sewing and gluing them together using a technique called French Link Stitching, which produces nice X-shaped patterns along the spine of the book. The bound sheafs are then glued […]

Reply
Mayte

Yo no se ingles y no lo entiendo pero si se un poco de encuadernación y el cosido japonés es muy bonito y muy lucido pero de fácil nada es para expertos y no para simples aficionados eso da pie a muchos errores

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