Ebony Swan Journal, 5 hole pamphlet stitch, and new book store.

Hey lovelies! I know I 'm slow in getting my post up this week.  I did go to a new book store. I found some great deals. I got 3 bags of books that I can make into journals for like a buck! I also got a vintage music lesson book.
So to start off with the making of the Ebony Swan journal I removed the text block. I posted that in the previous post. The first embellishing I did was to glue down some lace on the front.   Next I took a paperback book and tore up the pages and used them to decoupage the inside of the book, even the spine.

 

Next I put together my signatures. Each signature consists of 14 pages each. I used the 5 hole pamphlet stitch to sew each signature one to a one inch wide piece of card stock.

 

 

I marked lines at 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4 inch intervals and used this as a guide to place my signatures evenly.  I then used my template which you see behind my spine, to poke the holes as I did for my signatures. Then I did the 5 hole pamphlet stitch, but I start from the back side to hide my tie off points. Most people don't. Here is a video if you need it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvhTOzA-p9I 

First I get a length of waxed string (I make my own using bow wax and cotton embroidery thread) about three times the length of the signature. 

1. Then I start sewing from the back side of the spine. I go through the middle hole in the spine and then the middle hole in the signature while leaving about an inch and a half for tying off.





 2. Next I go through the hole on the right of the middle hole from the paper side down and out through the spine.

 

3. Next I go up through the next hole to the right from the spine side through to the signature.

 

4. The next stitch goes down through the stitch on the left. It will be the second time going through that stitch.



 

5. When you come out on the back side of the spine you will now move left again but will skip the middle stitch and instead go up through the second stitch from the left edge of the signature.

6.  After you come up through the whole signature you will go down through the very last hole on the left.

 

7. The next stitch is made by coming back to the second stitch from the left and going up through it. This hole has already been gone through, but this time we're going the opposite way, just like in step 4.

 

8.  The last stitch is made by coming back through the signature through the middle hole from paper to spine side. When you come through make sure that your needle pokes out of the hole on the other side of the long stitch. So that one end of the thread is on either side of the long stitch. You will then tie this stitch off with a square knot. (Cross right over left and tie, then left over right and tie.)





There you have it! One signature sewn into a glue in spine for your vintage book. I know that traditionally the tie off goes on the inside of the signature, but I do it this way to hide the knot since I'm gluing the spine into the book anyway. Repeat this for each signature you have, and you have a kind of text block for your journal.
When I get better light(it's nearly midnight), I'll take some more pictures of the journal as a whole. I just really wanted to get the method I use for putting the signatures in up before the weekend was over.