Japanese Stab Binding: Hemp Leaf Pattern

Japanese Stab Binding Tutorial: Hemp Leaf Pattern
Here is another Japanese stab binding pattern, called the Hemp Leaf binding. This pattern is a little more complex, but very elegant.

Other Japanese Stab Binding tutorials available:
Simple & Basic
Traditional
Tortoise Shell Pattern

What you will need:
20-50 sheets of paper (cut to same size, cut to the size you want the book to be)
Heavy weight paper (2 sheets) for front and back covers
Pencil and ruler
Leather hole punch or thick nail with a mallet or hammer
Thread (linen thread, yarn. ribbon, embroidery thread, whichever material you prefer for the spine), Yarn darning or tapestry needle, scissors


Directions:

1. Choose your cover option and the paper for the text pages, decide the size of your book and the number of pages. cut all text pages to size, or start with paper
cut to a standard size. Then cut two pieces of scrap paper to the same size as the text pages, reserving one for a template and the other to place underneath
the text pages to protect them during handling.

2. Using your ruler and pencil, set up your template as shown in the diagram (measurements vary by paper size, space evenly according to the paper size you are using) For more details on how to set up a basic template see Traditional Japanese Stab Binding

3. Line up the text pages, and place them on thick cardboard or a wood board, not on a self-sealing cutting mat, which would become permanently damaged. Put the template on top of the text pages. Punch the holes with the leather hole punch or nail and a small hammer. With the leather hole punch, punch only twenty pages at a time. If you punch more, the pages-and the holes-will slip out of alignment. Use the template to mark the position of the holes for each lot of twenty pages. Check that each hole goes through all the pages

4. Cut the cover paper to the same size as your text pages. Using the template, punch holes in the covers. Assemble the text pages, and put the covers in position.


To Bind:
5. 1 Cut a length of thread or ribbon about 6 1/2 times the height of the binding, and thread the needle. Hold the covers and the text pages together, and begin sewing by entering from the back to the front of the fourth hole down from the top, and pull the needle and thread through, leaving 2" of thread at the tail of the book.

Thread around the spine, and through the same hole again, coming out the back. Enter the next hole down and again wrap around the spine and back through the hole.

6. Continue this process going down the spine (Sew into the next hole, wrap around the spine, back through the same hole). Repeat down the spine, at the bottom, complete the corner by wrapping around the tail from the last and second-to-last holes.

7. Begin to sew upward, sewing into each hole (even if there is already a stitch around the spine), to fill in all empty spaces on the front and back. Once finished, tie the ends into a knot, trim excess thread and use your needle to tuck the knot into the closest hole.