Double Needle Coptic Stitch Workshop

At the September 12th workshop we had a second chance to make an exchange book from a previous theme or book structure that we missed making during the year. Or we could try something new. We had quite a collection of books including NORBAG 20th anniversary cards, different structures and alphabets.

Exchange books

Dolores G. taught the workshop on double needle Coptic stitching. Since it is our twentieth anniversary, she brought book covers in the shape of candles and we had ten signatures to sew onto those book covers. The overall size of the book was approximately 2" x 2 1/4" (not counting the flame of the candle on the covers). It was a tiny little book.

We started by folding ten signatures.

Then Laura used a jig to make the sewing stations (only two holes for this tiny book). 

We stitched the first signature to the cover and then sewed on the other signatures. We used what is called a sewing station that consisted of two holes. We had one long thread with a needle at each end and sewed back and forth between the two holes.

We ended by sewing the back cover to the rest of the book. (Sorry that you can't see what is being done very clearly.)

We all ended up with this little tiny book in any one of several colors.

Dolores also showed us how to make larger books using the double needle Coptic stitch. In our little books, we used one station (consisting of two holes, a single strand of thread and two needles). In larger books like this one, she had 3 stations to sew simultaneously.

We had about 20 people laughing and talking while working on our books.