{"title":"A novel sewing frame in a box","authors":"Per Cullhed","doi":"10.1080/03094227.2004.9638643","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"z Clarkson, Christopher, 'Thoughts on sewing frame design for the book conservator', The Paper Conservator 19 (1995) 41-54. See also: Smith, Philip, New Directions in Bookbinding (London: Studio Vista, 1974) 130. The sewing of books is a main interest for hand bookbinders as well as for book conservators. Those knowledgeable in bookbinding techniques will typically take an extra look before buying a book to see if it is adhesive bound, or sewn. Sewing has always been synonymous with high quality. Historically, sewing through the fold signals the shift from the book roll to the codex. Also, sewing structures have often been instructive when distinguishing between different binding styles. It is probable that since before the tenth century in western European bookbinding practice, sewing has been executed on the sewing frame. The sewing frames we buy today look very much the same as they did in these early medieval times. The earliest depiction of a sewing frame comes from the twelfth-century Ambrosius MS in Bamberg.' One may assume that there is nothing to add to a successful design that has stood the test of a thousand years (Fig. I). However, anyone who has used the traditional sewing frame knows that there are some disadvantages to it, the foremost perhaps being the binder's inability to see the inside of the quire. Strategies to overcome this disadvantage are many: turning the head in awkward positions to be able to look behind the sheet, using mirrors or sitting in a sideways sewing position are just a few of the tricks. Also, the threaded uprights tend to restrict free movement of the arms and the traditional frame will only unwillingly receive an alternative sewing support material, for example a textile support. Moreover, the slot for the cords is traditionally placed a few centimetres from the edge of the sewing surface, which makes it difficult to insert a needle in the correct angle. Of course, a problem like this can be solved by adding a pressing board under the book. Nevertheless this is one detail where improvements are called fQr. The above mentioned factors, and the difficulties in a cramped workshop of finding a good storage place for the traditional frame, set me on the path to try to make a new design for a sewing frame. During the last two or three decades, in order to overcome the problems with the traditional sewing frame, other bookbinders and conservators have also been engaged in the construction of alternative sewing frames2 Sewing frame is called hiifftlida in Swedish, which literally means sewing-box. It is in fact quite an incomprehensible technical term if you are not familiar with its etymology. Along with many other Swedish bookbinding terms, it comes from Germany. The German word for a sewing frame is Heffladen, which means sewing-shelf, an expression that makes more sense. Perhaps it was this incomprehensible Swedish word that led me to try to contain an alternative sewing frame in a box. Ten years ago, I started experimenting and looking for a new design and the aims I set myself can be summarized as follows: in a new sewing frame it should be possible to see the sewing from the inside of the fold and to use different kinds of sewing supports; the frame should be fairly easy to take down, store and carry around; and there should be no 'slot distance'. The most important quality of the design was to make it possible to see the actual sewing action from inside the folded quires. This aspect is crucial when resewing old books as it should be possible to use the original holes without any risk of puncturing the area close to the holes, and thereby inadvertently enlarging them. To sew through a tightly woven support, as is sometimes done in conservation bindings, is also difficult on a traditional sewing frame as the support","PeriodicalId":243922,"journal":{"name":"The Paper Conservator","volume":"31 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2004-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"The Paper Conservator","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03094227.2004.9638643","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
z Clarkson, Christopher, 'Thoughts on sewing frame design for the book conservator', The Paper Conservator 19 (1995) 41-54. See also: Smith, Philip, New Directions in Bookbinding (London: Studio Vista, 1974) 130. The sewing of books is a main interest for hand bookbinders as well as for book conservators. Those knowledgeable in bookbinding techniques will typically take an extra look before buying a book to see if it is adhesive bound, or sewn. Sewing has always been synonymous with high quality. Historically, sewing through the fold signals the shift from the book roll to the codex. Also, sewing structures have often been instructive when distinguishing between different binding styles. It is probable that since before the tenth century in western European bookbinding practice, sewing has been executed on the sewing frame. The sewing frames we buy today look very much the same as they did in these early medieval times. The earliest depiction of a sewing frame comes from the twelfth-century Ambrosius MS in Bamberg.' One may assume that there is nothing to add to a successful design that has stood the test of a thousand years (Fig. I). However, anyone who has used the traditional sewing frame knows that there are some disadvantages to it, the foremost perhaps being the binder's inability to see the inside of the quire. Strategies to overcome this disadvantage are many: turning the head in awkward positions to be able to look behind the sheet, using mirrors or sitting in a sideways sewing position are just a few of the tricks. Also, the threaded uprights tend to restrict free movement of the arms and the traditional frame will only unwillingly receive an alternative sewing support material, for example a textile support. Moreover, the slot for the cords is traditionally placed a few centimetres from the edge of the sewing surface, which makes it difficult to insert a needle in the correct angle. Of course, a problem like this can be solved by adding a pressing board under the book. Nevertheless this is one detail where improvements are called fQr. The above mentioned factors, and the difficulties in a cramped workshop of finding a good storage place for the traditional frame, set me on the path to try to make a new design for a sewing frame. During the last two or three decades, in order to overcome the problems with the traditional sewing frame, other bookbinders and conservators have also been engaged in the construction of alternative sewing frames2 Sewing frame is called hiifftlida in Swedish, which literally means sewing-box. It is in fact quite an incomprehensible technical term if you are not familiar with its etymology. Along with many other Swedish bookbinding terms, it comes from Germany. The German word for a sewing frame is Heffladen, which means sewing-shelf, an expression that makes more sense. Perhaps it was this incomprehensible Swedish word that led me to try to contain an alternative sewing frame in a box. Ten years ago, I started experimenting and looking for a new design and the aims I set myself can be summarized as follows: in a new sewing frame it should be possible to see the sewing from the inside of the fold and to use different kinds of sewing supports; the frame should be fairly easy to take down, store and carry around; and there should be no 'slot distance'. The most important quality of the design was to make it possible to see the actual sewing action from inside the folded quires. This aspect is crucial when resewing old books as it should be possible to use the original holes without any risk of puncturing the area close to the holes, and thereby inadvertently enlarging them. To sew through a tightly woven support, as is sometimes done in conservation bindings, is also difficult on a traditional sewing frame as the support