Fig. 72. sewing on the muslin flap
While the back is drying take a piece of good muslin and cut it 1¹⁄₂ inches shorter than the length of the book and within 2 inches as wide as the width of the back of the book when it is flat open. For instance suppose the book is 5 inches wide and 1 inch thick which is 11 inches in all; then you would cut the muslin 9 inches long. The muslin on the book is shown at E.
Sewing the Book.
—The next operation is to sew this piece to the back of the book; for this work you will need a thin sharp awl, a hammer, a large darning needle and some strong linen thread—waxed thread is the best.
Before doing so, however, take a sheet of good white paper and make a couple of fly-leaves for the front and back of the book; now punch a line of holes ¹⁄₈ inch from the back, through the book as shown at F, then put on the piece of muslin and sew it to the book good and tight, and be sure the flaps are even.
Fig. 73. the bound book complete
This done spread some glue on the pasteboard covers, place the back of the book on the cloth binding between the covers, turn it over on the front cover and rub the muslin down smooth on it; then do the same thing with the back. All that remains for you to do now is to turn back one of the blank pages which you sewed on to the book and glue it on the cover which will conceal the muslin flap.
After you have bound the book lay it between a couple of smooth boards and screw it up tight between the jaws of a pair of wood clamps. Let it stay there over night and in the morning when you take the wood clamps off you will have one more book to add to your five foot shelf.
Putting on the Title.
—If you have a printing press you can print the title of the book and the author’s name—don’t forget the author’s name—on a slip of heavy paper and gild it, or on a piece of cloth and glue it to the front of the cover as shown in Fig. 73.