A Pine Wood Sewing Frame For Stitching and Binding Books.

The frame was made by Dryad Works of Leicester England. From the twelfth century, at least, stitching the binding of a book was done with the help of a sewing frame. When manuscripts were first made in book form, rather than as rolls, the gatherings (-folded section of paper leaves which were be bound together with other gatherings to form a book) were held together by sewing thread through the central fold. The binding tapes, which can be made of leather, cord or woven tape, for the spine are tied to the frame vertically, suspended from the top and bottom of the frame. The first gathering of the manuscript is placed on the bench with its spine up against these taut bands and is sewn through its center (the fold) and around the bands. Then the next gathering is placed on top, tapped down so that the sewing will be firm and tight, and then is sewn around the bands, and so on, one after the other, until all the book is there fastened by its spine to the frame. When the sewing is complete, the bands can be untied from each end of the frame. Dryad of Leicester was established by Harry Hardy Peach (1874-1936). They were makers of cane furniture who expanded into craftwork and became one of the world’s largest suppliers of craft materials. This frame comes with an extra bar. (The picture of actual bookbinding is taken, with thanks, from http://www.florin.ms/binding.html)