sewing in the round
A method of sewing the sections of a book on cords
or tapes which utilizes a special sewing frame
having a base which curves at the back, thus
allowing the sections to form into a round as they
are sewn to each other. Some frames of this type
have a sliding block with a convex edge, against
which the fore edges of the sections are placed,
thus assisting in forming the round as the book is
being sewn. Sewing in the round helps the sewn
book to maintain its proper shape better than
rounding after sewing because: 1) it does not have
to be put into a rounded configuration after
sewing, as it originated in the round; and 2) a
book sewn with the correct amount of thread
tension, and in the ordinary manner, will tend to
have a concave shape to the spine when it comes
off the sewing frame, which makes rounding even
more difficult. Tn addition, a book rounded after
sewing stands a greater chance of losing its
round. The disadvantages of sewing in the round
are: 1) the sewing takes longer (and is therefore
more expensive); 2) a special or (adapted) sewing
frame is required; and 3) several special convex
blocks are needed to accommodate different
thicknesses of books.
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