DAE think sewing signatures with a running stitch is fussy until you try it on 3 book boards?

Brooke Nguyen · 2026-09-25T09:05:03.469952+00:00

I kept using a simple pamphlet stitch for years because a bookbinder at a Portland workshop told me running stitches were too slow for anything under 80 pages. Then a friend in Baltimore showed me her method of pre-punching 5 holes per signature with an awl and it cut my sewing time from 40 minutes to 12 for a 200 page text block. My folds are cleaner and the spine opens flatter too. Has anyone else switched stitches after being told one was too slow, or do you stick with the same one forever?

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DAE think sewing signatures with a running stitch is fussy until you try it on 3 book boards? | Bookbinders - Guest Forum