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Appreciation post: A binder in Chicago told me my headbands were too tight
I was at a small meetup in Chicago last month and showed off a recent half-leather binding. Another binder, an older guy named Martin, picked it up and ran his thumb down the spine. He said, 'You're choking it. The headband should hug, not strangle.' I always pulled my headband stitches super tight, thinking it made for a stronger, cleaner look. He showed me one of his books, where the headband had a little give and sat flush without digging into the text block. I tried his way on my next project, a small poetry journal, and just... didn't pull so hard. The difference is wild. The spine opens easier and the whole thing feels less stiff. It's a tiny change but it fixed a problem I didn't even know I had. Has anyone else had a simple piece of advice completely shift a step in their process?
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simon_wood721mo ago
My Seattle teacher told me to ease up on my glue, which changed everything.
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