Step 1:
Measure the front, back and spine of your book and draw a rectangle on some paper (this is just as a diagram) with the measurements. Then add (depending on the size of the book) 1-1/2 to 3" to the right-hand and left-hand side as "flaps".
Now work out the overall size of the rectangle including flaps, and work out how many threads this is on your fabric.
For example, if the book is 8" x 5" and the spine is 2" wide, the "book-rectangle" would be 8" x 12"; then add 2" either side for the flap, and your final rectangle is 8" x 16".
Work out where on the cover your stitching has to end up, and then backstitch a rectangle of the size you have calculated around your stitching. (Because I used two pieces of stitching I had to do two "half" rectangles and whipstitch the two together so they made one big rectangle; that's what you see in the picture)
Now trim the fabric to about 1/2" from the backstitch:
Here's the back, to show you how the two bits of fabric were connected (using whipstitch) -- if you are better organised than me
and work with one piece of fabric, you can ignore this pic.
Fold over the edges and press with an iron. Reinforce the spine and the flaps with iron-on interfacing. Stitck the top and bottom hems down with fusible hem stuff (double-sided interfacing, basically).
Fold over the front flap and whipstitch first the top and then the bottom: using the same sort of thread you used for the backstitch, bring your needle up between the two backstitches on either side of the fold, then take your needle underneath the first stitch on the "flap side" and the first stitch on the "book side". You only go underneath the stitches, you don't take the needle through the fabric. Go on taking your needle underneath the next backstitch on the flap side and its opposite number on the book side until the flap is fully connected.
Do the back flap in the same way.
Now insert the book.
Not easy to explain -- do ask if anything (or the whole thing
) is unclear!
