Japanese 4-Hole Toji (Minibook) : Textblock: Consists of A Number of Pages of Either Folded Paper or

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Japanese 4-hole Toji (Minibook)

Also called "stab-binding" in some American books.

This wonderfully versatile method can be used to bind together many


or few pages, loose or folded. It can be used to make tiny little
notebooks right up to journal-size sketchbooks.

Basic Materials:

Two pieces of cover weight paper, such as the heavy construction


paper (for kids), light card board, or Strathmore Coloured Art Paper
(which you have in your sample).
Of course, the nicer the cover stock and inside paper, the more elegant
the book becomes.

Textblock: consists of a number of pages of either folded paper or


loose leaves stacked neatly together. Paper stock could be sketching
paper, plain white bond, or whatever paper desired, as long as it is text
weight and not cover weight.

Thread: could use all types of decorative thread such as embroidery


cotton, button thread, upholstery thread, linen, silk ribbon, etc. Don't
use nylon-based threads, as they stretch.

Tools:
A darning or embroidery needle
Something to pierce a hole, such as a pushpin, or holepunch, or an awl.
(Depends on the thickness of the book)
Large paper clips, bulldog clips or clothespins
Scissors or paper cutter, metal straightedge and craft knife

Method:

Cut the cover paper to the desired dimensions of your book. Cut the
text pages just slightly smaller than the cover paper.
For example, if your cover will be 4x5 inches, then make the text paper
just 1/8th of an inch or less in both dimensions, i.e., for the above cover
size, the text could be 3 15/16" by 4 7/8 inches. For really small books,
the text pages can be cut to the same size as the cover.

The covers could be decorated or left plain. Perhaps you could put just
initials or a first name, or stamp them. Small pieces of contrasting
paper pasted on can make a lovely effect.
Don't forget that a contrasting thread colour also adds a decorative
element.

1
With a pencil, lightly mark a line down the front cover at least 3/8" in
from the left hand edge, top to bottom. This is your stitching line.

Using the template, mark the hole placement on the pencil line.
Traditionally, the holes are placed as follows: from the head and tail, a
hole is made about 5/8" in from the head and tail. Then two more
holes are placed more or less equidistant from the head and tail holes.

Stack the covers with the text paper sandwiched between so that they
are neat and aligned at the binding edge. (They should also be aligned
at the foredge; if they aren't, now is the time to trim your paper!)

Clip your stacked "sandwich" together with the clips or clothespins to


keep it from moving while your pierce a hole through each place you
have marked. In this case, you will have four holes through each cover
and each piece of inside paper.

Cut a length of thread about 4-5 times the height of your book and
thread the needle.

The stitching begins at the 2nd hole from the bottom. Insert the needle
from the back cover up through hole 2, leaving a tail of thread about 2"
or so, to tie off later.

The idea in this type of stitching is to create a secure "wrapping" of


three edges of the book.

(See diagram)

START at hole 2 from underneath: go up through 2, wrap around


the spine of the book and up through 2 again; over & down through
hole 3, wrap around spine and down through 3 again; (you are now
underneath the book); over to hole 4 and up through4; wrap around
the spine and up through hole 4 again; wrap around the top edge and
up through 4 again; go across to hole 3 and back down through 3;
(you are again underneath the book); skip across to hole 1 and up
through hole1; wrap around the spine and up again through 1; wrap
around the bottom edge and up through hole 1 again; over to hole 2
and down through 2; you are back where you started. Tie a square
(reef) knot at the back cover right over that 2nd hole where you began.

2
Using a straight edge, line it up at the edge of your stitching and
carefully score a line down the book. This allows the cover to be folded
back for easier use. You can do this at the back cover if you wish.

Use your imagination and design some of these little books for gifts.
Don't forget to add some calligraphy to the cover or to the first inside
page, or perhaps the end page. Have fun!

Heather Taylor, November 2000

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