Bookbinding with Fabric

Fabric and Bank Paper pasted to a piece of hardboard

One of the ladies at the bookbinding class I am going to very kindly offered to show me how to use fabric as a cover instead of paper or leather.

You have to use either paste made from flour and water or proper bookbinders paste NOT PVA.

You need a piece of paper larger than your fabric and it should be something like 50 gsm Bank Paper.  I managed to obtain a pad of Layout Paper that was just 45 gsm but it seems to have worked.

You lay the paper on a piece of hardboard which is larger than the paper.  You then paste the paper, going right over the edges onto the board to give it a frame.  Remove the paper and put it somewhere safe.

Now place your fabric face down on the hardboard inside the paste frame.  Paste the fabric well all over the back and again ensure some paste goes onto the board to form a border.  Once the fabric is well covered place the piece of pasted paper, paste side down, over the back of the fabric.  Smooth it out and leave it to dry for at least 24 hours.  The overlap helps to tighten the paper and smooth it out as it dries.  Once the paper and cloth have had time to dry properly, slip a kitchen knife under the edge and lift it off.  You now have a piece of paper backed cloth ready to bind a bookcover.