Just hit 100 handsewn headbands on my rebinds and my fingers are cramping

I started keeping count about 6 months ago when I got into rebinding old paperbacks. Mostly doing it for fun, selling a few here and there on Etsy. Hit 100 last night on a copy of Dune I was fixing up for a friend. Each one takes me about 20 minutes if I dont mess up the thread tension. My left thumb is basically numb at this point but I cant stop. Anyone else keep a running tally of little milestones like this or am I just weird?

2 comments

2 Comments

sullivan.spencer23d ago

Man I feel you on the numb thumb thing. I count stuff for my own hobbies too, like how many fence posts I can set in a day without my back giving out. 100 headbands is a solid number though, that takes some serious patience. Keep it up, man, that Dune copy is gonna look great.

jake_torres6823d ago

Each one takes me about 20 minutes" - that really puts it in perspective. But here's something nobody's bringing up - you said you started counting 6 months ago, and 100 headbands at 20 minutes each is basically 33 hours of just stitching. That's like a full workweek of just repetitive thumb motion. Have you thought about whether all that time is actually making your rebinds better? Sometimes we get so caught up in the numbers game that we forget to step back and see if the quality is really improving or if we're just running on autopilot. I'm not saying stop counting, but maybe check if that thumb numbness is telling you something about needing to adjust your technique or take actual breaks. The Dune copy will look great either way, but your hands gotta last longer than the books.