Tried using a 1/8 inch awl for French link stitch and the holes are too big

I was binding a 200 page notebook with French link stitch, and my usual 1/16 inch awl was missing. I grabbed a 1/8 inch one instead, thinking it wouldn't matter much. The holes ended up so large that the thread has noticeable slack and the signatures feel loose. Has anyone else had this happen, and is there a good way to tighten it up now, or is it just a lesson learned?

3 comments

3 Comments

gavin6922mo ago

Feel your pain, that's a classic "it'll be fine" mistake that never is. You could try running a second, tighter stitch next to the first with a thinner thread to pull things snug, but on a finished book it's tricky. Mostly it's just a solid lesson on awl sizes, sadly.

grace_gonzalez462mo agoMost Upvoted

Oh man, that's such a bummer when a quick swap goes sideways. But hey, I gotta gently push back on the waxing tip. Waxing thread actually makes it slicker and more likely to slide through big holes, not fill them up. If anything, it'll just pull looser because the wax reduces friction. What actually works better for tightening a loose French link is going back in with fatter thread, like a waxed linen that's a size or two thicker than your original. You can thread it through the existing holes and pull it snug, almost like you're adding a reinforcement stitch on top of the loose one. It's not perfect but it can save a project if you're set on keeping the cover and signatures.

the_eric2mo ago

Man, that's the worst. You could try what I did once, waxing the heck out of your thread and really yanking it tight on the next pass. It sort of gums up in the bigger holes and takes up some space. For a future fix, I keep a dedicated needle for my 1/16 awl, its eye is just a hair thicker and helps fill the gap.