Sewn bindings can be done by hand, but a good old-fashioned sewing machine works too. You should know that there are high-end binders that sew pages quickly. Those are very expensive and not used much anymore.
If you want to sew binding using a sewing machine, be sure to use a sturdy needle and have a few extras handy. It’s suggested that you use eye protection. In this video, the artist moves very slowly. If you have fewer pages, you can sew faster.
Embroidery thread is really best for this. Also, consider thread that contrasts with your page color, or even choose shiny thread for a more custom look.
Machine-sewing a chapbook spine
A sewing machine gives you a stitched spine in seconds instead of minutes, and the row of stitches looks clean and deliberate. It takes a little setup, but for a run of booklets it saves real time over hand-sewing.
- A sturdy needle, ideally a denim or leather needle, plus a couple of spares.
- Strong thread. Embroidery thread works well and shows off nicely.
- Eye protection, since needles can snap on thick stacks.
- Fold and nest your pages, then crease the spine well with a bone folder so the stack lies flat.
- Set the machine to a long straight stitch and slow the speed right down.
- Line the center fold up under the needle and sew straight down the crease, holding the stack square as it feeds.
- Leave a few inches of thread at each end, pull them to the inside, and tie them off.
Keep the page count modest; a machine can only sew through so many sheets before the needle strains. Thread that contrasts with your cover, or a shiny thread, turns the binding into part of the design. As the video shows, going slowly is the whole trick.
For the by-hand version, see hand-sewing a chapbook, and for everything else, how to make a chapbook.