Adding Stitched Yoke To Portfolios

[gtwister09]

These are questions for all the makers that add yokes to the spine of their portfolios or other items. I have a question concerning techniques on adding and stitching a yoke. I have included three screen shots. One shows the overall side view of (in this case) a portfolio, an Option A and an Option B blowup of the circled area on the side view of the portfolio.

Assume that the portfolio is lined with thin material and the yoke is added to the spine of the portfolio (main cover).

I have had this discussion with a few makers and we have kicked back many different scenarios, issues and concerns but I would like to hear how others attack this from a process standpoint as well as what you would deem acceptable from a quality standpoint. You may have a different idea than what has been shown here in Option's A and B or discussed in the other option.

One of the biggest questions that has come up is in Option B with the transition from the edge of the yoke to the main cover. Is it acceptable to have the stitching overlap the small area of the yoke as it transitions to the main cover? Obviously this will leave stitching that can wear quite easily at this transition point. Would you stitch the vertical aspect of this first to the main cover or do it after stitching all the way around the main cover? Would you leave a small gap on the vertical portion so that it didn't completely meet the stitching around outside of the main cover?

In Option A the stitching follows the yoke but there is a small section between the yoke and the main cover that lacks a stitch. Is that acceptable? Even if you stitched all the way up to the edge of the yoke there would still be the small distance between the yoke intersection and the edge of the yoke on the inside that would not have a stitch. Is that acceptable?

Or would you do a diffent process? For instance would you mark the four points of intersection of the yoke onto the main cover and stitch from top right intersection to bottom right intersection. Then stitch from the bottom left intersection to the upper left intersection. Next add the yoke and stitch all the way around the yoke. Of course this would leave the vertical stitch marks of the yoke on the inner lining. Is this acceptable?

How would you handle this if you didn't want an overlapping stitch on the transition from the yoke to the main cover, no missing stitches between the transition from the yoke to the main cover and no vertical stitching on the lining that would show the yoke stitching pattern on the inside?

Please comment on what technique/process you would do. Please also comment on the idea if the various stitch issues are acceptable to you and if so why? Would you ever do one where all three of the stitch issues would not be present? If so how would you do it and would it just be too cumersome to try to do? I would like to hear any and all ideas of what you would and would not attempt as well.

Regards,

Ben

[Ferg]

Your post has a lot of questions and I probably cannot answer all of them to your satisfaction.

You have the FRONT, the BACK cover and the SPINE. The spine is the portion that actually folds and is sewn to the front and back, The Spine must be grooved at the folds.

Sew the front and back to the spine before you place the lining. Begin your first stitch at the exact line of where your finish stitch will be when going around the entire exterior edge. Do the same when you end the stitching on the Spine, stop your stitch at the exact location of the perimeter stitch line.

Make your lining a little larger than the total of the outside. Sew the lining pockets, pencil holders, etc. completely before glueing the lining to the outside leather. Now the stitching for the lining is visible on the inside along with your perimeter stitching. When you cross over the stitching on the spine at the ends, you have no gaps and if you have done a good job of stitching it will appear that everything was stitched at the same time, non-stop.

I am sure you may have other questions, this is my method, hope it helps.

ferg

These are questions for all the makers that add yokes to the spine of their portfolios or other items. I have a question concerning techniques on adding and stitching a yoke. I have included three screen shots. One shows the overall side view of (in this case) a portfolio, an Option A and an Option B blowup of the circled area on the side view of the portfolio.

Assume that the portfolio is lined with thin material and the yoke is added to the spine of the portfolio (main cover).

I have had this discussion with a few makers and we have kicked back many different scenarios, issues and concerns but I would like to hear how others attack this from a process standpoint as well as what you would deem acceptable from a quality standpoint. You may have a different idea than what has been shown here in Option's A and B or discussed in the other option.

One of the biggest questions that has come up is in Option B with the transition from the edge of the yoke to the main cover. Is it acceptable to have the stitching overlap the small area of the yoke as it transitions to the main cover? Obviously this will leave stitching that can wear quite easily at this transition point. Would you stitch the vertical aspect of this first to the main cover or do it after stitching all the way around the main cover? Would you leave a small gap on the vertical portion so that it didn't completely meet the stitching around outside of the main cover?

In Option A the stitching follows the yoke but there is a small section between the yoke and the main cover that lacks a stitch. Is that acceptable? Even if you stitched all the way up to the edge of the yoke there would still be the small distance between the yoke intersection and the edge of the yoke on the inside that would not have a stitch. Is that acceptable?

Or would you do a diffent process? For instance would you mark the four points of intersection of the yoke onto the main cover and stitch from top right intersection to bottom right intersection. Then stitch from the bottom left intersection to the upper left intersection. Next add the yoke and stitch all the way around the yoke. Of course this would leave the vertical stitch marks of the yoke on the inner lining. Is this acceptable?

How would you handle this if you didn't want an overlapping stitch on the transition from the yoke to the main cover, no missing stitches between the transition from the yoke to the main cover and no vertical stitching on the lining that would show the yoke stitching pattern on the inside?

Please comment on what technique/process you would do. Please also comment on the idea if the various stitch issues are acceptable to you and if so why? Would you ever do one where all three of the stitch issues would not be present? If so how would you do it and would it just be too cumersome to try to do? I would like to hear any and all ideas of what you would and would not attempt as well.

Regards,

Ben

[gtwister09]

Ferg,

I appreciate your response. I was mainly looking for the stitching process and to see what people find acceptable from a professional quality standpoint. So you are in the camp of Option B where you find it acceptable to have the stitches over the edge of the yoke transitioning to the main covers due to stitching the outside perimeter. Thanks.

Regards,

Ben

[Casey Jordan]

Ben,

Good question, and I would like to know too.

I usually just do a one piece notebook but I'm working on a notebook for business checks right now and have decided to do a three piece notebook.

I thought with the front and back being so long it would be easier to cut shorter pieces of leather rather than try to get one long piece.

Still have not decided how I will stitch it yet.

[gtwister09]

Casey,

I have done them in the past mainly with the outside perimeter being sewn last but like I said it leaves the yoke to cover transition with those exposed stitches as they go over the edge. I don't really like the fact that it does that.... it detracts from quality of the overall stitching look to me (just my opinion). In talking with a some of the others they do it the same way and a couple of them agree that it does detract from the finished stitching somewhat, A couple of makers say they never do yokes like this for this very reason and some others believe the look to be fine. So there was a varied response and discussions prior to me putting up the request for what other makers do. Some do use 3 pieces and some do one piece for the main cover. A couple of the makers just say it depends on how they feel and what leather they have at the time which way they go.

Regards,

Ben

Edited August 6, 2011 by gtwister09

[bruce johnson]

Ben,

I do a variation of "A" for the ones I have done in the last few years. I sew the spine on. I do my sewing on the edges in sections. For the cover pieces I leave the threads long and then handsew back to flush with the edge of the spine piece so there is not that gap in stitching. I have tried to do it with the machine but the center presser foot can leave a mark on my finished edge of the spine that is hard to work out. Also sometimes the center presser foot can slide off that edge and leave a longer stitch there.

I do a single piece cover more often and charge more for a three piece. I also do some in a two piece where the back side wraps around to the front and has the scalloped edge there.

[hidepounder]

Ben and I have discussed this at some length. For me the looks of the entire "underneath" stitch line is a big issue that I'm fighting with and losing the battle on. I just can't get a decent looking stitch line on the bottom side when I'm using a liner and by stopping and starting, the stitch line underneath just looks worse. So I opt for option B, sewing over the edge. I think it is a more common practice than stopping short of "the edge" and restarting again, and I don't care much for the way that looks either, but for me it is the lesser of two evils. I think Bruce's idea of leaving the tag line long and then putting a needle on it and completing the stitch from the under side is worth pursuing! It will probably result in a long stitch on the bottom, which I don't like, but that frequently occurs when the presser feet travel over the edge anyway. I use a pretty short stitch, recently about 10 to 11 stitches per inch and so a long stitch stands out a lot more than if I was using 6 or 7 stitches per inch. I have also seen makers use the "stop and start" method at the edge and then use their overstiticher on the bottom side to create the illusion of a completed stitch even though it's really not there. Sometimes it looks okay, sometimes not.......

Bobby