stitched bindings (Q593)

Bindings in which the leaves or gatherings of a book are held together to create a single bookblock by stabbing thread or thongs through the inner margin of an entire bookblock. This process may also include a cover, or a drawn-on cover may be added after the stitching is completed. The stitching which holds the bookblock together is known as primary stitching, as opposed to secondary stitching which was used to attach boards or a case to an already stitched bookblock.