Sewing Paper
In a recent thread, Steve H mentioned sewing paper/binding books. I thought this topic deserves its own thread!
I have been sewing paper as well; but in a way more like... well.... I ran out of staples a few months ago, and decided it was ridiculous to buy a box of 2000 staples, so now I sew stuff together. Deposit cheque? Sew it to the cover letter! School assignment? Sew those pages together! Income tax filing? Sew my return and receipts together! Envelopes for mailing? Sew them up!
It works well and gives people a real giggle, too. And, staples and paperclips are cruddy in their own special way. Currently, I have designated my F & R handcrank (which works gorgeously, but I am still working on the cosmetic aspects) as my Go-To-Stapler.
I would love to know what others are doing. So far I am only sewing a maximum of 8 - 10 pages at once, and using whatever thread I have on hand, and a regular needle. Steve, I would love to know what funky threads you are using (to be sure, you are using something period-appropriate!)
Also, what is the thickest thread that one might use on a domestic hand-cranks? Is thick thread even desirable for sewing paper? Is thinner thread better? Cotton better than synthetic? I'd love to know more about what people have done.