I have always loved tacket binding, because its sasuage-like packing on the spine is so cute. I have just finished one for my co-worker's boyfriend, Todd, and I think I might have perfected my tacket binding skill so it's about time to share it as much as possible.

I have been devising my own tacket binding method, as I haven't actually seen one physically to deconstruct and examine its construction. My method may or may not be the same as the conventional one, but so far, it works.



Pierce 4 holes for every single tacket pattern. Contruct the "backbone" for the packing with the 2 holes that are the furthest apart. The book here has 2 groups of tacket patterns (groups A and B), so we need to pierce 2 groups of 4 holes.



Each section is stitched individually with 1 single thread. Start with a thread with a length 3 times the book height. Start the stitching from inside the section, pull it out from B4 (tail of the book) to B1 on the outside: this creates the botton "backbone". Continue inside, go through A4 to A1 on the outside: this creates the top "backbone".

Pull the thread out from A2 to the outside and you're ready to create the tacket pattern on the top "backbone". The pulled out thread should cross with your "backbone" thread. To pack, simply continue wrapping around the "backbone" thread to create a sausage effect. You can pack as much as you want, in this book I didn't overlap the stitches, i.e. single packed. Continue wrapping until you reach A3, then go back inside the section thorough A3. You have just completed the first pattern on top.

Pull the thread out from B2 to the outside to beging packing the lower pattern. Once finished, pull the thread back in to the inside through B3. Tie the thread and the section is completed.