My first fancier book cloth order taught me a lesson about grain direction

I ordered a bunch of book cloth from a shop in Portland last month, like 6 different colors, and I just assumed you could cut it any way you wanted. Turns out the cloth has a grain direction just like paper, and I kept trying to fold the covers the wrong way. The whole batch of 12 journals I was making for my sister's bookstore had these weird little puckers at the spine. I noticed it when I set one down next to a store-bought notebook and the difference was so obvious. Now I check the grain before I even cut, and I wet the cloth slightly to soften the fold. Has anyone else had this happen with pre-made book cloth or do you mostly make your own from cotton and starch?

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luna58928d ago

OH MY GOD, the grain. That little pucker at the spine is EXACTLY what happened to me with some navy blue cloth last spring. I made 8 little booklets for a craft fair and they all sat there looking like they were shrugging at me. I swear I thought I had bought cheap stuff, turns out I was just folding against the grain like a total newbie. Now I do the whole bend test on the roll before I even take the wrapper off, and honestly, wetting the cloth feels like giving it a tiny spa day before the big event. You are NOT alone in this, and I hope your sister's bookstore doesn't hold a grudge against your first batch.