Tacketing is a type of stitching that was used on the covers of medieval ledgers and books. It was a decorative way of securing the spine during the bookbinding process. It can be done with bookbinders thread or leather strips. In the latter case it resembles lacing. Blog reader Beth Morton told us how she was introduced to craft of tacketing by demonstrator Chela Metzger, at the The Austin Book Arts February Meetup.
Beth told us: “This type of stitching is often referred to as a lost art and some scholars are attempting to recreate the stitching patterns”. Beth has sent us a picture taken at the meeting (shown above-right), a larger version, plus more pictures, can be seen at the Austin Book Arts website.
If you would like to research the subject further there are more designs shown at Lacing and Tacketing.
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