, and the silk can then be
brought up and over the slip and crossed in the usual way. The band
should be worked as far as the end papers, and should be finished with
a double "tie down," after which the front thread is drawn under the
slip to the back. Both the ends of silk are then cut off to about half
an inch, frayed out, and pasted down as flatly as possible on the back
of the book.

The band should be tied down frequently. It is not too much to tie
down every third time the needle end of the silk comes to the back.
To make good headbands the pull on the silk must be even throughout.

When the ends of the silk are pasted down, the ends of the vellum slip
are cut off as near the silk as possible. The correct length of the
headband is best judged by pressing the boards together with thumb and
finger at the opposite ends of the band, so as to compress the
sections into their final compass. If the band then buckles in the
least, it is too long and must be shortened.

The mediaeval headbands were sewn with the other bands (see fig. 32),
and were very strong, as they were tied down at every section. Modern
worked headbands, although not so strong, are, if frequently tied
down, strong enough to resist any reasonable strain. There are many
other ways of headbanding, but if the one described is mastered, the
various other patterns will suggest themselves if variety is needed.
For very large books a double headband may be worked on two pieces of
gut or string--a thick piece with a thin piece in front. The string
should first be soaked in thin glue and left to dry. Such a band is
worked with a figure of eight stitch. Headbands may also be worked
with two or three shades of silk. As vellum is apt to get hard and to
break when it is used for headbanding, it is well to paste two pieces
together with linen in between, and to cut into strips as required.

Machine-made headbands can be bought by the yard. Such bands are
merely glued on, but as they have but little strength, should not be
used.

Where leather joints are used, the headbands may be worked on pieces
of soft leather sized and screwed up. If the ends are left long and
tied in front while the book is being covered, they may be
conveniently let into grooves in the boards before the leather joint
is pasted down. This method, I think, has little constructive value,
but it certainly avoids the rather unfinished look of the cut-off
headband.