A Bookish Update

I know, I know, it's been a terribly long time since there has been anything new up on this blog. Apologies! Among other things, I was changing jobs, trying to get a promotion (which worked!), focusing on expanding my teaching, and just making lots and lots of things. I am now in the process of (slowly) editing the photos of many of those things I made and did and found so expect more frequent posts. This first one is just a quick collection of a few of the books that I made in the past year.   

Exposed-spine French linkstitch journal sewn on tapes with covers made from upcycled panels of an Angry Orchard 6-pack container. {Now on my website}

A few handmade journals for a client, wrapped up and ready to be delivered. 

 Three cased-in, flat backed, sewn on tapes, blank journals. Half bound with book cloth and patterned handmade paper. {Now on my website}

Exposed French linkstitch sewing in progress 

Exposed-spine French linkstitch journal with tipped on hard covers. Mock half bound with book cloth and marbled paper. 

Exposed-spine French linkstitch journal with tipped on hard covers wrapped in patterned handmade paper. {Now on my website} 

 

Exposed-spine French linkstitch journals with patterned card stock covers. 

 Perfect bound notepads from offcuts of larger projects. Decorated with giraffe embossing. 

Exposed-spine French linkstitch journal with patterned card stock covers.  

Exposed-spine French linkstitch journal with tipped on hard covers wrapped in patterned paper. {Now on my website} 

Exposed-spine French linkstitch journal with patterned card stock covers.  {Now on my website}

Materials for laminating upcycled 6-pack container packaging. 

Exposed-spine French linkstitch journal sewn on tapes with covers made from panels of an Angry Orchard 6-pack container. 

Intermediate Bookbinidng: Week 4

My classmates and I showed up early for class this week to practice our leather paring. After a few rough but better 'noodles', we put away our knives and the leather for the evening. We're still working on finishing the first book and it's going to be a half cloth (well all cloth but 2 different colors; half and half)book. The book still isn't finished but it's getting there.

Cords laced through super (the cloth over the spine)

The cords and super need to be trimmed so they look uniform once glued.

This is a sturdier structure and the boards get glued on before they're covered with cloth.

You stand the book up to make sure you put the boards on square. Despite the funny camera angle, my book is, in fact, pretty darn square.

Here a top view of the cloth covered spine. I find the hardest part about this structure is tucking the cloth on the head and tail of the book into the space between the spine and the book block but, after trying to work with leather, this time around, the tucking was pretty easy.

I used to have a hard time with corners too, but after a lot of practice, I'm getting pretty good at it.