Intermediate Bookbinding: Week 7

With only three classes left, there was no time to be sad this week because there was so much work to be done on our books.

First we had to measure and mark where we would put glue (PVA) on our end sheets since this time they needed to be tipped on instead of sewn on. We set our dividers to 5mm and tried to be as precise as possible. 

Then we added super (starched muslin) and layered paper as spine liner. My book just didn't want to hold it's finger rounded shape so I did the gluing in a laying press to try to help my book keeps it's shape.

Then a step that seems the same no matter what the book structure: weave the cords through the super then trim them back so everything is even.

After cutting our cover boards, it was time to cut the leather for the cover down to size and start paring the edges. One of my classmates said this green/grey leather looked like a car seat but, I think it's pretty sexy, or at least it will be, once it covers some Shakespeare.

After one unsuccessfully pared edge, I was sent back to practice edge paring on some scrap leather.

 My finger had a minor run-in with the tip of my knife (really just a prick but I didn't want to get blood on my precious leather).

But, practice makes kind of perfect. Soon I was back to the real leather and I managed a few feathers (that photo up there isn't in focus but that's a feather, I swear!).

By the end of class, I had a piece of leather that was ready for a paring machine.

Intermediate Bookbinding: Week 3

Leather scraps

This past week, in my bookbinding workshop, after learning how to sew our own silk endbands, we practiced leather paring, with both paring knives and paring machines. I loved sewing the endbands, I happily would have sewn endbands for everyone in my class! The leather paring was a different story. It is very unlike anything I have done before, so, needless to say, after 3 hours of attempts at paring, I don't know that I'm any better than when I started. I am determined to become proficient but, I think it'll be a while before you see anything more than crumpled leather scraps from me.

Sewing an endband

Yay, a finished endband!

Getting down to business with my paring knife (on the wrong side of the leather)

A lot of unsuccessful starts

While I was still struggling with my paring my edges, one of my classmates was using a paring machine (it pares in wider strips, kind of like lawn mowing)

The goal for the night was to pare a thin strip of leather with our knives. The strips look like noodles; here's me and my first noodle!