A Book a Week 2014. Week 34

Week of 25 August

Little books class.

I planned this class to be one in which we used found paper and the bindings were simple.

Here I found these cool paint chips at the store, and did a modified Japanese Stab Binding, with eyelets.

Here I used pages from an old Readers Digest book, paint chips, and a fake flower stamen from the craft store. Can't find an easier binding than that:

This binding was probably too hard for this class. I used playing cards as covers for this Coptic Binding.

This might be in competition for the easiest binding. I took store bought notepads, and glued pretty paper on the cover.

Kind of a match book style, I folded in half a paint chip and bound it with a Japanese Stab Binding with small washers.

and I lined it with pretty roses and cute roller skates paper:

A Book a Week 2014: Made, Altered, Repaired. Week 26

Week of 30 June

More Pamphlet Stitch

My sister's family came to the farm to see my bees and kittens. It was a short visit, due to busy schedules all 'round, but between pancake breakfast and soup lunch, we squeezed in some pamphlet stitching with my nieces.

 

This time we did a 2-section pamphlet using Readers Digest covers, which I love so much! Look at the pretty colors Megan and Kira chose!

 Here's Megan's up close. I have an orange-y red book tape that was a perfect combination with the salmon-y pink cover. Inside, Megan used a washi tape that coordinated as well. Look at the pretty Ex Libris she saved from the RD text block:

 

Kira went with a blue and maroon theme.I had book tape that matched perfectly with the existing RD spine:

 Here's what Kira did with washi tape - super cute owls! She saved her RD Ex Libris, which has a pretty fall leaf theme:

One more view of the stitching. We did a 5-hole 2-signature book. We used 5 sheets of paper per signature, and poked 5 holes in the spine with which to sew the pamphlet stitch.

My nieces enjoyed it so much they wanted to make one more thing, so we did just a mini pamphlet book with one signature and 3 holes for stitching:

A Book a Week 2014: Made, Altered, Repaired. Week 31

Week of 4 Aug

Belgian Binding Class!

I was really impressed with the folks who came to try out Belgian Binding. It is not an easy or beginning binding, but everyone concentrated and we learned from each other as we went. I loved the beautiful color combinations each person chose, to go with their upcycled Readers' Digest book covers.

I buy large packs of pretty scrapbook paper, and use those sheets as covers for each signature. It's fun to find a theme of papers related by color, hue or design. Students matched signature covers with their RD book covers.

I like to use a variety of crochet thread to bind books. They come in so many colors, and even multi-colored threads:

A Book a Week 2014: Made, Altered, Repaired. Week 20

Week of 19 May

Belgian Binding revisited.
OK, I think I created a new kind of binding. Let's call it the Minnesota Binding. I needed to make my younger sister a guest book for her home. She likes blue, and I found this beautiful blue Reader's Digest cover that would work great.

I picked out coordinating papers for the signatures, and two kinds of thread for binding the spine and the signatures separately.

The holes in the board weren't quite big enough, I bent my needle!

Minnesota Binding

I was in a hurry to make this because we had to get to my niece and nephew's graduation, so I didn't take the time to look up the directions again. Something didn't look right on the outside of the spine. You can see only 1 string per hole on the front cover here. But look at my first attempt (below) at Belgian binding, there are 2 strings per hole:

Belgian Binding

 Fortunately, on the one hour drive to the grad party, I had realized the mistake and worked on my niece's book according to the Belgian Binding. I think it turned out pretty great!

A Book a Week 2014: Made, Altered, Repaired. Week 18

Pretty Papers
week of 5 May

One of my favorite things about making books is choosing which pretty paper to use. I collect and use (and try to find storage for) large sheets of hand decorated paper from around the world:

Here are some Italian papers:

More Italian, and some hand marbled:

Here are 3 journals I made using the Coptic stitch binding:

I also like to use Reader's Digest books because you don't need to cover them; they're already beautiful!

This is a Coptic Stitch journal I made using a Reader's Digest set of covers.

I like to cover each signature with coordinating scrapbook papers to add color.

And one more. I love this cover and the color coordination of papers and string and cover.