(no subject)

[mojosmom]

It's been a dreary weekend, weather-wise, but that's okay. I've been very busy working on the book for the CHB show. I sewed headbands, did the spine lining, and today I made the case. It should be dry by this evening, so I may be able to case the book in tonight. Then I'll be done! I really do need to spend more time binding. My technical skills need work, and when I go so long between books, I forget technique. Hmmm, this is sounding terribly like a New Year's resolution. But I do have all these projects waiting to be done.

Otherwise, I've taken down the Christmas tree (and swept and vacuumed up all - well, most - of the needles) and done several loads of laundry. Guests are nice, but they do use bed, bath and table linens!

Comments

[teotakuu.livejournal.com]

It sounds fascinating and technically demanding. What sort of books are you binding? Are they books you put together or books you 'repair'?

Happy New Year mojosmom

[mojosmom.livejournal.com]

I do a variety of things. I do some minor repair work (on my own books - I'm nowhere near skilled enough to do someone else's), but mostly I make blank books, or rebind books (as an artistic exercise, not a conservation one).

This particular book I found in unbound sheets at a used bookstore. It's A. Edward Newton's Amenities of Book-collecting and Kindred Affections, and is going to be in a show that the Chicago Hand Bookbinders is having.

And I did finish it last night! I don't have a digital camera, so I can't post pictures, but here's a description: Marbled endsheets (brown background with gold, red and green marbling), green and gold sewn headbands. Case bound - cover has brown bookcloth on spine and cover paper with photographic images of old, leatherbound books. Spine label on Japanese tissue.

[teotakuu.livejournal.com]

I really admire people who practice crafts such as yours and keep the traditions alive. Are all the materials difficult to source or are people still producing 'books' to be bound by people such as yourself?

The colours sound beautiful, something that will look good on your bookshelf and be a permanent reminder of a task completed.

[mojosmom.livejournal.com]

It is possible to find books in unbound sheets, though you do have to hunt for them a bit. Another thing I've done is to buy books (at library sales, etc.) that have bindings that are deteriorating or that are just boring, remove the old binding and rebind them. I've also done a lot of blank journals as gifts. A couple of years ago (I think through BC!), I found Stanford University's Discovering Dickens project; http://dickens.stanford.edu/index.html and subscribed to the paper facsimiles of Great Expectations, receiving one a week. I now have those waiting to be bound, and I've subscribed to their new Discovering Arthur Conan Doyle program.

[teotakuu.livejournal.com]

Making the effort to choose the bindings, end papers etc must make the finished product a very special addition to your book collection or a treasured gift to someone special.

I admire your choice of hobby.