Wednesday Worktable March 13th 2013 - Books Again!

A day late, but this is what was going on in LizzieMade's Studio yesterday!

I'm joining in with WOYWW at Julia's Stamping Ground - when you've read this, why not go and see what's going on there? 

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Still working on Rachel's Rainbow Wedding Guest Book commission.

Since I last posted about this, I have hand-stitched the headbands, at top & bottom of the book block (the stitched pages).  Headbands are the stripey bits you see at the top & bottom of a hardback book, just inside the spine.  You can get ready made headbands from bookbinding suppliers, but it's much nicer to stitch my own - for starters, I could choose the colours - in this case, white and silver, to match the covers. 

 

Then I cut out the boards for the front & back covers, plus the stiffening piece for the spine of the book.  This is a traditional "Case Bound" hardback book, so the Case (covers) is assembled seperately to the Book Block (pages).  Once the book block has been strengthened, by applying some fabric & paper to the spine, it can be attached to the case, to make a book!

The white linen and silver-grey silk is also cut out, ready to be lined with fine paper, to make the bookcloth for the covers.  They will be assembled as a single unit - ie. front cover / spine/ back cover, then the book block is fixed inside and the silver endpapers glued down into the covers. 

 

The final step will be a label for the front cover.  It will be a hand-cut lino print, with a rainbow design - yet to be sorted out by me!  I need to make a few drawings and offer them to Rachel, for her approval.  I may colour the print by hand, to give it a real "rainbow feel" - it depends on how it looks when printed, I think.

It's going to be a lovely book! 

 

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Pages and cover boards for a concertina-bound Wedding Guest Book.

Peacock paper and deep blue silk, for the front and back covers.

 

This will be a Guest Book, for Helen's wedding.  It will have 60 pages of lovely cream laid text paper, which will be stitched to a concertina spine, made from the same deep blue silk as the cover trim.  The stitching will be a variation on French Longstitch, which I used on this book:

It's a kind-of hybrid between a longstitch (the twisted thread pattern is known as French Stitch) and Coptic stitch.  The cover boards will be laced onto the book, as with Coptic Stitch, but the pages will also have the longstitch to fix them onto the concertina of fabric that makes the spine...

...like this.

The wedding book will be stitched in a coral-pink thread, to pick out the lovely flowers from the peacock paper.  Helen would also like coral paper, to line the covers on the inside of the book. 

 

She has decided against a label on the front cover - I think she doesn't want to spoil the effect of the lovely peacocks.  The jury is out, about whether there will be a bookplate on the first page of the book, with the bride & groom's names & the wedding date. 

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Also on my worktable, waiting to be completed:

This is a ready-made guest book, which sold on Tuesday night.  I just need to print the name of the wedding couple and their wedding date onto the oval label, then attach it to the front of the book.  It will be ready to go in the post on Thursday.

 

I love this book - the peacock-feather patterned fabric is a Liberty Tana Lawn print, called "Isis".  I really like working with Liberty fabrics, especially Tana Lawn, which is a fine-weave cotton fabric, with a cool, smooth feel. Although it's a very light and fine fabric, the close weave makes it ideal for book covers - once lined with fine paper, it's very strong and can be used like a good quality paper. 

 

I'll be a bit sorry to see this book leave my stock - it's nice to open the box occasionally and look at the lovely books inside.  I won't be able to gloat over this one any more! But it's going to a good home, for a wedding this summer.  I wish this couple all the happiness in the world!

 

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So, that's what was on my desk on Wednesday.  Ongoing projects, which I hope to complete very soon.  Then I can make more of these:

 

This is an art journal or sketchbook, with 40 pages of good sketch paper, which are made as a coptic-bound book with no covers.  The book slides inside the outer cover unit, so that it can be replaced when full of great sketches!

The covers are white artists' canvas, which is pre-primed, so the new owner can decorate their book however they wish.  It has a wrap-round case, with a buff leather trim on the left-hand spine and a matching little leather pencil/pen holder inside.  

I designed it to open out flat on your lap, to make an integral work surface.  This one is the prototype, though it turned out well enough to be offered for sale.  I plan on making a few more similar books, once I get some more canvas fabric. I may also make some in a portrait format - perhaps A4 size (11.5" x 8"), instead of A5 (8" x 5.75").  I could use different leather for the trim, or other materials for the covering too. 

 

So many plans... so little time!!