Paper, scissors, thread, needle. These are things that have made up my weekend. I’ve had a veritable book-making factory going here in my little workshop. It’s actually been a good week for me creatively. When I started the semester, I immediately took to the bookmaking class. I love the handwork, thinking about how the book will come together, and seeing the finished product. I got more than a little obsessed with the tunnel/telescope/theatre book form.

One example is the tunnel book I did taking a photo from the Antietam National Battlefield in Sharpsburg, Maryland. I did it relatively quickly on bristol board, wanting simply to test out the look and feel of a photograph that’s been 3D’ed. I’m hoping to try it again, this time using color, and perhaps trying to incorporate more detail.

Comparing the photo to the book

This week, however, has been the week of coptic stitch. We did a quick sample of this in class. It’s a form I’ve always loved, and have done a couple times before. This week I really set out to practice it. My first attempt was a small book (4.75″x3.5″) with 16 signatures (4 pages to each signature is my standard count). In addition to looking at it as a chance to coptic bind, I also played around with burlap for a covering material. I’m really pleased with how it came out. I love the color for one (it fits quite nicely with my current fall frenzy), and the texture is fun to look at and touch. It feels very practical, but has a kind of homely beauty. There are definitely more burlap books in my future.

My second attempt was an even smaller book (2″x2″) with balsa wood covers and 22 signatures. It turned out a little like a slinky, and I broke my first cover (balsa is a delicate wood) when I was putting the holes in it. But again, I’m pleased with it’s look, and I think the brown craft paper, cream linen thread, and pale balsa wood really work together.
My third attempt was an upcycled, coptic-bound journal. I have a stash of old books I’ve collected from here and there. This particular book (David Keller’s Index to Plays in Periodicals: Supplement) had lovely green covers. I cut them off the book and set the pages aside for a future life as paper cuts outs of one sort or another, and added a text block of my own making. Again, I’m pleased with the results, and my coptic stitch has gotten better with each book I’ve made. (see the gallery below for images of each of the above books).

My writing has also gotten better. I’d hit a bit of a slump over the summer, which I’m blaming on the spring semester followed by the summer semester, followed by a move, followed by the fall semester. I’ve hardly had any time to breathe, much less write. But, I sat down this week for about 4 hours straight and refused to let myself leave the room till I’d written at least one thing I could be moderately pleased with. It worked, and I’ve gotten to a better place there as well. Which is good, since in something like 10 weeks I’m supposed to have the basis of my manuscript together so I can build the book next spring.

And now I must away as there are visits from friends and lantern-making workshops in my future.