(And I’m not talking about JoJo!)
I have long wanted to try my hand at book binding, and last week, I finally gave it a try! I’m taking part in Fodder School this year (the new Fodder School session just started; it runs from October – September each year), and the first project was . . . making a hand-stitched book with coptic binding. The workshop was led by Di Venter (here’s her Instagram link), and she did a fabulous job breaking the entire book-making process down into very do-able steps. It was a lot of fun – and a good way for me to challenge myself to try something new.
I made the whole book — from folding and assembling the “signatures” (the paper inside) to cutting the book boards to using my own (previously) dyed cloth for the covers. Then, I got to stitch the whole thing together with a curved needle. I was intimidated the whole time, but . . . it was not as fussy as making little witches and brooms and cats! (Almost, but not quite.)
Best of all, I ended up with a very cool art journal with pages that open easily and lie flat. I love it!
Super fun! I can’t wait to make more!
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If you want a bit more information and a few more photos, you can check out my Field Notes here.
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How about you? What are you working on this week?
Wow, wow, wow! I am super impressed Kym! Well done! What a beautiful book! (will this be used for your word next year?)
Your book is beautiful! I love journals where the pages lie flat and it’s even better when you designed and made the whole thing yourself. Those curved needles always look especially lethal but I hope you’ll use them again to bind more books!
What a fabulous little notebook! I certainly hope you will use it; I have a tendency to feel like such handmade treasures are too nice to use, which is a really ridiculous approach, I know.
What fun and a great result. Like Bonny, I love journals or books where pages lie flat. I may check out the links (but don’t think I’ll be doing this any time in the near future). Didn’t Vicki and two of her girls just make books a few months back? So creative.
Very cool! I have done a few Fodder School workshops and always love what I learn.
Everything about this project screams…just right! (If you ask me, the very best feature of a journal is *lies flat.*) Nothing’s better than a project you love to make AND love to use. Looks great. Have fun. I’m off to check out your field notes…
It’s so pretty. You did a great job.
This is all online?? I have never heard of Fodder School before… looks amazing! Bookbinding is so much fun, and I love your book!! I know you’ll use it, too.
it’s beautiful … from beginning to end! and I did LOL at the witches and brooms aside 😉
I didn’t know you were doing fodder school–I thought abut it but it is just a bit too pricey this year, maybe next year (and I’m bad at full year commitments, witness my dropping out of Wanderlust after two months). Anyway, I do love coptic binding and book binding in general (although I never know what to do with all the books–it’s kind of like knitting I guess!).
That’s gorgeous and you did a beautiful job with it! I’ve done plenty of book mending over the years, including sewing the binding, but I’ve never built a whole book from scratch. This sounds like a really rewarding thing to do!
I have made one coptic book and I felt very accomplished. Took the class from an English women(in UK, and loved listening to her accent the most.) I haven’t used mine yet, kinda hate to write in it and ‘mess’ it up.
Yours looks great! Enjoy.
It’s beautiful.
Well done Kym. The journal is just beautiful. Way before the pandemic, I did a little bookmaking with mixed results. Maybe Fodder School would be a help. Isn’t there a business somewhere in Michigan that specializes in bookmaking supplies and classes? I seem to remember ordering a few supplies.