I have long admired Jenny's fabulous creations at love and peas* she is currently
debating whether her beautiful volumes are journals or books....
I love books! The smell, feel, weight, contents, covers, pages...words, spaces, fonts...I could go on for reams!
The other Saturday I spent a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon learning a new skill alongside two interesting and humourous ladies. It was a stab stitch book binding workshop led by Christina at Fibre Flurry. We had expert tuition, Christina was very patient and informative, and gave us lots of tips and hints from her wide artistic experience. We learned about the Japanese art of binding and folding (so the pages are double) alongside placing leaves in folio.
We were able to use materials from Christina's new plain or colourful paper collection and her bulging boxful of preloved paper - quite a distracting challenge to choose from such an amazing array of pages containing words, music, pictures, destinations, diagrams, lines and notes.
We were able to use materials from Christina's new plain or colourful paper collection and her bulging boxful of preloved paper - quite a distracting challenge to choose from such an amazing array of pages containing words, music, pictures, destinations, diagrams, lines and notes.
The tricky task requiring concentration was measuring, puncturing holes, and sewing the binding but we had two stabs (haha) at it and were able to make our mistakes in a friendly atmosphere!
We came away with two books, templates to make more of the same size, and a stacks of ideas.
We came away with two books, templates to make more of the same size, and a stacks of ideas.
The covers have two sides...
the pattern on the outside and inside..
I included lots of different pages...
Since the workshop I have been browsing charity shops for tatty books to chop into and reuse and reinvigorate! Before shopping I thought it would be easy to slice a book that was not mine..however just trying to choose one was really tricky; all the books were pristine, and by making the choice it meant that I had become attached to the book in question.
I know others have worked through these issues - thanks to Kate for voicing it on her blog and to her daughter Kirsty for the initial inspiration for my paper folding forays !
Today I had several brilliant finds though, and feel that I can reuse these volumes of music
...just look at all these notes..and (someones) notes!!
Here's some of the beautiful items I have gathered ...
soon to be bound and given away to be used by new readers writers and drawers!!
9 comments:
I love how stab stitch looks - I'm going to have a go at it myself in the next couple of months hopefully! Your creations are lovely and I look forward to seeing more! :)
Helen x
Oh wow ! That sounds like a fantastic workshop, so glad you have been inspired by it. Your gathered stash looks as if it will give you a lot of scope to work with.
I'm supposed to keep a journal for my creative writing group but I haven't got around to it yet ( I think its he fear of a blank page! ) Perhaps making a preloved one of my own might be the answer. Any tips?
I too would have a hard time cutting up the books... and all the other goodies you found! Great project and great results!
Ali, what lovely creations - I really do love them!! I bet you have many ideas about how you can adapt the basic method to make super gifts and keepsakes. Would you be able to use any of your lovely handmade felt as book covers, I wonder? Liz x
Oh, I'm so jealous! Kirsty Allsopp did a feature on one of her shows about how to make your own books and I have promised myself I will try this. Yours are amazing. I love the range of papers, prints, textures... Liz is right, you should definitely use your felt for a cover.
Hope to see a finished one soon!
Becky x
Thanks for all your fab comments..I certainly do intend to have some felty covers...lots of other ideas too...watch this space! xx
Lovely stuff - so glad it went well. Kirsty will be chuffed to bits at her mention :)
I had an idea to decopage bowls using pages from an old book but it is truly difficult, as a book lover, to deface any book!
Fortunately for me, the copy of Pride & Prejudice that I've had for decades fell apart in my hands so I used it to cover two bowls which worked really well (and both have sold)!
If only there was more time to blog about everything... I'll have to make some more and take photos next time!
Kate x
What a wonderfully inspiring day you had. Thanks for sharing with us xx
Wow I love these little books! Like Melody, I think I'd have trouble cutting up books too, but they're so lovely!
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