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I am a confirmed lurker from the BookArts site and am excited to get involved with this community. It feels more warm and friendly here, more inviting. Thanks, Jen, for getting this together.
After a year binding books for others, mostly journals, I have finally made and kept one for myself. It is an 8-needle coptic with both writing/sketch paper and watercolor paper. It even has snazzy pullouts - a la centerfolds - and a pocket in the back. I can't wait to start my next project but I've given something to almost everyone that I know who would use it and am not interested in selling my work. What does everyone else do with their surplus of books? Glad to be here.
-Khajha
After a year binding books for others, mostly journals, I have finally made and kept one for myself. It is an 8-needle coptic with both writing/sketch paper and watercolor paper. It even has snazzy pullouts - a la centerfolds - and a pocket in the back. I can't wait to start my next project but I've given something to almost everyone that I know who would use it and am not interested in selling my work. What does everyone else do with their surplus of books? Glad to be here.
-Khajha
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Re: Books, everywhere books!
Fri, September 26, 2003 - 2:10 PMwell a lot of us participate at a place called nervousness.org it's essentially a mail art website but there are quite a few of us (most of us here) who are into binding as well.
You could use that as a guide and set up swaps with people on the boards here, I know I would love to start trading books with people.
I vaguelly remember a yahoo group that is now dead but there were about 6 people involved and they sent one other person in the group a book each month, so at the end of six months they had a book from everyone else int he group. (did that make sense?)
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Re: Books, everywhere books!
Fri, September 26, 2003 - 8:37 PMKhajha, that sounds just wonderful. I would love to see a picture if possible, and hear about how you managed the pull-outs! -
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Re: Books, everywhere books!
Sun, September 28, 2003 - 3:21 PMJoumana, thanks for your interest. I have put 3 photos of this journal in my album. For the pullouts I used a cold press watercolor paper and folded it into 3 pieces. I nested the writing paper into the left fold of the watercolor paper. The right flap is just folded inside. In the picture I unfolded the right flap in order to (maybe) make sense of what I did. I'm afraid my description leaves almost as much to be desired as the photos. -
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Re: Books, everywhere books!
Sun, September 28, 2003 - 6:31 PMThat's a gorgeous book. I'm surprised to see coptic binding has become so common in late years. Everyone seems to be doing it; Keith Smith and his fellow promoters of exposed structure are no doubt largely to thank for that. It's so much easier to do, and to create an elegant whole, than traditional adhesive binding styles.
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Re: Books, everywhere books!
Sat, September 27, 2003 - 8:07 AMHi Khajha - and I echo your feelings about this group. It just feels 'right'!
I'd love to see your book. My books are very conventional as yet - I haven't experimented with variations in the format, or with using different papers in one book.
I have just bought 'Creative Journals' by Susan Tourtillot (sp?) and it's full of wonderful ideas. Can't wait to get started!
Lesley -
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Re: Books, everywhere books!
Sun, September 28, 2003 - 3:29 PMHello Lesley, as I told Joumana, I have put several photos in my album, feel free to peruse them.
I enjoy Suzanne Tourtillott's book but the books that started this whole journey for me were Alisa Golden's "Creating Handmade Books" and Shereen LaPlantz's "Cover to Cover". Keith Smith's "Non-Adhesive Binding Vol. III - Exposed Spine Sewings" has come to be my favorite in my ever-growing collection of books about books.
I'd like to see some of your work when you have the chance. -
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Beautiful!
Sun, September 28, 2003 - 4:47 PMThat is truly beautiful! I love the sewing and the jewel like colours of the, is that double needle coptic or something else! If that method is from the keith smith book you mentioned I may have to invest in it!
Thanks so much for sharing
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Re: Books, everywhere books!
Mon, September 29, 2003 - 5:38 AMWow. Gosh, it's perfect. You must be an incredibly patient person, creating such a pattern in the thread! Is it customary to have two holes in the cover or is this your innovation? What advantage does it represent? -
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Re: Books, everywhere books!
Tue, September 30, 2003 - 11:05 PMMakes it more secure, and it looks great too. The wood-boards Ethiopian/coptic binding as taught by Gary Frost has a really fancy hole pattern in the cover. Here's a cross-section of the holes (spine at left):
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That is, drill two holes perpendicularly through the board, maybe 0.5cm and 3cm from the edge, then drill two diagonal holes starting at the middle of the spine edge of the board and meeting the first perpendicular hole at each of its ends. You then bring the thread in at the spine edge hole, up diagonally, wrap it a few turns through the two perpendicular holes to give lots of extra friction (usually you cut a slight channel for them to rest in between the holes), and come back out to the text block via the other diagonal hole. This allows great strength with no glue, but with a fully exposed thread.
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Re: Books, everywhere books!
Mon, September 29, 2003 - 10:21 AMOh wow - this book is beautiful! Something truly to aim for.
I have Alisa Golden's book and also Shereen LaPlantz's books - as well as many others! I also have Keith Smith's first two volumes - maybe I shoud buy Vol.3 as well? What a good excuse to buy another book!
Lesley
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