Book #292

Millimeter Binding

My binding today is the millimeter binding. I think this is the same as the German structure called edelpappband. There seem to be some variations of the millimeter / edelpappband all using the same name, and I think this is one of them. The tiny bit of leather trim at the head and tail of the spine are typical of these bindings and in this case, I also used a 1mm trim along the fore edges.

Book #291

Double-fan Adhesive

Today's book is an example of a double-fan adhesive binding, which I use for binding thesis like this one and similar documents where the textblock is a stack of loose sheets that cannot be sewn.

Book #290

Hardcover Stab Binding

My binding for today is a hardcover 3-hole stab binding with Kangxi corners, all dressed up for Christmas. Merry Christmas to everyone who celebrates it, and endless happy wishes to everyone whether you celebrate anything at all at this time of year!

Book #289

Double Rasied Cords with Kettle

This time I did an exposed binding with double raised cords, using a kettle stitch as the change-over. Not as pretty as the single packed cord, but quite functional.

Book #288

Double raised cords with packed cord change-over

This binding does not have a very concise name; the name is more like a short description. Sewing on double raised cords originated a long time ago, certainly as early as the 14th Century, I beleive, maybe earlier? It would have been a covered spine, though. Here I have tried to make it a bit more decorative and used it as an exposed spine binding using leather thongs. I incorporated single packed cords at the head and tail as change-over stations.

Book #287

Limp Vellum Binding

There are lots of bindings that could be described as limp vellum bindings, but this particular type of binding seems to have the distinction of owning the official "limp vellum binding" title. This style has its textblock sewn onto sewing supports (of parchment or other leather), including endbands, and then the supports are laced into a vellum wrapper. (Although I have to admit that my model shown here, has a cover of heavy handmade paper, rather than vellum.)

Book #286

Celtic Weave and Chain

I decided that I should try the Celtic weave again. This time, I combined one weave with four rows of chain stitches. The weave part worked better this time. I also like the stability of the chain stitches, so I think this combination is a better structure than the weave by itself.

Book #285

Celtic Weave

This Celtic weave binding is one of the techniques in Keith Smith's book of exposed spine bindings. This little example here is my very first attempt... obviously. He mentions in the instructions that it is very important to consistently drop your threads to the same side each time and I accidentally switched sides halfway through my sewing on this book so it's a rather poor example of what this binding can be!

Book #284

Tegumentum Violaceum

This is another limp binding model based on the books examined in Limp Bindings from Tallin. The original was a church's record of accounts in the late 15th Century. Certainly one of the trickier books I have made recently. The textblock is sewn on double raised cords and then attached to the cover with tackets and there is a small wooden support in between the layers of leather.

Book #283

Tegumentum Rubicundum

Today's binding is made in the manner of a 16th Century town register that Langwe examined. The primary binding is actually sewn onto double raised cords, after which the textblock is tacketed to the cover. Apparently the original had 54 signatures! I didn't use quite so many.

Book #282

Tegumentum Fuscum

Another of the bindings examined in Limp Bindings from Tallinn.

Book #281

Tegumentum Candidum

Tegumentum candidum is another binding examined by Monica Langwe Berg in her book Limp Bindings from Tallinn. The original was a merchant's book from the early 1400s, with direct tacketing. I used artificial sinew for the stitching rather than parchment strips.

Book #280

Tegumentum Cinereum

Another book for November, the tegumentum cinereum, which is one of the bindings examined by Monica Langwe Berg in her book Limp Bindings from Tallinn. Rather than recycling a parchment document for the cover like the original, I have used a woodblock letterpress collage that I made for the cover. Red stitching and red leather straps. The extra blanket stitching on the spine stitches is an attractive feature.

Book #279

Arrows

I could not allow myself to skip an entire month! So, today I tried another one of Smith's three-section sewings. As with many of my previous examples of three-section sewings, I have tripled it to make a book with nine sections.

Book #278

Stitched Tunnel Book

Since it is Halloween, here is my special haunted house tunnel book. There are various ways of constructing tunnel books and this particular example is made by stitching the pages to the accordion side panels.

It has been very easy to neglect my blog this month but I still intend to reach 365 eventually!

Book #277

Caterpillar binding

On my last book, it was the chain stitch that was really the primary binding and the caterpillar was extra; but, the caterpillar binding should be able to stand alone as well. So I did another one with three caterpillars, which gave the binding enough support so that it did not require any additional stitching.

Book #276

Caterpillar + Chain

Today I have tried my hand at the Caterpillar binding, used in conjunction with a multi-needle chain stitch binding. This is the first time I have tried the caterpillar binding and this book also has the distinction of being the first book made in my new studio (which is one of the reasons that I slowed my blog-book-production, since moving into the new studio has been a gradual process and rather disruptive to my work flow).

Book #275

Folding Vs

Allowing myself to take one day off last week was obviously the beginning of a very slippery slope. But I am back today with another of the 3-section bindings from Smith. This time I picked one that he calls 'folding Vs' and I repeated it so that I could bind six signatures.

This journal is available in my Etsy shop.

Book #274

Yesterday I finally missed a day in this mad blog project, gasp! I may have to admit that the remaining 91 bindings will take longer than 91 days to appear on my blog. I have been extra busy lately anyway so it has been more difficult to find the time for everything. There are several bindings left on my list that I want to include, but they are not structures that I can learn and produce in a single day. So I would prefer to take my time and do them well, rather than force out substandard work every day.

Vertical Ts

But for today, I have another of the 3-section bindings from Keith Smith's book (1,2, & 3 Section Sewings). I repeated the sewing three times to make a journal with nine sections.

This journal is available in my Etsy shop.

Book #273

Tegumentum Spadix

I tried another of the bindings from Langwe's book for today. The attachment of each signature is similar to a tacket binding. The original book had a parchment cover, with parchment reinforcement on the spine and inside each signature and the cover was closed with a hook and eye. I have used a sturdy handmade paper rather than parchment, but otherwise I have tried to duplicate the structure - including the hook and eye which I fashioned crudely from a bit of wire.

Book #272

Tegumentum Rubrum

The book that I made for today is a binding that Monica Langwe examined in her book, Limp Bindings from Tallin. It is a tacket binding and a cover of two layers of leather with a toggle closure.

Book #271

Raised Cords & Endband

For today's binding, I did a raised cord binding with an integrated endband; so, the endbands are sewn as part of the primary binding unlike many endbands which are sewn after the primary sewing. This was my first attempt at this partcular combination, so the endbands are rather sloppy. I wish I had time to do another one right now, but this will have to suffice for today!

Book #270

Sevens

Another three-section binding described in Keith Smith's book.

Book #269

Piano-hinge Accordion

I made a piano-hinge accordion book for today where each of the panels is constructed separately then connected with the hinge structure, and on this example I used twigs to hook them together. I got the idea for this book from Helen Hiebert's book, Playing With Paper.

Book #268

Horseshoes

This is another one of the 3-section bindings from Smith's book. I repeated it three times so that I could bind nine sections.

This journal is available in my Etsy shop.

Book #267

Coil Springs

I have tried another of Keith Smith's 3-section bindings for today. I tripled it and used it to bind nine sections.

This journal is available in my Etsy shop.

Book #266

Waterfall binding

Today's book is a simple structure of folded pages that are pasted to each other in a cascading fashion. I really like this for displaying certain types of content.

Book #265

Pleated Accordion

This little book is a pleated accordion; the accordion is folded from a single sheet of paper in various directions, to create a more three dimensional shape when unfolded.

There are good instructions for various pleated accordion structures in Helen Hiebert's book, Playing With Paper.

Book #264

Pop-up + Slipcase

Today's book is a combination of pop-ups and a slipcase containing a coil-bound document. Obviously not a standard binding of any sort, but it is indeed another way to make a book.

Of course, note the awesome moon paper from Hook Pottery Paper.

Book #263

Multi-fascicle Chinese Binding

Today's book is another Chinese binding. As I mentioned yesterday, the paper twist binding was often used as a temporary binding and one situation that required temporary bindings, was when a written text was divided into multiple sections, or fascicles. Each fascicle could be bound using a paper twist binding until all the sections were ready. My example is made from four sections, each bound separately with a paper twist binding. The beginning of each section is marked with a small piece of yellow paper. The fascicles are stacked and bound together using a traditional Chinese stab binding. Chinese books with soft paper covers were stored lying flat on the shelf, in stacks, so the title of the text was often written on the edge of the textblock so it could be read more easily on the shelf.

Book #262

Paper Twist binding

This is another Chinese binding today, a paper twist binding or chih-nien. This paper twist binding was usually used as a temporary binding; however, some of these temporary bindings did remain in this state permanently.

Book #261

Wrapped-back binding

Today's book is a Chinese binding called pao-pei chuang, or the wrapped-back binding, which is a binding style that evolved from the butterfly binding. These bindings are Chinese in origin, although if you are interested in exploring them further, the most accessible resource is Ikegami's book, "Japanese Bookbinding."

Book #260

Label Binding

Today's book is another of Arregui's structures. She calls it the label binding, because the spine label is attached with the same cords onto which the signatures are sewn and it works really well.

Book #259

Rodback Binding, multi-section

This is the three-section variation of the rodback binding that I showed yesterday. I used very slim signatures, which I think is necessary to make this work well. I really like the simplicity of the single signature rodback; it is very slick because the pages and the cover are all bound together in one go. The three-section variation requires both a primary and secondary sewing - first to attach the signatures to each other, and then another to attach the book block to the cover.

Book #258

Rodback Binding

This is another structure devised by Arregui. This is a single signature binding. She also explains how to adapt it for multiple signatures, which I will show tomorrow.

Book #257

Pergamo

Today's binding is another one devised by Carmencho Arregui, intended for use with content that needs room to expand like sample books or albums. She explains it on her website.

Book #256

Marco Polo

This is made using one of Arregui's crossed structure bindings, called the Marco Polo. If you are interested, all of her crossed structure bindings are explained on her website: outofbinding.com.

Book #255

Origami Accordion Box

More modular origami today. This accordion structure is made from nine origami boxes which are connected to each other by inserting side flaps into side pockets, no adhesive needed. I believe the origami artist who designed this structure is Ayako Kawate. I have attached hardcovers to each end to make it more bookish.

I now have a PDF with instructions available on Etsy if you want to make it yourself.

Book #254

Origami Butterfly Book

This is a bit of modular origami, with a bit of cutting, made from three pieces of paper. When closed, it looks like a single origami butterfly then when it's opened, there are three butterflies. No adhesives are needed; the three forms are connected just by tucking flaps into pockets.

Book #253

Flex-a-cordion

Today I have a book that is a mashup of an accordion book and a flexagon. It can be opened and displayed like a basic accordion, but it can also be folded and rearranged into the format shown in the second photo.

Book #252

Raised Cord X2

This binding is similar to the one I showed yesterday; but, the Xs on this binding are formed across the thickness of two sections. I also used triple cords so that I could do, what I call, the hen's foot board attachment. The covers on this book feature some of my own shibori dyed paper.

Book #251

Raised Cords X1

Today's binding is an exposed spine with raised cords. The stitching is one that Keith Smith describes in his book and he refers to as "1-section X" because each x is formed across the thickness of one section. This particular book features my own Suminagashi marbling on the covers, which was done with inks that I ground from jet and ocher.

Book #250

Hash Marks

This is a stitching pattern from Keith Smith's book Quick Leather Bindings, although I've used it here on a simple paper wrapper. It is a 4-section sewing even though it kinda looks like it might be only three. The cover is Saint-Armand paper, and the pages are all handmade paper that I made in my papermaking class as PBI earlier this year.

Book #249

Pocket Accordion

Today's book is a hardcover accordion with pockets - so content can be included in the pockets rather than (or as well as) on the panels. This particular book is one of a small edition that I made called A Walk on the Beach. "More Making Books by Hand" by Peter and Donna Thomas has good instructions and inspiration for making books like this.

Book #248

Staggered Diagonals

This is another 3-section sewing pattern that I found in Keith Smith's book. Then I doubled it for 6-sections.

This journal is for sale in my Etsy shop.

Book #247

Alternating Tridents

I made today's binding using another of Smith's 3-section sewings. I doubled it to make a 6-section journal.

This journal is for sale in my Etsy shop.

Book #246

Greek Binding

Today is the first day of a new school year for my kids, so I used the alphabet paper on today's book to mark the occasion. The binding is a stitching technique known as a Greek binding.

Book #245

Twisted Longstitch

In one of Keith Smith's books, he includes this as a 2-section binding. I have just repeated it three times to bind a 6-section journal. (If you can imagine how to stitch this without instructions then do so, since the instructions will seem overly complicated if you could do this on your own).

This journal is for sale in my Etsy shop.

Book #244

Diamonds

I almost forgot to update my blog today! It is 11:47pm in my own timezone as I type this, so I have a few minutes to get this published. I have not missed a day yet. This book is an example of another 3-section binding that I made from Keith Smith's instructions.

Book #243

Zhen Xian Bao, Pattern Book

I have made another Zhen Xian Bao (Chinese Thread Book) for today. This one is quite different than the first one that I showed (Book 204). This one has added pages and is bound along the spine using a typical 5-hole stab sewing, reinforced with a split dowel. Ruth Smith refers to this type of Zhen Xian Bao as a Pattern Book. There are eight folded pages in this book and they would be used as large pockets to hold patterns or other pieces of paper or fabric that are too big for the little boxes. The centre spread is built up with layers of boxes similar to the first book that I showed. Traditionally, the pages and all the boxes were elaborately and colourfully hand decorated with flowers and geometric patterns. Including the eight folded page pockets, this Zhen Xian Bao has 34 compartments.

Book #242

Loose-Leaf Book

Today's book might not be considered a book because it is not a codex. In "Books, Boxes and Portfolios," Zeier considers collections of loose pages to be books and defends their status as true books in spite of contrary opinions elsewhere. My example is a traditional Japanese case that I made specifically to house a collection of art prints.