Book #90

Islamic Binding 3

I have another Islamic binding to present today. It is similar in construction to the book I showed yesterday, but there are some differences thus changing its categorization. Most notably, this example features leather tabs at the head and tail and no fore-edge flap. I am unsure if there is a special name for this kind of Islamic book (if you know, please tell me).

Book #89

Islamic Binding 2

Today's book is a typical example of Islamic bookbinding, consisting of full leather over boards with a fore-edge flap that tucks under the front cover, and hand-sewn Islamic endbands of course.

Book #88

Girdle Book

This is an example of a girdle book. At least, this is my attempt at making a journal that looks like a girdle book. In this case, I know it is not constructed as they would have been in the 15th century. (Let's just say, mine is a casual interpretation of the binding.)

Historically, girdle books were often religious texts, fully bound in leather with a long tail of leather extending from the bottom of the book. Sometimes it was just carried by hand, or the tail could be tied into a knot and tucked under a belt (i.e. the girdle), to be carried hands-free. Hands-free technology.... The book would be hanging upside-down. When the owner wanted to use the book, he could just reach down and bring the book up and it would be upside-right, and it never has to be detached from his belt. More about girdle books.

This girdle book journal is for sale in my Etsy shop.

Book #87

Whip Stitch Rebinding

This is a rebound book. The book was originally a perfect bound paperback. I rebound it using a whip stitch technique and gave it a hardcover. The whip stitches are visible between each section, as you can see in this photo of the book's interior.

Book #86

Diamond X

This is another 3-section sewing technique that I got from Keith Smith's book. He calls it Diamond X.

Book #85

Pocket Folder Notebook

For today's book, the cover is made using the same folding technique as yesterday's booklet. This time, though, a signature is sewn into the middle fold to create a single-section notebook and all those little pockets are still available for storing various odds and ends.

Book #84

Pocket Folder Booklet

Once again, my book of the day is a folded structure of Hedi Kyle's invention. As you can see, my closed booklet is very unassuming, but inside there are several nooks and crannies for tucking or attaching other papers.

Helen Hiebert's book, Playing With Paper, has instructions for making this structure.

Book #83

Crisscross Binding,
formerly known as the Secret Belgian Binding

My book for today is an example of the lovely Crisscross Binding technique (which we used to call the Secret Belgian Binding).

If you are interested in reading more about this type of binding and its name, I have posted about it before here and here.

This particular journal is for sale in my Etsy shop.

Book #82

Fishbone Book

This was entirely new to me until just a few days ago and it was fun to experiment with it. This fishbone fold structure is another technique from Hedi Kyle with instructions on the Green Chair Press blog.

Book #81

Single Sheet Dos-a-dos

This little dos-a-dos structure is a variation of a simple single-sheet booklet, modified to have two sets of pages and in this particular example I have added mat board for a hardcover on front and back. View instructions from Green Chair Press. Another good resource for this and similar structures is Helen Hiebert's book, Playing With Paper.

Book #80

Water Lily Book

This little book is made using three origami water lilies with a hardcover. Bound & Lettered (Vol. 5 No. 1) has instructions for making this little book.

Book #79

Linked Stars

This is another one of the 3-sections sewings devised by Keith Smith. He calls this one "Linked Stars." Mine almost look more like rockets. Different spacing would result in more star-like shapes, methinks.

Book #78

Flat back case binding, quarter leather

This is probably the last variation of the case binding that I have to show. This one is a flat back case binding, in quarter leather. The decorative paper is some that I made using the Japanese Shibori dyeing technique.

Book #77

Quarter leather case binding, rounded spine

Using some amazing Japanese Chiyogami paper and dark green leather, I made this book with a case binding, rounded spine, in quarter leather.

Book #76

Flat back case binding, half leather

Happy Saint Patrick's Day, blog readers! Today's suitably green book is another flat back case binding, this time in half leather. Using my own paste papers too.

Book #75

Half leather case binding, rounded spine

Case binding with rounded spine again. This time in half leather and some of my own Suminagahsi marbling on the covers.

Book #74

Half cloth case binding, rounded spine

Another example of a case binding, half cloth with rounded spine.

Book #73

Quarter cloth case binding, rounded spine

A case binding with rounded spine, quarter cloth and my own marbled paper.

Book #72

Full cloth case binding, rounded spine

Case binding with rounded spine, full cloth.

Book #71

Full leather case binding, rounded spine

Case bindings can also be done with rounded and backed spines, of course. This is such an example in full leather.

Book #70

Flat back case binding, full leather

A flat back case binding, full leather.

Book #69

Flat back case binding, half cloth

And a flat back case binding, half cloth.

Book #68

Flat Back case binding, quarter cloth

Another case binding, flat back with quarter cloth.

Book #67

Flat Back case binding, full cloth

Even the case binding can be done many different ways. This particular example is a full cloth, flat back case binding.

Book #66

Stair-Steps

Stair-steps is another of Smith's 3-section sewing techniques.

Book #65

The Rope

This is another one of the 3-section sewings from Smith's book that he calls the rope, for obvious reasons.

Book #64

Crossed Structure Basic

This is an example of the Crossed Structure Basic that I really like making.

Book #63

Hanging Scroll

So this is probably not the first thing (or last) that I will post which falls into the "book" category only marginally or perhaps questionably. Since I have been exploring scrolls as bookbinding structures, I decided I would also include the hanging scroll. This is an example of a typical Japanese hanging scroll, or kakemono, which is intended to be hung on a wall to display artwork and calligraphy, rather than rolled and stored like the makimono (the Japanese handscroll).

Book #62

Dragon Scale Binding

Since I was talking about scrolls, I decided to try making a Dragon Scale scroll. There is very little information about this type of Chinese binding and I have never seen any instructions or ever seen a scroll like it, in real life. Just a few tidbits of information and a couple pictures scattered about the ether. Consequently, this is probably over simplified and I am certain that my attempt is not an impressive imitation, but it is what I came up with given the lack of resources. It is a multi-page scroll and each page is a different length. I have used strips of images on the edge of each sheet to emphasize that. The pages are bound together on a rod so they can be rolled up like a scroll. A proper example would likely have many more pages and as you can see, the pages will tend to curl up when the scroll is opened, suggestive of dragon scales. I believe this kind of scroll is also called a whirlwind binding.

Book #61

Scroll in a box

This is another double-rod scroll format. The scroll is permanently bound inside a box where it can be rolled up in either direction to facilitate reading. As far as I know, there is no special name for a scroll in an box like this. Similar, but fancier, boxes are sometimes used for reading or displaying Qur'an and Torah scrolls.

Peter and Donna Thomas' book, "More Making Books by Hand", has instructions for making a scroll like this.

Book #60

Two-rod Scroll

As I mentioned yesterday, I am going to present some different scroll formats. The single-rod scroll seems to have East Asian roots like the Makimono, but other cultures developed the double-rod scroll where the paper/parchment had a rod at each end so it could be rolled off one end onto the other while reading. Handy for very long texts, surely. It seems to be most commonly used for religious documents, specifically the Torah and the Qur'an.

I have searched the Web and my books, but cannot find any special name for this type of scroll. Please leave me a comment if you know of a special name given to this type of scroll with two rods.