NSBAG Book Swap

A few weeks ago, the Nova Scotia Book Arts Group hosted its first book swap. Anyone in the group who wanted to participate just had to make a blank book, bring it to the meeting in November, and then they got someone else's handmade book to take home. I've been participating in various book swaps for years. Christine Cox, of Volcano Arts, used to host book swaps which were done online and through the mail and those were the first swaps I did. Later I found several other occassions to participate in swaps and exchanges for blank books, marbled paper, and artist's books. Many of these have been documented here on my blog over the years if you want to scroll back and find some of my old posts.

For the recent NSBAG swap, I made this half leather binding with my own marbled paper on the covers. The structure is a traditional library style binding constructed with split boards and sewn headbands.


There were 17 participants in the swap so there was an impressive range of bookbinding techniques and materials represented. You can see all of the books on the NSBAG blog.

Book #341

Exposed Spine Board Binding

This is a tidy binding that I learned from one of Keith Smith's books (Vol V). The exposed board is only visible inside the book.

Book #308

Tire Tracks

Another 3-section binding from Smith's book.

Book #296

Another Origami Structure

Today's book is a simple one. I modified an origami kimono fold to make it look more like a sweater vest. The innermost layer (or, the shirt) can be pulled out and it bears the text of a little poem about a sweater vest.

Book #228

German Paper Binding 8

Another variant of the German Paper Binding today. This one has a leather spine, which was attached separately from the boards. It also has hooked endsheets and a hollow spine (no tube!) Attaching the spine and boards separately like this gives the book quite a different appearance, compared to my previous variants. Using leather also gives it a more refined look that I like. Thank you to Peter Verheyen for all the information he has shared about these bindings.

Book #212

Japanese Album

The Japanese Album that I made for today is a type of accordion but the pages are not made from one long sheet; rather, several folded sheets are pasted together at the fore-edge to create the book block.

Book #207

Perfect Binding

I am not sure why it took me so long to get to this basic binding; nonetheless, here is an example of the perfect binding.

Book #205

Split Board binding

I came across this type of split board binding in Alisa Golden's book (Creating Handmade Books). It is different than other split board bindings that I've done, so here it is as today's binding. In spite of my poor judgement in mixing these patterns, the structure itself turned out fine!

Book #201

Icicle binding

For today, I made a book with the Icicle binding, which is from one of Smith's book (Vol 3). It feels like a stitch sampler. It has a kettle, a chain, a packed cord, and then also the elaborated packed cords with the extra dropped stitch and chain-like thing. With a good cover attachment, it feels very sturdy.

Book #177

CSB Expander

Today's book is bound using Arregui's CSB Expander structure.

Book #173

Chinese Stab Binding

This is a copy of POW! by Mo Yan that I bound in a traditional Chinese format in four parts, for the Nobel Museum bookbinding exhibition in Sweden this year, recognizing Mo Yan's Nobel prize for literature.

Book #164

Tegumentum subflavum

Today's book is a copy of the structure of Tegumentum subflavum, a limp binding at the Tallinn City Archives. It is an interwoven longstitch sewing. This is one of the limp binding structures explored by Monica Langwe in her book Limp bindgins from Tallinn.

Book #144

Embroidery Binding

I just learned this stitching technique from Deb Eck, who designs these binding patterns, inspired by her knowledge of various embroidery techniques. The pattern on this book has its origins in Elizabethan black work. Check out some of her very impressive work at debraeck.com.

Book #142

Dove Tail

Another 3-section binding from Smith's book. This one has always been one of my favorites... I should use it more often!

Book #124

Accordion + Tunnel

This is another permutation of the accordion structure which combines two accordions, and one of them is cut with windows to create a tunnel. This example is made from a single sheet of paper with the second accordion extending from the top of the fourth panel on the main accordion. I saw this idea in one of Alisa Golden's books.

Book #107

Diagonals & Bars

Diagonals & bars is today's 2-section sewing, another one from Smith's book.

Book #104

Standing Zs

Called Standing Zs or Lying Ns, this is another of the two-section stitches in Smith's book.

Book #102

Nested Pop-ups

I made some pop-up balloons for my birthday today! This is a simple example of nested pop-ups where I created the same pop-up shape on three different sheets -- just moving it a bit each time. Then when the three sheets are stacked together, the shapes pop through the holes created by the sheets in front.

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 #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.