Anne of Green Gables

As I mentioned in June last year, I was fortunate to have two of my books accepted into the Kindred Spirits Exhibit, a juried bookbinding exhibit organized by CBBAG. The exhibit is in recognition of the life and work of L. M. Montgomery, to mark 150 years since her birth. The exhibit is travelling to various galleries in Canada and is currently at Western Univerisity. The project website has the full exhibition schedule.

One of my books for this exhibit is a full leather rebinding of Anne of Green Gables. This is a 1952 edition that belonged to my mother. She gave it to me a few years ago and suggested that I repair it, since it had some damage to the covers and part of the spine material was missing. So, when this exhibit was announced, I deicded it was time to do something with it. I also made a custom box for it. The marbled paper is my own and it is used as the book's endpapers and inside the box.


The second book is more of an artists' book, called "Summer." I used just a few lines from Anne of Green Gables as the content for this book.

Anne had the golden summer of her life, as far as freedom and frolic went. She walked, rowed, berried, and dreamed to her heart's content and when September came she was bright-eyed and alert, with a heart full of ambition and zest once more.

Each of the pages is hand-decorated with watercolour washes and ink drawings and I printed the text with some antique brass type. The book and box are covered with yellow bookcloth and have some of my own marbled paper inside. The book is a hardcover, 2-hole stab binding.


You can find more pictures of the books and order the catalog on the Kindred Spirits website.

Book #325

Brackets

Another 3-section binding that I found in Smith's book.

Book #309

Isolated Diamonds

A three-section binding again today.

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 #270

Sevens

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

Book #239

Split Cover Pamphlet

Today's book is the last of the bindings that I am going to use from my Pamphlet Binding book. This variant is called a split cover, because the front and back covers are two separate pieces of paper, rather than a continuous wrapper. Bookcloth is wrapped on the spine.

Book #224

German Paper Binding 4

Today's German Paper Binding is very similar to the one I made yesterday, but the sewing is done differently. Today's book is sewn with an unsupported link stitch. Everything else is the same.

Book #168

3-Piece Pamphlet

This is a hardcover pamphlet binding. In her book, Cooking the Books, Bea Nettles calls this an 'Italian Pamphlet', although I am not sure if it is truly of Italian origin.

Book #162

Modular Origami Accordion

Using a modular origami technique, I created another nifty accordion book. The lovely thing about this origami structure is that it creates its own photo-corners so you can easily tuck pictures into each panel.

Book #157

Italian Paper-covered binding No. 3

The paper-covered Italian longstitch bindings underwent some evolution and in the 17th and 18th Centuries, the sewing patterns became somewhat abbreviated. This is an example of the abbreviated sewing seen during that time. Other features that were seen were wrap-around endleaves and decorative paste-paper wrappers; this example has both.

Book #145

Parquetry

A quick one for today. This is another of Smith's 3-section bindings.

Book #139

Dowel Spine binding

This is one of a small edition that I made in 2011, called Green. This little book recognizes the achievement of Canada's Green Party, successfully electing Elizabeth May, the first Green member of parliament, in 2011. The content includes the principles of the Green Party, outlines their acheivements and also questions why green principles are not already part of other political agendas. The materials are all repurposed and/or recycled.

The structure is called a dowel spine portfolio, which you can find in "More Making Books by Hand" by Peter and Donna Thomas.

Book #135

French Link

The binding on this book is what I call a French Link sewing although I have seen much debate about that name. In any case, it can be used for a number of different structures, but on this example, it is used just by itself as an exposed spine sewing. Most of the time, this kind of sewing is hidden under a spine covering.

Book #134

Stab-bound Album

A photo album with a 4-hole stab binding for today.

Book #130

Multi-section on Tapes Laced into Paper Cover

There are a number of sewings that might be given the same title as this one. This particular variation is included in Keith Smith's book (1- 2- & 3-section Sewings). I really like this one and with the heavy cover paper and turn-ins, it makes a very nice book. And I was able to use a sheet of marbled paper that I had made recently when I had been experimenting with some heavier papers.

Book #128

Multi-section Figure 8 binding

As the title says, this is a multi-section Figure 8 binding. The most interesting thing about this tiny book is the cover material, which is a scrap of fish leather.

Book #99

The Dash

Another simple two-section sewing. Smith calls this "The Dash". He describes this in his book "1- 2- & 3-Section Sewings."

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 #72

Full cloth case binding, rounded spine

Case binding with rounded spine, full cloth.

Book #39

Islamic Binding 1

This is an Islamic binding that I made. I believe that it is called chahargoshe, with a soft cover. The covers and spine piece are constructed separately and this style is typically characterized by the four narrow leather edges surrounding a more decorative material on the cover. Hand-sewn Islamic endbands too, of course.

It is certainly possible that I have the name wrong. If someone more knowledgeable knows a more accurate name for this type of binding, please leave me a comment.