Book #105

Bars & Arrows

I find the appearance of this this particular two-section stitch to be a little awkward, but it is still quite simple to produce. Smith calls this one bars & arrows.

Book #104

Standing Zs

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

Book #103

Dash & Bars

I have being trying a few more of the two-section stitches in Smith's book. He calls this one dash & bars.

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 #101

Vs

This is one of the three-section sewings from Smith's book, simply called Vs.

These books are available on Etsy, here and here.

Book #100

Accordion with hardcover

One hundred! I made it to 100, and so far I have not missed a day even though there were a couple posts that happened very late. I made an accordion with a hardcover to mark this occassion. It has 100 numbered pages which my daughter and I decorated.

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 #98

Parallel Bars

Today's little notebook is a simple two-section stitching technique that Keith Smith calls "parallel bars."

Book #97

Australian Piano Hinge

This book is made using a technique that I found described on Alisa Golden's website. She says it was originally called "Flat-Style Australian Reverse Piano Hinge binding" and she nicknamed it the Australian Piano Hinge, which is a little easier to remember! It is a nice structure combining an accordion with folded signatures. I have made this example using two accordion spine pieces.

Book #96

American publishers' trade binding

This rather plain-looking book is a model of a typical American publishers' trade binding commonly used in binderies during the 1800s in the United States.

Book #95

W. Rabbit Envelope Book

Since it is Easter, today's book features a bunny. Well, it features a White Rabbit. The one that Alice meets down in the rabbit hole. I used an origami structure to make the bunny envelope - using an old book page that I recently marbled. Inside the envelope, "it seems to be a letter, written by the prisoner to — to somebody" which is unfolded and read by the Rabbit at the Knave's trial.

Book #94

Chinese Bamboo Binding

I have attempted to create something similar to a Chinese bamboo book, which is sometimes called the Chinese Pothi binding since it is believed to be an adaptation of the Indian Pothi (palm leaf) binding. Books like these were the very earliest bound manuscripts in China and were made from split bamboo strips and bound together with leather or silk. In Chinese it is called wei pien when bound with leather or sze pien when bound with silk.

Book #93

Limp Vellum Chainstitch

This is another structure based on northern European medieval binding techniques. Parchment cover, reinforced spine, and a chain stitch sewing. Fore-edge envelope flap with a closure consisting of ties and wooden buttons.

Book #92

Woven Longstitch

Today's journal is an example of a northern European medieval binding. Parchment cover with turn-ins secured with twisted vellum tackets, spine reinforced with heavy leather, and the sewing is a longstitch and link stitch combination with secondary weaving.

Book #91

The Edible Book

There are Edible Book festivals all over the world and they are usually held on April 1st, or thereabouts. If you want to look for an event in your area, check either the main website at www.books2eat.com, or on Facebook.

Pictured here is a bookbinder's edible book that I made, called Limp Bindings from Tallinn!