Further Adventures in Book Binding

Jun 19, 2015 | Bookbinding

I decided to try out the Coptic stitch binding, and here’s the result!

The first notebook is tiny – maybe 3 inches by 5 inches. I made the covers from cardboard, duct tape, and an old paper gift bag. The stitching is some spare hemp cord that got hilariously tangled every few minutes, and the paper on the inside is plain printer paper that I cut to size.

The second oneĀ is a proper artist’s book. I tore the covers off an old hardback, stripped them down to the board, and cut them to size, then I covered them with some more of that nice cotton fabric I used in the last project. The stitching is cotton cord that I waxed with bees’ wax – to stop it getting tangled all the time – and the inside is really thick watercolour paper.

Stitch binding is pretty interesting, but I’m not sure it’ll be suitable for my actual books. I’m planning to have a wooden, laser-cut cover, and I still need to work out the best way to attach the text block to it.

Still – this was lots of fun, and a great learning experience. I’m finding that I really enjoy book binding, the same way I enjoy sword fighting.