Last month as part of my ongoing Mid Life Crisis crafting I attended Bookbinding for Beginners at the NSW Bookbinding Guild
This was one of those “I really wanting to be around people, pursuing crafty endeavours together” activities, rather than any deep long-term desire to learn bookbinding.
The class ran over two days and was pretty intense! Tutor was amazing – group was enthusiastic, had a great energy and was pretty age diverse. We covered a lot and I was quite exhausted afterward – it’s not often I do something outside the routine for an entire weekend. Really must do more of this, I also would benefit from less saying and more executing!
I’m really thankful I learned this with the guild, rather than the other bookbinding offering – which had that “bookbind and wine” vibe and was less intensive. As a former drinker, I become irrationally enraged with the whole “wine and craft” thing that is really just everywhere. If you haven’t read the very excellent Kristi Coulter 2016 Enjoli Essay you should go and do that now.
On with the books!!
1. Single section stitched (x2)
We kicked off with binding our course notes into two softcover books – starting with 3 hole and then progressing to 5 hole with a wrapped cover.
2. Single section cased-in binding (hard cover)
Somewhat more challenging: our first blank book – bound in quite amazing wallpaper and I think the fabric on the spine is buckram, maybe?
3. Hard cover concertina photo album
The level of complexity increased quite rapidly with this one – lots of moving parts, including a de-bossed shape in the cover.
Honestly it is quite surprising what you can make with fairly simple materials.
there’s a whole lot more pressing and squishing with heavy objects involved in bookbinding than I’d imagined.
4. Multi-section French-stitched notebook with wraparound cover
We had some time remaining on the afternoon of Day Two, so we made two of this type.
post class photo to show stitching
The weekends work!
What I will do with all these books is yet to be determined!
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Naturally at the end of the weekend I bought a kit, because I am helpless in the face of craft materials and kits! And who doesn’t need a boot knife in their life?
I also joined the Guild** (mainly to support them, I cannot imagine doing terribly many Guidly type things) and have signed up for an intermediate class later in the year.
And I’ve been experimenting (albeit slowly) with the french-stitching and making wee books at home. This was by far my favourite method and I’m really keen to experiment with getting some hard covers on there!
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** I feel like this is peak old lady and I am here for it. Watch out NSW Embroiderer’s Guild!