I was lucky to receive a discarded calendar featuring vintage tourism posters from across Canada. I immediately set to reviving my bookbinding practice, making a coptic-stitched sketchbook from the “Toronto” page. I’m quite rusty, so this was more a beta test than anything; I’d forgotten how much I love book making, and I’ve already started on another, this time using a map of the area around Mbarara, Uganda that I rescued from the University of Calgary Library in 2014.
I found the videos Coptic Stitch Journal Tutorial! and DIY Coptic Stitch Bookbinding Tutorial helpful in reminding me of the stitching pattern; they compliment each other, and if you’re going to try your hand, I’d recommend watching both.
Comments
This is very nice. What tools does one need to make this? (I guess I could watch the tutorial and find out.) And I can't recall what sort of paper trimmer you use in your studio. Do you have the guillotine style cutter or just use a sharp blade and a ruler?
For punching holes I use a purpose-made awl from the London Centre for Book Arts, but any sort of pointy metal thing will do.
I am a longtime fan of Olfa 9 mm utility knives, after using them professionally in the newspaper composing room for paste-up, so that’s what I use for cutting book board down to size, trimming signatures, etc.
I could cut paper to size with the Olfa knife, but I use a public school-style guillotine that inherited from a flower shop.
For sewing the binding I use bookbinding needles, from Modulor in Berlin, but I used regular sewing needles when I first started out, which are only a problem if their eyes are wide.
The thread is baker’s twine (from The Bookmark); the book board was repurposed from a pad of paper; the inside papers were from the Japanese Paper Store.
The wonderful thing about this particular style of binding is that you don’t need any frames or strings or clamps: almost anyone can make a book from things in their kitchen drawer.
Ack: I forgot the bone folder, which is really the only “yes, you absolutely need one of these” tools in my toolbox. I’ve tried using other things — spoons, other smooth things, plastic bone folder-like tools — but in the end only a bona fide bone folder seems up to the task.
I have a bone folder! I don't have a guillotine, but could try using a utility knife. I'll see what I can do. Thank you!
There's something about "public school-style guillotine" that is unsettling! How many pages do you use in your signatures?
For 24 or 30 lb. copier paper I use 5 sheets per signature; for the book I’m making now, with heavier sketching paper, I’m using 4.
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