I decided to take a book binding class, something I thought about doing as an undergrad, but never got around to. I made a deal with myself in January that because I had purchased a new kitchen mixer, I couldn't buy any books until March. I've done well at keeping my resolution, but now I'm just spending all my money on materials to make books. It is a very expensive hobby. I also already have too many hobbies. Oh well.
So, here is the unveiling of my first book:
The book has many flaws, but hopefully they aren't visible in the pictures. Yesterday, as I was doing the finally gluing of the book, I was cursing myself for thinking that because I like to read books I would be good at making books. Bookbinding is essentially a complicated craft and I have never been very good at crafts. But I am hopeful that I will eventually figure out what I am doing.
11 comments:
Cool.
1) I used to repair books in the library in grad school. There is something rewarding in repairing books for future use. The reward must be double for actually making books.
2) Larry Miller of the car, Jazz, and Broke-Back fear used to be a book binder.
I have done some self-taught book-making over the years. Instead of calling it a "craft," which sounds dismissive, you could think of yourself as belonging to the great, esoteric tradition of artists' books. My recent favorite thing is accordian style books. I saw an exhibit of portraits in Aberdeen--the artists had been given a travel grant, which they used to travel the trans-Siberian railroad and paint portraits along the way. Cool project--but what I loved the most was the little accordian style books they used for the paintings. I thought to myself, "how hard could that be?" and I was right. I'll show you the ones I've made sometime--and yours, by the way, looks beautiful.
I agree, beautiful! The Marriott Library has an amazing collection of handmade books. My favorite aspect of the collection is the criteria that make something a "book" or not. They have some great, very creative interpretations of "book."
I made a book, once, for a narrative theory course. I went the easy way for binding, and just tied it. But I'm still pretty proud of it.
Wow! I'm impressed. I want you to bring it to school for show and tell.
I've been going through a phase where I want to get into papermaking, screen printing, that sort of thing...and make personalized greeting cards...collage...etc. I've never really had any physical, hands-on artistic leanings so that part of it is really appealing. I even went to a papermaking museum/workshop in Taipei. Man, the process looks like it would take forever....I'd have to cut out blogging, or something...
sleepy-e, you should start making paper. and then you can send it to me and I'll make it into books (or just ruin it in the process of trying to make the book, so maybe not).
and yes, lisa b. I want to see your accordion books
I learned how to make paper--albeit rough and crazy paper--a few years ago. It's not hard, unless you're trying to make writing paper, in which case you'd need a better mold and deckle than the one I made out of the kind of screen you use for a porch door and frames I bought at the craft store. I was a paper-making fiend, and I used it for all sorts of great stuff I inflicted on my friends and loved ones. Just say the word, and we'll all quit our jobs and make handmade paper, handmade books, etc. Perhaps we could start a lucrative drug business on the side.
While you're at it, would you bake me 5 dozen sugar cookies?
And Ross needs a big poster celebrating his life for school on Thursday. It needs to be BIG and blue, I think he said, and it needs to have photos that are mounted on paper and THEN mounted on the big poster board. And his name cut out of big letters and also mounted on the poster board. And photographs. And captions, hopefully on paper cut with cute borders, with those cute border scissors. Are you up for it?
Frankly, you all, I could rustle up some cute border scissors at my house, that's just how much craftiness has upon occasion gone on around here. And glue sticks. And I'm not ashamed to admit that there is homemade sugar cookie dough just awaiting the baking in my freezer. So there. And my house is a mess.
I'll mold and deckle you, dammit!
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