bookbinding
Claire’s Book
This is, in my opinion, the best and most complex book I’ve ever bound. It was a gift for my girlfriend Claire.
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Here is it finished. It’s different from my other books in that I added some new features I’ve never done before. It’s got the window through the front cover with the calligraphy showing through from the end page, and I embroidered the book cloth to make the pattern you see on the front cover.
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The Window and caligraphy. Writing the caligraphy was nerve wracking because, not only did it have to be perfectly centered and well formed letters, but I only got one chance to get it right.
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Just like all my books, it bares my bookbinding ensignia. My way of signing all the books I create
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Here is the finished cover with the finished text block sticking out of it, about to be glued together: One of the final steps.
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After I finished the pattern, here is the book cloth glued to the front cover board.
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The cover before being clued to the boards. Notice the flaps of the window that will be folded and glued into the board.
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Embroidering the cover.
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The back of the cover during embroidering. Not very neat I know, I’ve never done this before though.
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A page from my sketchbook, showing sketches, ideas, and plans for making the book.
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I hope you enjoyed this post. Thanks for reading!
Bookbinding Insignia
It occurred to me when I finished the sketchbook for my cousin Camille, that I needed a way to sign or identify myself as the bookmaker.
Just signing the book like a drawing or painting felt off, and I figured a new medium deserves a new signature:
In my sketchbook I deigned this logo. The first pencil drawing included some flourishes, but in the end I settled on the cleaner, straight line version.
After I had the design I miniaturized it and carved this stamp from linoleum and made a base and handle. Here are the first tests of the stamp.
It isn’t perfect but here is the first ever use of it in action. I used it to “sign” the back endpage of the book near the bottom.
Soon I’m going to give the book to Camille, I think she’ll like it.
Camille’s sketchbook
While on a family trip to Norway this summer, I saw my cousin Camille writing/drawing in a cool notebook, she said she got in Mexico. I told her I do bookbinding and offered to make her one when we got back…well we’ve been back for a few weeks and here it is.
The paper I used for the cover is handmade that I bought in a boutique while we were In Norway, so in addition to just looking cool it’s a good momento of our awesome trip. Below are some pictures of the book while in different stages of making it.
(Above: the text block and wrapped cover before joining them)
(Above: text block with endpages and bookmark)
(Above: spine of the sewed text block)
Austin Overmoe 