I attended a fantastic course at West Dean with Tracey Bush learning how to make a button hole book.
Tracey explained that a pamphlet is one 'section' with a cover. Our books were going to have multiple sections, a section being a group of folded papers. She recommended a book by Keith Smith called 'Non adhesive book binding' (Vol 1). She also recommended Shepherds as a supplier in Victoria.
Tracey had lots of tips for us:
Use a piece of paper to mask when glueing
Use a magazine as scrap paer when glueing
Hold the scrap paper very firmly
Use the folder to press the glue down
We used linen thread which we ran through beeswax. The length of the thread was the height of the book x no. of sections (twice - one for the top and the pther for the bottom). Use a saddlers needle as they don't flare out at the eye like an embroidery needle.
The folding process to make the cover was simple enough once we had determined the grain of the paper and cut it to size. Tracey said that books wear tailored jackets - she always makes the cover to the size of what it is going around.
We made the small book in the morning.
I selected the green papers and added pieces of one of my prints to the front cover. I also added some of the plain paper to the window peephole at the front and back. I would like to play with this and make something with a really interestingly shaped hole with something showing through it.
In the afternoon we made a larger book. This one didn't have the peepholes in the covers, just the opening along the spine. I used some brightly coloured old prints to embellish this one.
I was really pleased with the choice of the yellow thread and how the prints around the sections of plain paper showed on the spine. I made a more interesting cover for this one, one that wrapped around and could have something attached to hold it closed.
I'm feeling really excited by this and would like to investigate making a concertina sketchbook as well.
I think I'm going to play with a little collage and adding details to the larger book, I'm rather interested in the idea of selling it as a 'part completed' artists book... one that the purchaser can add to. I would think of it as a sort of collaboration between me and whoever bought it. There are pages of my prints inside and there are blue hahnemuhle pages wrapping other sections with white paper page inside both of these. I think I'd like to use this as an experiment with collage and possibly even adding some stitch to some of the pages. It'll be harder to do since the book is already assembled, but interesting to see what it looks like as a template to then work on making another that is embellished etc prior to assembly.
I think this could be a really interesting direction for my prints. I love the idea of making something that can be handled and touched, that has a feel and a smell but which is also beautiful and crafted. I have been making lots of monoprints ising foraged grasses and other forest materials... over the holidays I aim to make a book using some of them.
It was pointed out during the course that I picked up the process of making the book very quickly. The friend sitting next to me really struggled and I had to repeatedly help her, I think it reinforces my love of a making process again!
(Im also hoping that this might cut down on my obsession with buying sketchbooks... I can just buy paper and glue instead!)