The Threads That Bind

My biblionautic chums and friends.

I think it is now safe to say that I have started a new teaching post on the full time book binding course at West Dean.

https://www.westdean.ac.uk/degrees-and-diplomas/fda-books-binding

Please note.... there are other courses, studios/binderies doing stuff, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind of sorts.

My biblionautic chums and friends.

What, you may ask, is happening in Studio 5 Book Arts on Saturday Mark?

Well in short......
A Designer Bookbinders Masterclass Introduction to Letterpress Printing using the wonderful Adana 8x5.

So today, Friday, is spent in set up, ensuring everything works, inks, papers, blocks and type. These classes do not happen at the click of fingers, I wish though.

The day is an introduction, a day of fun, no real rules, just experimentation and finding out. The aim is to produce a series of two colour sample pages... Perhaps with a touch of Mertz by the great Kurt Schwitters......he lived, for a while, 5 minutes from Studio 5 (before my time)...... to serve as inspiration.

Please note.... there are other studios/binderies doing stuff, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind of sorts.

My biblionautic chums and friends.
Booker Time Update.

https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker.../prize-years/2024
My Booker Book is Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood.

Having read from cover to cover once I shall be reading again. However the initial design idea is bouncing around my head and sketch book already. So much so that I have started on the end papers already. They will be leather jointed so work on the doubler can be done later.

Below tiny snap shots of the end papers, I cannot reveal them in completely until after the event, just a glimpse, a teaser perhaps....

I will be posting progress over the next 6 or so weeks.
Please note.... there are other studios/binderies doing stuff, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind of sorts.

My biblionautic chums and friends.
Booker Time.
Now that the Booker 2024 Short List is out.....
https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker.../prize-years/2024
My Booker Book is Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood.

The specially printed sheets arrived, sections folded and in the press over night.

I will be posting progress over the next 6 or so weeks.
Please note.... there are other studios/binderies doing stuff, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind of sorts.

My biblionautic chums and friends.

Booker Time.

Now that the Booker 2024 Short List is out.....
https://thebookerprizes.com/the-booker-library/prize-years/2024

I can reveal that my Booker Book is Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood.
The specially printed sheets will be arriving soon but I have my reading copy.....
One of the highlights of the annual Booker Prize season comes when each of the shortlisted authors is presented with a unique, hand-bound edition of their nominated works. These one-of-a-kind books are made and designed between the shortlist announcement and winner ceremony. From folding the specially printed sheets into sections, each book is the result of around 150 hours of dedicated work and the process, which involves at least 25 distinct stages. What would normally take months is condensed in to weeks, this year I have 6 week!

Please note.... there are other studios/binderies doing stuff, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind of sorts.

My biblionautic chums and friends.
Buried Book in a Box, a stop motion video of the pages, a real page turner!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyM7gtQQ3So

Please note.... there are other studios/binderies doing stuff, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind of sorts

Full Leather Buried Book The Pages Part of the buried book series. A stop motion video of the pages (a real page turner!)

My biblionautic chums and friends.

Buried Book in a Box, a stop motion page turner of a video!

https://youtu.be/XyM7gtQQ3So

Please note.... there are other studios/binderies doing stuff, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind of sorts.

Full Leather Buried Book The Pages Part of the buried book series. A stop motion video of the pages (a real page turner!)

My biblionautic chums and friends.

Many years ago, when I was a Licentiate of Designer Bookbinders, I had the chance to get up close and personal with a binding of Moby Dick by the late Philip Smith. Many things impressed me, the use of materials and the way he had shaped the head end band to form a spine profile that continued the wave design across the boards amongst other things. The end band sort of stuck in my mind.

A few weeks later I was faced with the binding of a text block that had beautiful hand made paper, deckle edge and all to the fore edge and tail, you know the sort of thing. And, as such, one does not trim a text block that had beautiful hand made paper, deckle edge and all. So..... I wanted to have sewn end bands and it was then that I remembered Smith's shaped end band... what if I were to reverse it? To follow the contours of the text block at the tail, to have an end band that fitted the text block? Any way, I gave it a bash, why not? What could possibly go wrong?

I made up a practise text block and bashed away. On completion I looked at it and thought that it looked okay. One of my students came over to see what I was up to, he too thought it looked okay. Then asking how I had done it he asked what the technique was called. I had know idea, I had just done it, so in one of those casual moments I replied that it looked similar to the Manhattan sky line. The name stuck.

All of this because I reversed what someone else had done.

A Picture of Dorian Gray, hand sewn, Manhattan, single needle end band with Pip beading in silk.

Please note.... I realised, of course that there is little that is new under the sun... I felt pretty sure that in the 2,000 or so years of the codex that someone some where would have done the same.
Please further note....there are other end band styles, studios/binderies doing stuff, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind of sorts.

My biblionautic chums and friends.
Buried Book in a Box, the next exciting chapter. The drying out process continues, for the last few days the book has supported on a mesh tray to allow air circulation for an hour or so then pressed in wooden boards, to absorb moisture, under weights. Then an hour on the mesh tray... repeat, repeat etc.
Slowly the book begins to dry out and revealing more textures contained within the text block.
Please note.... there are other studios/binderies doing stuff, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind of sorts.

My biblionautic chums and friends.
Buried Book in a Box, after a period in the deep freeze the long careful process of separating the pages and drying out the book begins. The book is supported on a mesh tray to allow air circulation for an hour or so then pressed in wooden boards, to absorb moisture, under weights. Then an hour on the mesh tray... repeat, repeat etc.

Already the leather and boards have begun to contort and shrink, creating a new form perhaps, dare one say, a more sculptured form. Earth textures leave impressions along with the residue of insects, larvae, snails and other wee beasties.

Please note.... there are other studios/binderies doing stuff, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind of sorts.

My biblionautic chums and friends.

Yet another exhumation of a Buried Book, this time full leather...

https://youtu.be/oYYSw4gZUlw

Please note.... there are other studios/binderies doing stuff, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind of sorts.

Full Leather Binding imovie Book Buried in a Box. A full leather binding forming part of the Buried book series.

My biblionautic chums and friends.

Sunday in Studio 5.... A student on the 2nd module of the Studio 5 Creative Studies in Contemporary Bookbinding and Book Arts course.

A 4 day intensive that follows on from the Multi Sectional Flat Back Case Bound Book Module. Last Sunday was day 3 with the 2 previous days (last week) concentrating on section folding, tipped on end papers, rounding and backing, applied end bands etc etc etc.... Oh and Flottage paper.. we do a lot!

So back to Sunday, a day of case making for the first text block (yes, we do make 2 books) in a full buckram and a couple of hours introducing the student to lettering in foil.

First we start with the handle letters and ink pads, learning how to hold the tools, correct movement of the letters and pressure. Then we move to lettering with carbon paper. In this phase we learn about heat and and placement. Finally on to foil... this phase is all about dwell.... how long the heated tool is in contact with the foil.

As a teacher, for the introduction of lettering in foil I feel it is important for the student to be at ease, gradually learning the various steps involved. Equally I do not bog the student down with the need to get everything in a straight line.. that may/can come later with practise. The 3 key elements are pressure, temperature and dwell, additionally I do like to encourage a little fun and experimentation.... And why not?

Please note.... there are other studios/binderies doing stuff, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind of sorts.

My biblionautic chums and friends.

A day of stuff happening in Studio 5. Along with the Buried Book in a Box ... An introduction to two colour printing with the trusty Adana 8x5.

Please note.... there are other fruits, studios/binderies/ doing stuff, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind of sorts.

My biblionautic chums and friends.

Buried Book in a Box, instalment the third.

Once again, not much to see......... except, of course, a random apple! I am not sure how it got there or how long it has been there. I suppose it all adds to the flavour of the event.

I am keen to see what has happened to the book, I feel the exhumation will take place next week...

Please note.... there are other fruits, studios/binderies/ doing stuff, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind of sorts.

My biblionautic chums and friends.

At last! The two tray drop back box (some may say clam shell) for Songs and Poems is finished.

A simple affair in black book cloth with gold tooling to the spine.

405mm x 300mm x 37mm.

Please note.... there are other studios/binderies/ doing stuff, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind of sorts.

My biblionautic chums and friends.

Yesterday, Sunday August the 18th, was the fourth and therefore the last day of the four day special workshop in quarter leather case binding.

The two students were beginners, okay one of the students had made a single section book before.... but in the main both were complete beginners.

To put things into context, they are bibliophiles with a love for the book with a desire to learn more about the book, the making, material use and, this was important for them, to work with leather.

After discussion, I was talked in to creating a special workshop for them. Initially we decided on on a half leather, rounded and backed case binding. This was later modified due to time and experience to a quarter leather binding.

As with many things we started at the beginning with a sheet of paper. We discovered grain direction (as I mentioned earlier the students were complete beginners) and other properties of paper, history with examples of early European papers, development of structures and other stuff. We went on to fold sections from SRA1 sheets of paper, made endpapers, marking up for sewing etc etc etc. Rounding and backing, by way of an introduction to leather work I demonstrated paring leather so that we could make leather end bands, nothing in a kit form, all as it comes form my suppliers. By the end of the 2nd day we had our text blocks ready for the case to be made.

Let the leather be brought forth!

To be honest dear reader, I thought that if we did have an area that would provide a hic-up this would be it. Learning about leather takes time and if the students were to have problems in edge paring then we had agreed that I would do it for them, have I mentioned that the students were complete beginners? We need not have worried, after one hour, or so, of practise with round bladed paring knives I felt confident enough with their newly gained skills to be let loose on the leather for their bindings. The final paring, considering that they had only one hour of learning how to edge pare, hold the knife, understand how leather moves when being worked with etc etc, were more than satisfactory.

With the leather on the spine and boards, along with false raised cords, head caps and the like by the end of the third day, the 4th and final day led us to finishing in foil and blind.

Once again, the students practised. Embracing to three aspects of finishing... Dwell, temperature and pressure. Combination foil work and blind tooling (wet). By lunch time the bling was on the bindings.

After lunch a relaxed atmosphere reigned in the studio. We looked at various papers for the sides. I began so show traditional marbled papers from a plan chest, it was then that one of the students saw the corner of a sheet of my flottage paper. She enquired as to what it was... I brought out a few sheets, then some more, finally all of what I had. They both decided to side their cases with my decorated paper! How wise, I thought of them, to combine the traditional with the contemporary.

Finally the casing in. Then a sit in the sun and a relaxed chat as the books were pressed.

An intensive 4 days, I feel I must add that all the work on the books is by the students themselves. I demonstrate all steps in the making and, as my students will testify, I do not touch the students work, they learn and apply.... not just wait for the tutor to do it for them. I suppose I am a little old school in that respect.

I would like to thank my suppliers, Harmatan Leather, John Purcell Papers and F J Ratchford. Thanks guys, having top materials to work with makes all the difference.

As a tutor I found the 4 days (over two weekends) to be rewarding in so many ways.

Please note.... there are other suppliers, studios/binderies/ doing stuff, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind of sorts.

My biblionautic chums and friends. Earlier today I was back tracking on my blog site and found this post from 2020...

I fail.
In the time that I now have to myself in the studio and in the old noggin that passes for my head.. which by default contains my brain and all that goes with that, I have time to question what I do and why I do it (amongst other things). The other day one tiny voice that popped into the uninterrupted cacophony of voices that jostle to be heard posed a simple question 'Is failure part of the creative process?' Well, after some time dwelling on this point.... I believe it is part of the creative process. And, if I am honest, I feel it is as important as the success of the creative process.
In the age we live, failure is talked less and less about. It has become a no no in education and in many spheres of daily life. Having said that, there is, of course, what I refer to as the negative success. For example, in short, and trust me I have witnessed this more than once... a tutor at the end of the session saying to the gathered students..' Of course none of you will ever be as good as me' This is bad in many ways, it is forces the tutors assumed success on the expected failure of the student, a negative success as it were. It is arrogant, belittling and says much about the skill of the tutor. I will not go on but I hope you get my point.
Many are told that failure in the process of making or creating should not happen. The sad reality is that in many aspects of our working lives we are conditioned to have an abhorrence to failure. So much so that this can (and does) lead to a stagnation in the creative process. Many stick with what they know and just produce variations on the basics, a slight change in colour or size but basically the same thing because they do not want to fail. We have become addicted to the culture of success, indeed craving the high of the 'like' or 'heart' on their posts. Expecting instant approval and success. I feel it is endemic in younger (and not so young) people... All that may happen in the long run is a culture of mediocrity and petulance. We are taught to fear the mistake or failure.
Yes I post on line. Yes I have a blog and yes, I go live and make the odd, appalling short film. For me it is not about the likes or hearts. Moreover, it is definitely not about the lovely comments I don't get, I get very few as it is and always try to answer... Lets be honest, if I wanted the posts to garner adulation I would always have a kitten, puppy or lavish dish of food in shot. For me it is about communication, to share (as it is with others) to let people see what I am up to. Perhaps an on line gallery or public face to the studio.. I hope you, my reader, understand.
Once I have understood a making or creative process, I practice, I experiment, I go out on a limb, I go down new paths. I fail. However, I look upon the failure as part of the process, I pick myself up and start again with the added knowledge of the failure, a step nearer success. Trust me, there can be many failures but they all lead, finally, to the one success, ask any skater!
Because I have taken the time to understand the rules I can begin to bend them, to break them..I ask myself what if I use a bigger brush and colour outside the lines. I fail, I start again. I begin to make my own rules, stretching to breaking point and beyond. This, and more is my creative process. I ask myself 'Is this the best I can do or as far as I can go?' I find answers to my questions.
Success is very, very rarely instant nor is it an entitlement, it is to be worked for. Success is a difficult thing to gauge in the creative world, it is often a personal thing. There is, of course, the confidence it can bring and the tangible rewards of others wishing to acquire your work or to learn from you. That could be thought of as a measure of success and paying the bills is important. For me, however, it is more of a stepping stone in the creative journey.
As much as I strive for success I embrace failure. Each is vital for learning and work, and it is part of my teaching ethos.
As final thought..... What is the measure of failure?
For those of us who are old enough.... and no peaking on a search engine.....
1988. Winter Olympics. The Jamaican Bobsled Team and Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards-70m and 90m Ski Jump. Who won the Gold Medal in their respective events?
Both the Jamaican Bobsled Team and Eddie the Eagle failed in gaining awards and came last in their events, they failed. However both found success in their failure, they represented their countries in the most public of arenas. They gained the hearts of the public, the admiration of their fellow competitors and are still remembered today.
Also the gold medalists have not had films made about them!

Please note there are other ways of doing things and opinions..... failures and successes, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind... of sorts.

My biblionautic chums and friends.

The last couple of days have been something of a disappointment to put things mildly. Perhaps one for my memoirs.

To put this in to some form of context, the highlight of the last couple of days has been the removal of a lot of self adhesive tape on a rebinding project of some 5 large books. I stopped counting at 100 separate lengths of said tape. As I said, tape removal... a highlight!

The resulting mess of tape is intriguing though. Perhaps the work of some crazed, demonic Bower Bird. However there is a definite sculptural quality to it that does lend a sense of calm in a strange way. I think I will keep it in the studio for a while.

Please note.... there are other studios/binderies/ doing stuff, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind of sorts.

My biblionautic chums and friends.

Some readers may recall a post of June the 20th... buried book in a box.

Progress report.... Nothing much to see!

Please note.... there are other studios/binderies/ doing stuff, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind of sorts.

My biblionautic chums and friends.

Recently I was asked for studio hacks, tips and tricks I use in Studio 5. I paused in my thought process, I mean there are so many hacks, tips and tricks that I employ in the studio, as I am sure there are for all of us who work in what could be called 'the creative world'.

Perhaps one of the most important tips I can give is to maximise the amount of time that one is able to be at the bench producing work, after all bills have to be paid.

In years of yore I, and I am sure many of us, would frequent Pizza Restaurants. Many of these establishments would tempt our patronage with an artful display of the unlimited salad bar in the window. Various lettuce leaves, cucumber and tomato slices, diced potato salad, peppers, bacon bits, onions, shaved carrot, celery, sunflower seeds, chunks and liquid blue cheese, hard boiled egg, potato sticks, croutons, 1000 island dressing, mayo, Ceaser salad, Kale, salad cream, coleslaw, sweat corn, cheddar cheese, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, peas, onion rings...... the list went on. I am sure I have missed many options as different restaurants had different options etc etc.

The object of anyone who frequented the salad bar was to maximise the capacity of the rather small bowls provided. This would be achieved with the cunning use of lettuce leaves and cucumber slices in building up the rim of the bowl. I am sure that many architects unwittingly began their careers at the salad bar.

I am sure one is beginning to wonder what this has to do with hacks, tips and tricks for the studio in maximising time at the bench.

The key is rubbish. In most cases the act of making usually results in a certain amount of material that is waste/rubbish. I would like to cite the omelette as a point in case. Using the skills acquired at the salad bar, I maximise the capacity of my rubbish bins. I mean, why go to the industrial waste bin in the yard 2 times a day when you can go once a week?

Please note.... there are other studios/binderies/ doing stuff, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind of sorts.

My biblionautic chums and friends.
Yesterday was Day 4 of the 4 Days in July Intensive for Beginners and Improvers.
For the beginners, and yes complete and utter beginners...as in never picked up a bone folder before, day 4 was about finishing the third case - half bound in book cloth and paste paper, casing in (joining the text black to the covers), introduction to hand foil work, label making and much more.
The Improver worked on their Bradel Binding. Quarter leather with Buckram to the boards. All of this involved hand paring the leather to 0.5mm, choice of adhesives for applying the leather, head caps, marking up for Buckram sides, introduction to Blocking in foil (title to the front board in gold), setting type, jig making, temperature and pressure settings. Finally attaching the text block to the binding.

The work was completed on time, all the students left with completed work with no mad panic rush or half measures. All in all.... an Intensive 4 Days in July Intensive for Beginners and Improvers.

Please note.... there are other studios/binderies/ doing stuff, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind of sorts.

My biblionautic chums and friends.
Day 3 of the 4 Days in July Intensive for Beginners and Improvers.
Making the cases (the hard covers) in a variety of materials. First Full Cloth in a leather effect book cloth, 2nd is Quarter Cloth in book cloth and some of the funky paste papers we made on day one, the third (in the press) is Half Cloth, again using book cloth and paste paper. Making the cases is all about being accurate in measuring, understanding proportion and material use.
For the improvers, Bradel Binding in Quarter Leather.
Please note.... there are other studios/binderies/ doing stuff, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind of sorts.

My biblionautic chums and friends.
Day 2 of the 4 Days in July Intensive for Beginners and Improvers.
Spine linings, tipping on sections and end papers (not in that order of course) Measuring and cutting boards both with a knife and a board chopper. Rounding and backing, edge colouring and end bands.... plus a little lino cutting and printing.
For the improvers, sewing, end papers, rounding and backing.
Please note.... there are other studios/binderies/ doing stuff, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind of sorts.

My biblionautic chums and friends.

Day 1 of the 4 Days in July Intensive for Beginners and Improvers.
Paper, folding sections, marking up for sewing, sewing and funky paste papers.

For the improvers, sewing, end papers, rounding and backing.

Please note.... there are other studios/binderies/ doing stuff, spelling and grammar. Please further note, the opinion of the author may change at any moment. This is due to having an open mind of sorts.