The Little Book of Book Making by Charlotte Rivers is a great book for anyone who is interested in making handmade books. This is a hardcover book in a handy little size (approximately 7.5" x 7").
The first 4 chapters in Little Book of Book Making are more inspirational than they are instructional. They show examples of "Folded Bindings" (Chapter 1), "Sewn Bindings" (Chapter 2), "Page & Cover Treatments" (Chapter 3), and "Experimental Packaging" (Chapter 4). In each chapter there are photographs of sample works from various artists. There is also information about each artist/studio and about each piece of work that is shown - something that I can only think to compare to a short press release. (As a note, not every stitch/technique mentioned in the text is addressed in the how-to section.) If you were curious, "Experimental Packaging" (Chapter 4) refers to concepts for covers/cover treatments/cases that various artists have used for their handmade books. These chapters (1-4) show a variety of ideas, but do not give you the how-to.
"Bookmaking in Practice" (Chapter 5) is where you will learn the actual stitches and techniques for creating your own handmade books.
Let's take a look at what is covered:
Book Styles:
- Instant Book
- Accordion Book
- Flag Book
- Dragon Book
- Carousel Book
- Secret Message Book
Stitch & Binding Styles:
- Pamphlet Stitch
- Long Stitch
- Japanese Stab Stitch
- Coptic Stitch
- French Link Stitch
- Case Binding
Page & Cover Treatments:
- Suminagashi Paper Marbling
- Paste Papers
- Frottage
- Natural Plant Dyeing
- Book Cloth
- Woven Cover
- Fabric Cover
- Pillow Book
Although the actual how-to portion of the book is relatively small (just over 50 pages), it really packs a punch. The techniques are clearly explained with step-by-step illustrations (where necessary).
For me, the Little Book of Book Making will be a great resource in my future handmade book endeavors (such as scrapbooks, mini albums, and other craft projects).
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment!
I do moderate all comments (in order to keep spam posts out - and to be sure I see each and every one), so your comment will not show up immediately. Once your comment has been sent through to me and approved, it will be posted here. Some comments fail to get through to me, unfortunately, and I can't do anything about that. You may need to enable third-party cookies in order for your comment to go through.
Thank you - have a great day!