Book Drop

I made a new book, and I like it. It has some issues, but it was a fun experience and I learned some things, so definitely worth the effort.

I’m getting more used to sewing text blocks, both on and off tapes. Again, not perfect, but I learn more each time I do it.

The coolest part of this experiment was making my own book cloth. In 2020, when we were sewing our own masks, I bought some beautiful fabric from Spoonflower. By the time I got my hands on the fabric, better masks were becoming more readily available, so the fabric did not get used for my original intention. The great news is that with a product called Heat n Bond UltraHold, you can easily fuse light paper to fabric.

(Since I’m new at this and trying not to be too precious about anything, I used tissue paper. If you’re an aficionado, you should work with more archival products.)

There were two primary issues with this book: I cut the spine board too wide (by a little more than 1/16″), and I’m still pretty clumsy with glue, so there are some glue stains on the black book cloth.

Those are the learning experiences. The spine thing I can fix with my next book. The glue thing will take some practice, and some consideration about how to make the process more effective.

(In other news, I’ve decided that the ability to assess, and learn from, my mistakes might be my superpower.)

This book is not ruined by those mistakes — I wouldn’t sell it or give it to anyone, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be useful to me. The too-wide spine means that it doesn’t lay completely flat, so while it’s not a good option for me for journaling or sketching, it will be a fine book to take notes in, or make quick sketches.

The finished book. I like it. It’s both visually appealing to me, and it will be a useful object. AND I learned some things from the experience. It’s a win all around.

I’m enjoying these bookbinding adventures. I enjoy the precision, even though I’m messing it up. It’s fun to learn new things while making tangible objects. Every time I complete a project, I’ve got a small list of what to do next time to improve.

It makes my brain feel good.

P.S. I will — always and forever — use blank pages. In the fourth grade, my teacher inexplicably had us start using unlined paper — my perfectionistic, hyper-anxious self was mortified, and I had a complete meltdown. But in the (many) intervening years, I have come to strongly prefer blank paper. You can used lined paper if you want, friend (no judgement from me), but don’t fence me in.