Westernized Japanese Binding

Here is a picture of my last assignment for my bookbinding class. All I have left this semester is my final, which I will post when it is complete. This book is a variation on the Japanese books I made awhile back. The book is sewn on the out side in the same pattern as one of the traditional Japanese books, but made with western materials. The big difference is the covers, they are book board covered in cloth. The paper is a drawing paper that is heavier than Japanese paper. The hinge in the covers allows for the book to open so that you can read or write on the pages inside.

Sketch Book #2

Here is the third attempt at the round spine technique that was taught in class. It has blank pages and I am guessing it will end up being a sketch book. The cover is my favorite part with all the different textures. It has a pretty hand sewn headband and a ribbon place maker.

A Chitsu

A Chitsu is the hard cover or case for a book. As many Japanese books have soft flexible covers that are not like the hard covers usually found in the west. In order to protect a valuable book they would have a case or cover made. The Chitsu was a box like construction that would cover the book and protect it. To go along with the three Japanese Binding examples that I made earlier I have now made a Chitsu to keep them in. It is a very intricate little case with a lot of pieces that had to be put together in just the right way in order for it to all line up and close, but I did get it figured out and actually had a lot of fun in the process. The base is made of binders board covered with a printed Japanese paper. The lining as well as the thread for the clasp are also Japanese paper. The little bone clasp is not even three quarters on an inch in length, but it works beautifully. Hope you enjoy seeing the finished Chitsu as much as I enjoyed building it.

More Books ...

More books really is about it at the moment. I have been working on little else for the past bit so I figured I would share the 5 newest creations. First up is a sketchbook with beautiful English paper from Somerset and a batik fabric cover. Then I have a few examples of Japanese bindings. They are all made from Japanese papers.

School Projects

Here are a few shots of two of the projects I have done for a bookbinding class that I'm taking. It is a lot of fun and a lot of work. I will hopefully get some pics of some of the other books up soon.

Here are a few shots of a book I made with wooden covers and bound with what is commonly called a coptic binding. The covers are made of birch and stained with a color called fruitwood. If you look closely you can see the chain looking stiches that tie the pages together.

One of the other things we went thru in class was how to assemble a box out of binders board and cover it with fabric. There is one of the little boxes I made. It measures just three inches by three inches and is about an inch and a half tall.

I quit my full time job and have started back to grad school. A little crazy to make such a big change, but it is working for me. With my new found free time I have gotten back into taking pictures again, not snapshots of family, but more images in a style similar to what I was doing when I got my BFA. Here is a few of the fun ones of the girls I now get to spend my days hanging out with. Hope you all enjoy.

Stormy Night

I have this picture I took on one of my trips to Florida, that I have had up on the bulletin board in the laundry/craft room for months. It is kinda cool in a weird way, looking up through the branches of a leafless tree at the storm clouds rolling in. After months of looking at it and looking at it, I ended up painting this...

Not what I thought I was going to paint, but then again, since I didn't have a definite image in mind when I started it seems to have worked out.