Finally, the Final

I finally have pictures of my final for the book binding class I took. So here is the Leaf Book.

The basics are a traditional round spine binding with a batik fabric cover, handmade paper endsheets and english somerset pages. Inside the book the endsheets are tea dyed, while the textblock is made up of pages covered with a watercolor wash and stamps of leaves in several colors. The text is a poem of sorts.

A leaf is a beautiful thing.

Just as a person is a beautiful thing.

Every leaf is unique.

Just as every person is unique.

No two people are exactly the same.

Just as no two people are exactly the same.

Leaves come in all shapes and sizes.

Just as people come in all shapes and sizes.

Every leaf has a part to play.

Just as every person has a part to play.

No leaf works alone.

Just as no person works alone.

All the leaves work together.

Just as all the people work together.

Working together all the leaves help the tree.

Just as working together all the people help the Earth.

The leaves can save the tree.

Just as the people can save the Earth.

The box/container is in the style of a japanese chitsu. The box is covered with the same batik as the book and lined with a tea dyed handmade paper. There are cutouts in the cover of the book and the box which show a single leaf in handmade paper.

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.