Bookbinding 101

Anna Low, of Purplebean Bindery, is a very talented book binder. After attending one of her demos last year, I couldn't wait to take her full-day course on Coptic Book Binding at Fiber College.

 

It was a lot of fun but not quite as easy as it seemed.
Now I know why hand bound books can be expensive . . .
a lot of love goes into each one.



In order to be able to follow Anna's instructions, we had to learn some new terminology.
 like:
FOLIO:  folded paper...will eventually make 2 pages
SIGNATURE:  a group of folios bound together

A hand-bound book is usually made up of five or more signatures stitched together.


The paper for each folio must be cut exactly.


Then a minimum of three folios are put together to make each signature.

We bound each signature with colored rice paper, using acid free glue.

Once all off the signatures were assembled and the glue was dry, we punched them, using an awl.
Old phone books were used to both help align the paper and to protect the table beneath from all of our enthusiastic newbie punching.

 

 

We each brought old books to rebind. The front and back covers were removed with an exacto knife and the signatures sewn in. There are many types of bindings but the one Anna taught us, Coptic binding, is one of the oldest.



And, after eight hours, here is my finished book. Fussy me finished last but I was pleased with the result of my first attempt. Anna was a very patient teacher.

 

Anna is a creative book binder who often repurposes individual cereal and soap boxes to make playful mini-bookcovers using the commercial text and graphics. She also uses the covers of vintage children's books to rebind into blank books and journals. Perfect gifts for Boomers!

 

 

You can see more of Anna's work at her Etsy store, Purplebean Bindery.

 

 

Her books are truly works of art.

 

I just went to JoAnn's with a 40% off coupon and bought myself an awl.

I think I'll be binding a few more books this fall . . .

thanks to Anna!

 

 

 

This post is coptically stitched to :

Tutorial Tuesday at Hope Studios

Show & Share at Coastal Charm

Tweak It Tuesday at Cozy Little House

I'm So Done With March!

Here in Maine, March came in like a lion and never went out.  

It was an unseasonably cold and dark month, but there were a few bright spots...

  



My bunny pillow...handmade by Claudia

Our infamous Gourmet Group, a group of friends who have celebrated dinner together every month or two for over 30 years, got together Saturday evening at BFF Claudia's house in Kennebunk. Although it was a  cold, rainy night, Claudia served a delicious spring-themed dinner of roast lamb on a gorgeous table decorated in an Easter theme.

 

The whole Bunny Family!

Claudia is a Home Ec. teacher who, as you might expect, sews and cooks beautifully. Not only does she teach middle school full-time, she also has her own very successful business creating gorgeous purses, totes and aprons which she sells online and at craft fairs. Each chair at Claudia's dinner table Saturday evening had a hand-painted, hand-sewn "bunny " pillow on it. What a surprise to hear that Claudia had taken the time to make one for each of us to take home!

 

And, for those of you who have been following along for awhile, I'm happy to share that our Mom's medical condition has stabilized. She is still in rehab. at Falmouth by the Sea and still unable to walk or swallow, but...she is comfortable, aware, and working hard to regain lost skills...which at 92 is not an easy task. She is well enough now to participate in activities at the facility, like the presentation by the Portland Museum of Art which I attended with her yesterday. She even wore a purple flower in her hair!

I love going to the events at Falmouth by the Sea with Mom. It's a beautiful facility, right on Casco Bay. In addition to skilled rehabilitation, the facility offers both long term care and assisted living. I've met some amazing residents there...with fascinating life stories...and hope to volunteer there someday when my Mom is no longer a patient. Older people have so much to teach us, if we take the time to really listen.

 

 

I couldn't help but laugh to myself yesterday at the Portland Museum of Art presentation though. The large dining room was darkened so that the docent could show slides of various paintings and, as she drew her rather lengthy presentation to a close, I realized that I was about the only person left in the room whose eyes were still open. Mom and most of her fellow art-lovers had fallen asleep!

 

 

The sun is shining on this first day of April and I am ever hopeful that Spring is finally here. This morning, DH shoveled off the back deck and went to LL Bean to buy a gas camping grill...both pretty positive signs of Spring.

 

But my personal favorite sign of Spring? Registration for Fiber College 2014 opened today!!! If you missed my 2013 post about Fiber College ("Summer Camp for Adults"), you can find it here. 

Fiber College is a chance to spend three or four days learning, creating, and making friends with other talented women in a beautiful oceanfront setting at Searsport Shores in Searsport, Maine. For more information, registration, and a list of 2014 classes, click on the Fiber College website here. 

 

I just registered for Fiber College 2014 this morning and am already getting excited. So far, I've signed up to take classes in Bookbinding...

  

and Needle Felting...



Dance Like Nobody's Watching by Kathleen Gerdes, Fiber College 2014

 



 I can't wait! 

 

 

 Inspire Me Tuesday at A Stroll Through Life

Inspire Me Monday at My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Summer Camp for Adults???

 

"A Fall Weekend with friends on the ocean…add fiber, color, food, gardens & beaches…What’s not to love?"    ~from the Fiber College website

Did you go to summer camp when you were a kid? Remember weaving lanyards with colored gimp?  Collecting acorns and feathers? Making baskets? Well, here's your chance to do it again...thirty, forty, or fifty (who's counting?) years later.

 

 

Welcome to Fiber College...where creative women of a certain age come to play!

Fiber College is the "utopian dream" of a wonderfully warm and creative woman named Astrig, and her husband, Steve, who own Searsport Shores Ocean Campground on Penobscot Bay in Searsport, Maine.

 

 

Aside from operating the most beautiful campground in New England, Astrig and Steve garden, raise bees and goats, weave, spin, knit, build, dig clams, teach, create, and cook up a storm.

 

                

And, best of all, they invite other creative souls to share their dream once a year at Fiber College.
 

Fiber College happens every September in Searsport, Maine the weekend after after Labor Day.

 

For 2014, the dates will be Thursday through Sunday September 4-7. You can attend for all four days or just one or two.

 

 

 There's an annual a beach-side fashion show of creations made by Fiber College participants...

                    

As well as classes on everything from bookbinding to basket making... 

 

from paper folding, button collecting, quilting, and photography, to blogging.

 

Our blogging class was co-taught by professional photographer and fiber artist, Gale Zucker (check out her blog at she shoots sheep shots) and professional writer, Beverly Army Williams, whose blog is called PoMo Golightly.

                   

 

There were classes in everything from weaving, dying, knitting and felting...

 

 

to fly-tying and wood-carving.

 Classes were offered in sewing, making penny rugs, embroidery and crochet...

  As well as demonstrations, exhibitors, music, shopping, sharing, wine, food and friends.
 

 
 

You can't help but leave inspired by the amazing women you meet at Fiber College...

 

 

Like Anita and Louise. In addition to their art, they both have great blogs of their own.

Anita's blog is called Tumbleweeds (click on link) and Louise's blog is Adventure of the Geritol Gypsy.

 

 

On their blogs, you can follow either of these amazing women on their travels around the country in their RV's and learn about their latest hobbies and creations. They also have lots more photos of Fiber College 2013 on their blogs.

                        


And did I mention the goats?

Sound like fun?  

For more information you can go to the Fiber College blog, or...

You can get on the mailing list for Fiber College 2014 by emailing relax@campocean.com .

 

 

 or follow them on Facebook here.

                      

 You can come to Fiber College for a day or stay over at the campground, a local motel (reduced prices after Labor Day!) ...

  or in one of the adorable Searsport Shores "bunkhouses", campers, or cottages.

 

 

 At Searsport Shores, even the outhouse is unique!

(Yes, there's a modern bathroom too!)

 

                  

And with a view like this...

 

 

 What's Not to Love?

 

p.s. I couldn't seem to remove this photo from the page, so, Astrig and Steve, you're on here twice and this one appears to be permanently Supersized! (Where's Gale Zucker when I need her???)