MEDIEVAL CLOSURE & BACK STITCH TWIST BINDING

 Join Dolores Guffey at our June workshop as she guides us in making a single signature book with a medieval closure. The back stitch twist binding can easily be adapted to a multi-signature book (instructions for both single and multiple signatures will be provided). Dolores's intent when teaching a workshop is for us to make a prototype which will serve as a sample/reference for making additional more elaborate or more decorative books. Shown below are examples of the book using different colored papers and different types of threads for the binding. Hopefully this will help you decide what materials to use for the workshop. Please RSVP to Dolores (contact information is in the newsletter) by June 7 to receive instructions for the workshop. Papers need to be cut prior to the workshop.

Here are examples of the looks you can achieve using different colored papers and threads.

Decorative cover with contrasting closure

Spine binding

Book using same paper for closure

Plain cover with contrasting closure

Close-up of the binding

A is waxed linen
B is Perle cotton
C is embroidery floss

Multiple signatures using 
different colored threads

Materials

Cover paper: One piece 12" x 5 3/4", grain short. Suggestions: decorative or plain cardstock; Mi Teintes; Fabriano; watercolor paper (that won't crack when folded). Any decorative paper suitable for a cover that is more substantial than text weight paper.

Closure: 3 1/2" x 4 1/2" piece of paper to contrast with the cover paper. It can also be the same type of paper used for the cover as long as it is heavier than text weight.

Signature: 4 sheets of 8 1/2" x 11" text weight paper

Jig: A piece of cardstock 2" x 5/8" (please be sure it is exactly 5/8" wide)

Thread: Waxed linen, Perle cotton; or embroidery floss. Thread color should complement, rather than match, the color of the cover. This is a decorative stitch to be seen and admired.

Adhesive: Double stick tape or glue stick

Tools: Needle (#2 crewel needle or #22 tapestry needle; piercing cradle (or a phone book) and piercing tool; bone folder; ruler; scissors; X-acto or craft knife; 2 paper clips; and a pencil

When:    Saturday June 12 at 10 am PST

Where:   On your computer, tablet, or smartphone via Zoom

RSVP and workshop questions: Dolores Guffey by June 7 to receive the password and further instructions

Zoom questions: Bobbie Hayes

Contact information for both Dolores and Bobbie is in the newsletter

SHOW & TELL RECAP & NPBAF REFLECTIONS

Update: This short article was inadvertently left out of this blog article so the editor apologizes and adds it now...better late than never! There are some great tips about photographing your work. 

How to Photograph Your Artwork at Home or Tips for Photographing Your Artwork. Textile artist April Sproule writes, “I did the video initially so people wouldn't be intimidated about photographing their work to submit for online entries or exhibitions. It is aimed at amateur photographers who might not have lots of fancy equipment or software. The video is available on my new YouTube channel, so if you want, please ‘like’ the video and perhaps subscribe to my channel. Go to tinyurl.com/4swt3p2k Thank you! April Sproule”

The May NORBAG workshop was a wonderful introduction to Mary Elizabeth Nelson's collection of artists' books. We also received some great tips on how she photographs her books. We would like to thank her very much for sharing her books and workspace with us. If you missed this event and would like to view the recording, contact Dolores Guffey.

Our Tech Coordinator, Bobbie Hayes, sent in the following information about our Zoom recordings. "Zoom has a maximum storage capacity for our account. Since our Zoom workshop recordings are of varying sizes, we cannot always save the recordings for an entire month when we exceed the storage limit. We are notified on the Wednesday after the meeting if we exceeded the limit and must delete the recording the next morning.

We have already adjusted the recording to make them as short as is reasonable but cannot tell in advance how large the recording will be. If you want to see the recording, send an email to Dolores BEFORE the meeting day. She will send the link as soon as it is available and let you know if the time for viewing is limited."

The second part of our Zoom meeting was to share the May exchange books. It was a very inspiring group of books made for the theme "circles". Sandy Vrem shared her book that she made using some "experimental" (paper towels!) paper that was colored during an afterhours play-time during the 2011 Newport Paper and Book Arts Festival (NPBAF) in Newport, Oregon. Dolores Guffey brought the supplies so that we could color the paper towels with various inks for a different kind of texture effect. It's amazing that Sandy still had some of these experimental papers to use for a current exchange book. It just proves that "real" book artists save EVERY scrap that might work in a future book! Here are some photos of that 2011 experiment.

Sandy applying ink with an eye dropper.

Beth takes her turn.

Our display table in 2011 showing all of the projects

from our various workshops and experiments. 

And here are photos of the book Sandy made for the May exchange using pieces from that ink on paper towels experiment.

Sandy's Circle book using the paper towel circles.

Back side of the book.

Sadly, the 2020 NPBAF was cancelled, but this year it will return in virtual form September 17-19. There will be different workshop formats that will be recorded with access available until December 1. While we will certainly miss the in-person sessions and the camaraderie that occurs when like-minded people share time in workshops during the day and then create impromptu art projects in the evening, it should still be an informative and worthwhile event. Registration for the 2021 festival opens the first week of July with full details of costs and workshops offered available at that time. To receive this information, be sure to contact ssiggelkow@coastarts.org to get on the mailing list.

Here are some photos of Newport and past festival events and projects to whet your interest for this year's event.

The yellow building facing Nye Beach was our main

meeting place. The white building beyond it is where

many of us stayed and where the paper towel project

took place.

Nye Beach mural.

Woven spine binding taught by Margo Klass in 2018.

Another great class by Margo (standing on right) 2016.

Another "afterhours" project.

Various books made during the 2013 event.