HERRINGBONE WORKSHOP & NOTES FROM THE ART LAB

 The November workshop provided an opportunity for us to make a small book that could contain monthly calendar pages for 2024. This little book could easily fit in your purse, pocket or not take up much space on a desk. It was a fun, easy structure to make that provided different ways to sew or glue the binding. Any artwork could be used on the pages instead of the calendar pages that were provided. Thank you Dolores Guffey for teaching us the Herringbone structure.

Here are some examples of our books.

Bonnie Julien

"Birds" book, only 2" tall, features bird postage stamps.

Calendar book with pamphlet stitch binding.

Margaret Beech
Butterfly book with Japanese stab binding.

Margaret Beech

Margaret glued the pages together first, then

punched holes with her Japanese screw punch 

before stitching over a strip of black cardstock.

Sherrill Story

Sherrill's book opened out.

Notes from the Art Lab

by Bonnie Halfpenny

Recently I was at Indiana University in Bloomington and toured the Lilly Library.  The Lilly is an exceptionally fine manuscript and rare book institution with a sizable collection of artists' books.

To showcase some developments in publishing, they had an interesting exhibit on the proliferation of book formats in Victorian times.  We saw stacks of penny dreadfuls with titles such as Black Bess, Knight of the Road, or The Wild Boys of London.  There were copies of the earliest "magazines" with serial novels, all printed on poor quality wood pulp paper to keep costs down.  Nearly every aspect of printing became mechanized during this period and demand for low-cost reading material was overwhelming.  At the same time, the development of inexpensive printing and color techniques helped make books more attractive.

From the rare books collection we were shown an exquisitely decorated medieval Book of Hours, a Gutenberg Bible, a First Folio of Shakespeare, a book on foot care from Marie Antoinette's library, and Thomas Jefferson's personal copy of the Bill of Rights (with some corrections).

Also available upon request are items from the extensive collection of artists' books at the university.  Some are housed in the Lilly, while the Wells Library, also on campus, has over 2000.  Lilly's website at https://libraries.indiana.edu/lilly-library has a wealth of information on various topics related to their holdings.

Below are a few photos of handmade books I saw there.  The first work was by an amateur artist, and the second set of three photos are images of work by Timothy Ely, a contemporary professional. Ely's work is readily searched online from Wikipedia, also from https://aplanetarycollage.com/ and other sources.

The photo below is of a long "letter" by a 19th century sailor to his girlfriend detailing his voyage, and asking her to wait for him.  Alas, he was rejected.

                                                 

The following photos are contemporary books, unique and hand-drawn, by Timothy Ely, a Northwest native.

HERRINGBONE CALENDAR

It's hard to believe, but we're now less than two months away from the start of a new year. If you haven't found a new calendar for 2024, you're in luck because Dolores Guffey has one for us to make. This structure is an accordion variation where the pages are sewn together rather than folded upon themselves. Calendar pages will be provided, but you are welcome to make the structure without them and use your own artwork and/or content. Please notice in the photos that there are several ways for the pages to be sewn together.

Japanese Stab Binding

Calendar pages displayed

Bound with Washi tape

All the binding versions displayed

Pamphlet Stitch

Pamphlet Stitch

Chain Stitch

Sewn on sewing machine

Sewn on sewing machine

Materials Needed:

• Seven (7) pieces of cardstock (either plain or decorated) 2 3/4" x 5 1/2" (grain short) * Note that the measurement of the cardstock is incorrect in the newsletter. Correct measurement is 2 3/4" x 5 1/2".
• Thread - waxed linen, perle cotton, or embroidery floss
• Needle
• Glue stick
• Seven (7) paper clips
• Metal graduated rule 3/4" (if you have one) OR a piece of matboard 3" x 3/4"
• Scoring tool
• Bone folder
• Piercing tool
• Sturdy piece of cardboard for hole piercing

When:    Saturday, Nov. 11 at 10 a.m. PST

Where:   On your computer, tablet or smartphone via Zoom

RSVP:     YES! To Dolores Guffey by Nov. 6 to receive the password

Workshop Questions:  Dolores Guffey

Zoom Questions:  Bobbie Hayes

Contact information is in the newsletter

BELLY BANDS & PSBA EXHIBITION

Making a collection of Belly Bands was the project for the June NORBAG workshop taught by Dolores Guffey. First we made a simple one signature pamphlet stitched book to use as the model for our bands. Next, Dolores led us through making a series of eight different bands from a very simple wraparound one to a more decorative interlocking origami style band. 

By displaying several different books, she also showed how belly bands can be used to hold a book closed, but they can also give a hint as to what the reader will see inside. It was a very informative workshop and I suspect we'll be seeing many more exchange books with different belly bands in the future.

An example of just how creative our members can be with "on the fly" ideas, Margaret Beech shared her idea of folding simple pockets into her model book to hold each of the different belly bands. What a perfect way to keep all the bands in one place to use as prototypes for future books.

Margaret's book showing the folds for the different belly bands.

Margaret's version of the Interlocking origami style band.

Sue Reynolds' book showing the circle & brad
band that incorporates a tie.

Bosha Stuve's book holds all her prototypes.

                 

The cover of Bosha's book

                                     

Bonnie Julien's book

The inside of Bonnie's book with pockets.

Mary Elizabeth Nelson's book with her
beautiful cyanotype papers and belly band in place.

Inside the book with pockets for the bands.

Looking down at the book.

The 2022 Puget Sound Book Artists 11th annual members' exhibition opened at Collins Memorial Library on the campus of the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington. The theme this year is Peaks & Valleys. Here are a few photographs from the Exhibit. More photos will follow in future posts. The exhibit will continue through August 5, 2022.

Mark Hoppmann, The Genie Within

Ann Storey, Encompassed by Light and Life

Laurel Moorhead, Knock, Knock, Who's There?

Debbi Commodore, Take a Moment

Laura Russel, The Enchanting Desert

Mary Preston, Phrases/Phases/Faces of the Moon

Debbi Commodore, This

BELLY BAND PROTOTYPES

 Our books often need a little something to hold them closed when they are not being read. Dolores Guffey will show us how to make ten different styles of belly bands at our June workshop. The plan is for us to first make a simple five-hole pamphlet stitch book with a soft cover and text weight paper. This book is for us to take notes and jot down instructions on how to make each of the bands. Dolores suggests that we use papers from our stash for these prototypes.

Dolores says "I will guide you through making the belly bands. The book you make will be used as an example of a book that needs a belly band. After making one band, you will remove it and then the next band will be made. At the end of the workshop, you will have one book and 10 different belly bands."

Materials List: 

• Please have your papers cut prior to the workshop!

• 1 (one) piece 8-3/4" x 7" light weight cardstock, or decorative paper of similar weight, grain short. This book is a prototype, it does not have to be expensive paper.
• 6 (six) pieces of text weight paper 8-1/2" x 7", grain short
• 8 (Eight) pieces 11" x 1-1/2" of light weight cardstock, (grain short) or any paper stronger than text weight paper that can be easily folded around a book. These will be the belly bands.
• 2 (two) pieces of 19" x 1-1/2" (belly band paper, see previous bullet). Note: you can glue two strips of paper to make a 19" strip.
• 1 (one) piece  5" x 3/4" mat board or cardboard strip
• Toothpick & brads (optional)

Other Supplies:

• Pencil
• Piercing tool or T-pin
• Metal ruler
• Craft knife
• Bone folder
• Scissors
• Piercing cradle (or thick magazine or phone book)

Here are a couple more examples of books with belly bands.

When:   Saturday, June 11 at 10 a.m. PDT

Where:  On your computer, tablet or smartphone via Zoom

RSVP:    Dolores Guffey by June 6 to receive the password

Workshop Questions:  Dolores Guffey

Zoom Questions: Bobbie Hayes

Contact information for Dolores and Bobbie is in the newsletter

CLOSURE & BINDING STITCH RECAP

Our Medieval Closure and Back Stitch Twist Binding workshop was well attended by more than 45 NORBAG members. Dolores Guffey taught us a wonderful medieval style closure that she learned at a workshop taught by Lori Sauer while traveling in England. Lori graciously gave her permission for Dolores to teach this to NORBAG members. This closure worked perfectly with the soft cover book that we bound using a stitch found in Keith Smith's book, 1, 2, & 3 Section Sewings, that Dolores adapted. The Back Stitch Twist Binding has what looks like a bead at each station, but it is actually the thread wound around the straight stitch. We discovered that the more times you wind around the thread; the more pronounced the "bead" becomes. Thank you Dolores for sharing these techniques with us. If you missed the workshop but would like to see the recording, send Dolores an email and she will send you the link.

 

Here are a few examples of some of the books that were made.

Carol DuBosch
Carol used her lovely eco-dyed paper.

Michele Kamprath

Donna LaVallee

Margaret Beech

Margaret modified her stitch by wrapping

four times to enhance the look of the "bead".

Bonnie Julien

Mary Elizabeth Nelson

Mary Elizabeth also wrapped her stitches
 four times to achieve this larger bead on
her beautiful cyanotype cover.

Margaret tried another version of the closure
using two straps and a longer woven vertical piece.

Two straps instead of just one. She used
Dylusion spray inks to color the cover.

Donna-Lynne Miller

Donna made her own closure tab that goes
very well with her cover paper.