I finally tried coptic binding, & I already feel like I'm addicted... The best thing about these books is that they cost nothing (I told you I'm really stingy
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Ooh. I love them both, they look lovely indeed. I love hedgehogs so the first one's especially adorable. And I completely agree with you about books with colourful pages - I bought an "artist's journal" a while ago and it has pages of about a dozen different colours, which is nice and brings variety.
Was making these books very difficult? I'd like to try making one as well.
It took me an hour and a half for each book, and I don't think it's very difficult- at least if you don't care too much about precision. There are a lot of extremely detailed tutorials for coptic binding online- too detailed for me; I skipped the parts with exacts measurements and strange supplies I didn't have around. (I even used my fingernails to tear the pages, and drawing pins to poke holes in the cover... I used universal glue for the covers, and it worked really fine.) Basically I followed this tutorial and this explanation for the coptic binding. It's a bit tricky, but once you get the idea it's not hard. The main problem for me was that I was using a really long thread and it was constantly getting tangled in itself. But probably you can use more than one piece of thread. And I didn't pull hard enough, so the binding was a bit loose.
oh i love ki's books so much. she is amazing. and you!! oh you wonderful inspiring girl. this is so exciting, because today i just brought some paper to use in making books!!! i'm yet to try it out, but perhaps we can encourage one another to get better & better at doing it :) and i don't think your first journal is ugly at all. all the knots give it character! *loves*
What a coincidence! I'm looking forward to seeing photos of your first book when it's completed! Beware, this is really an addictive hobby... I can hardly think about the computer program I'm supposed to work on, because my brain can't stop pondering about colour combinations, possible covers & the pretty paper they have at the stationery shop nearby...
did you wax your thread? and use a curved needle? that really cuts down on the time, headache, and tangles. it also makes the binding tighter and makes the thread more durable.
i think they both look great! the first one is precious.
I'm so ignorant.. (I have trouble even sewing on a button!).. what kind of wax do you use to wax a thread? And how do you do it? I was going through the photos of your books yesterday night and wondering about the different techniques & materials you used. Your pictures look so good- maybe you should publish a book on bookmaking! You sure have enough examples for a full course...
don't feel ignorant. everyone has to start somewhere.
i use beeswax. it comes in blocks or sliced rounds in a plastic container (for quilting). you run the thread over it, applying pressure, and the friction causes the wax to coat the thread. sometimes you have to do it a few times, but don't over coat or it'll be stiff and sticky. there's this stuff called thread heaven that was designed for beading, but it works decently for bookbinding. it's less messy to use, but i prefer the results i get with beeswax.
also, the curved needles are available wherever you can find quilting supplies. i hated coptic binding before i started using those needles, now i love it. they are definitely a must have.
thanks for the compliments. i wouldn't know where to start with a book. besides, it would just be regurgitating the instructions from other books, mostly. i would like to teach some more workshops, though. i've only done one but it was loads of fun. (:
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Was making these books very difficult? I'd like to try making one as well.
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There are a lot of extremely detailed tutorials for coptic binding online- too detailed for me; I skipped the parts with exacts measurements and strange supplies I didn't have around. (I even used my fingernails to tear the pages, and drawing pins to poke holes in the cover... I used universal glue for the covers, and it worked really fine.) Basically I followed this tutorial and this explanation for the coptic binding. It's a bit tricky, but once you get the idea it's not hard. The main problem for me was that I was using a really long thread and it was constantly getting tangled in itself. But probably you can use more than one piece of thread. And I didn't pull hard enough, so the binding was a bit loose.
Reply
and you!! oh you wonderful inspiring girl. this is so exciting, because today i just brought some paper to use in making books!!! i'm yet to try it out, but perhaps we can encourage one another to get better & better at doing it :)
and i don't think your first journal is ugly at all. all the knots give it character!
*loves*
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did you wax your thread? and use a curved needle? that really cuts down on the time, headache, and tangles. it also makes the binding tighter and makes the thread more durable.
i think they both look great! the first one is precious.
Reply
I was going through the photos of your books yesterday night and wondering about the different techniques & materials you used. Your pictures look so good- maybe you should publish a book on bookmaking! You sure have enough examples for a full course...
Reply
i use beeswax. it comes in blocks or sliced rounds in a plastic container (for quilting). you run the thread over it, applying pressure, and the friction causes the wax to coat the thread. sometimes you have to do it a few times, but don't over coat or it'll be stiff and sticky. there's this stuff called thread heaven that was designed for beading, but it works decently for bookbinding. it's less messy to use, but i prefer the results i get with beeswax.
also, the curved needles are available wherever you can find quilting supplies. i hated coptic binding before i started using those needles, now i love it. they are definitely a must have.
thanks for the compliments. i wouldn't know where to start with a book. besides, it would just be regurgitating the instructions from other books, mostly. i would like to teach some more workshops, though. i've only done one but it was loads of fun. (:
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