This project is basically the most successful happy-making book, if I do say so myself. A good friend of mine is doing one of those "lets only make each other presents" holiday kind of thing with her boyfriend, and they broadened the criteria to include bartered gifts as well. I helped her bind up an adorable little book she wrote about why she loves him (aww) and her end of the bargain included gin and tonics and several hours of delightful conversation. She is totally rad.

It's my third leather project but my number one favorite. I even got to gold stamp it! I used some paper I had marbled from the class at Center for Book Arts with Lauren Rowland (which is happening again!) to up the pizzazz level. She was super-pleased and I must say that I am as well.  And she reports that he just loved it! As he should.

Hand Me My Leather

It's finally happening! We've embarked upon working with leather and I couldn't be more excited. Seriously, to the point where I was vaguely concerned that I was possibly plunging into a manic episode after catching myself actually shaking when trying to explain to my boyfriend the intricacies of Scharf-fixing and how when the gold foils get old you can totally use the flakes as eyeshadow, but I've calmed down a bit and now just totally blissed-the-heck-out about this new step on the bookbinding adventure. The first pic features fine-enough leather work and dreadful stamping, but the second one looks a little grotesque, no?

Birthday!

I've been taking a black-point calligraphy class with the incredibly tallented Karen Gorst, and have been alternating between absolutely detesting and loving the practice. I'm at the love phase right now, because I'm learning to enjoy the process of shaping rather than enjoying the letters themselves (the more difficult they are to shape, the more ugly they become in my mind. I am a total wuss, this is obvious). I guess it's like learning how to cook something you wouldn't want to eat? Maybe? Anyyyyyyway, watching Karen shape the letters is utterly transfixing. Seriously, it's akin to meditation, and I didn't realize until she had gotten halfway through the second word that she was making something for me! Because it's mah birthday! I yelped when I figured it out and I think half the class thought I had stabbed myself with a nib. It happens! But seriously, check out Karen's work because she's a letter genius and it will make you want to be a better person.

It All Becomes True

I got the most wonderful surprise in the mail today - a copy of a knitting book to which I contributed a pattern! Super great, and they did a fabulous job making the socks look lovely. It is definitely rad being published but in this case, the best part  is my bio in the back, which reads "Faith is a former associate editor at [bla bla] magazines. She is currently pursuing a  new passion in fine bookbinding and lives in New York City." It's PROOF! That I'm really doing it! This bookbinding thing! Right? If thousands of copies of a book say so, then it is definitely not just a hobby or a weird way of identifying myself, it's actually like... the truth? Oh how exciting! How affirmational!

Gratitude, duh

This guy is The Best

Aside from images of medieval serfs in ugly hats making glue out of horses, or Micky and those psychotic brooms, I had only the vaguest idea of what an apprenticeship was when I embarked upon mine. I knew my responsibilities would involve washing brushes, sweeping, cutting, sewing, tiny tasks of manual labor and probably the occasional errand that would take me out of the bindery and into the wilds of Brooklyn. I wasn't so sure what I'd be learning though. I mean, "bookbinding," of course, but I was comfortable with the basics (or thought I was) and entered into this open and enthusiastic about learning whatever the boss decided to teach me.

I've been assistant teaching an introductory bookbinding course, and it has been a hugely important experience. It's much harder than I had anticipated, more interesting than I had hoped. It wasn't until I had to explain a particular technique five hundred times in an hour or try to figure how to correct a student's gigantic error without making said student cry that I realized how truly difficult teaching is. And that realization was accompanied by another realization - that my boss Gavin Dovey of Paper Dragon Books is a frickin' rockstar. I mean, aside from being an exceptional craftsman, which he undoubtedly is, it's the patience, the generosity of time, the willingness to share his craft with this enthusiastic but admittedly bumbling chick who interrupts his work almost constantly and, lets be honest, really only gives back in the form of a clean floor and dust-free presses and the occasional granola bar that is humbling and inspiring.

Lest this come off as an attempt at brown-nosed blogging, I'll confess to spending the first few months vascilating between frustration and absolute fear of the guy. I had spent the previous four years working with a gaggle of kindly, gentle, mild-mannered knitter ladies, and was ill-prepared for directness, for critique, for frenetic energy. But I've figured it out, pretty much, and now that the fear has subsided, I am truly in awe of the generosity he has shown me.

I am thankful for so much in my life right now, for my family, my friends, all the lovely and warm things in my life. Yay Thanksgiving, right?! So many great things! But I wanted to express particular gratitude for this opportunity I've been given, to learn these skills and to grow in this craft. Thanks, Gavin, for making me your apprentice, and for teaching me so much.

Super Sharp Knives

The frightening entrance to the awesome place I went today.

Today was just an excellent day at the bindery. I felt a solid sense of accomplishment, like if I were magically transported back to the family dinner table of my childhood and my mom asked me "What did you learn today, dear?" I could say "I learned how to sharpen a paring knife! And how to get to the Tools for Woodworking shop which is in the middle of the most barren, desolate part of Brooklyn that it still has cobblestones and probably tumbleweeds but it was raining and I'd assume that tumbleweeds are hindered by puddles. But also, this knife! It is so sharp!"


The shop, actually called Tools for Working Wood, is a spooky and kind of magical, and is staffed by kindly and flannel-wearing men who have a near-encyclopedic knowledge of basically everything in there. I'm starting to do some leather work with my books and the boss and I have been working on turning a semi-busted, rough-edged slab of metal into a finely honed instrument. It was taking way longer than was practical or sane, so the boss sent me down to pick up some things and to see if I could pick up any insider info. And I did! They assured me that the fastest way to get a paring knife super-sharp - instead of using a series of blocks that can wear down and get warped and may not give you a straight edge on your blade - is to use a series of adhesive sandpaper adhered to a flat surface, and to use it with sharpening stone oil. I was tempted to keep this a secret. I need at least one magic trick, right? But it's just TOO EXCITING! I had been working on a dang sharpening stone until my hands were bleeding in a dozen places, and not only did the Pressure Sensitive Adhesive work quickly and easily, I endured not a single injury.

The guys at the store assured me that this is a method advocated by Jeff Peachy, who I am quickly learning is basically a legend in the book world. He's a conservator who is known for the conservation tools he invents, manufactures and repairs, but now I know him as the tool-sharpening god and also a man who runs an awesome blog. So interesting! I've been swimming through it all night - totally worth a look.

Pencil Porn

This video is just lovely. Made by animator dropbear for the band Hundson, it uses 920 pencils and 1525 images, as helpfully explained in this equally super behind-the-scenes video. Enjoy! (via Boingboing,)

In Which I Make Books With Adorable People

I'm pretty sure my cousins are the cutest people in the whole entire world and they are also exceptionally generous, by humoring me as I bumbled through I did an evening of basic book instruction. They each made one five-hole pamphlet stitch book with a wrap-around cover and a handful hardback ones where I had sewed the text-block previously and they did some jazzy things to the covers and slapped 'em on. It was so much fun! The most fun I've had binding in a while. And they were geniuses at it! I was shocked when they got the five hole pamphlet stitch down the very first try. Just geniuses.

Gorgeous Paper Sculptures

These very cool paper sculptures are by artist Calvin Nicholls. His website is definitely worth a look, as he describes his process with enthusiasm and a little slideshow. Love it! (Via Craftzine)

Stitched Classics

Being a fan of both books and fancy embroidery, I am absolutely enamored with the Penguin Threads series, featuring classic books and gorgeous covers from artist Jillian Tamaki. The process pics on her blog are pretty neat, and I love that the backs of the embroidery with its scraggly ends and weird knots is reprinted on the inside covers of the books. Via Purlbee,

Pencils YES!

As I've mentioned previously, I'm a certified pencil lover, so was delighted to see a link to this story in my inbox via my bestie-of-all-time, Lauren. Blackwings are back, yo! And apparently they're better than ever.

For the uninitiated, Blackwing pencils were discontinued in the 1990's and have developed a cult following due to their super-smooth lead and large ferrule, which is that thing that attaches the eraser to the pencil. I found this out because there is such thing as a Pencilopedia, which is totally blowing my mind. They're made of cedar, last forever, and have a fancy flat-eraser to boot. Pop culture eaters Boing Boing reported on their resurgence and I can only imagine the legions of folksy copy-editors or pencil weirdos who are snatching these things up.

They were previously fetching prices up to $20 on ebay for a single pencil but can now be purchased here for a cool $19.95 per dozen count box. I know you're as over-the-moon as I am.

Finders Keepers

Book sculptures by an anonymous artist have been popping up in Scotland libraries recently. Aside from the sweetness of the sculptures themselves, my favorite thing about this project is how librarians are using the poems referenced as clues to discern the identity of the artist.

Says Central Station (with a Scottish brogue, I hope): "Nobody knows whether there are more to come and if so, where they might appear. Some say the newly opened National Museum, others suggest the Edinburgh International Book Festival. It's all a bit exciting!"

Get the scoop and check out a few more sculptures here.

Book Icons

One of my favorite pop culture blogs, Flavorwire, just released their list of top 20 iconic book covers. I was thrilled to see that a few of my favorites had made it. Check it out here - are any of yours on the list?

Fancy, Shiny Books

My boss, Gavin Dovey, has spent the summer cranking out one incredible box after the next, but I think his latest one for One Hundred Years of Solitude is my favorite. The picture doesn't come close to doing it justice - it's just gorgeous in person, and the gold leafing positively glows. Since I'm just getting started with leather work, it's a bit premature to start fantasizing about precious metals, but I think I'm in capable hands, no?

Stacks 'n rolls

Around the bindery.

Peacocks and Nonpareils

I haven't been spending as much time at the bindery as I'd like but am keeping busy working on my own projects and spending as much time as possible at my current favorite place in the world, Center for Book Arts. I had the pleasure of taking a paper marbling class with the fabulous Lauren Rowland who was knowlegable and zany and hilarious and all-around awesome, and I'm pretty happy with some of the papers I made. It was a great group of women to work with and I'd absolutely love the opportunity to work with Lauren again!

Nerd Shoes

Check out these sweet Bookbinder Heels from Anthropologie. I'd totally snag a pair if I weren't a hundred feet tall (and if they weren't a hundred dollars out of my price range). I'm a size 10.5 - anyone feeling like Santa?

Pen nib dress

Here's a detail shot from an exquisite dress made by John Nussey and Steven Tai. They used nearly 800 pen nibs attached to tiny motors which make the nibs flick around like little fish - it's just astounding. Check out their page for a video of the dress in action or go here for more pics.

Just dying

I have a new arch nemesis and it is Yellow Leather Dye.  That stuff is potent! We've been dying leather for some of Gavin's boxes and the bindery is a glorious mess of pigment and gory spills, and I totally enjoy days like these because I feel all useful, scrubbing away. I mean, I'm still absolutely anxious when it comes to doing work that a client may see, and casing in gives me hypothetical hives, but I can clean up like nobody's business. I'm a trillion times more confident with a sponge than a bone folder, which is why I dive right in on the messy days and end up feeling efficient and necessary. Except for that yellow leather dye, because that stuff stains ones hands to the point of apparent leprocy, which is also called Hansen's disease, which I did not know. And now that wikipedia is involved, I realize that the allusion to leprocy is not only incorrect, but terribly glib, because leprocy is awful. But also, armadillos? And, fact - 95% of people are naturally immune, so phew.

Yes, gloves would be a terrific idea, but we're way past that. I'm offended at the mere existence of this evil stuff, that manages to stay on hands days, whole days! afterwards. And also, I always forget gloves until it is too late. Neon yellow hands look good on no one but big bird.

I'm definitely into pencils

When I was growing up, we lived in a lovely old yellow farmhouse with green shutters and a wide porch, and a big red barn leaned into the woods at the edge of the back yard. While the house hosted a rowdy family, the barn was my dad's domain where he puttered (and occasionally hid, I assume) and my sisters and I would either spy on him while he was in there, or we'd snoop around when he wasn't. One of the rooms hosted a rusted-out car, ladders, cans of paint, jars of chemical-smelling liquids, and various domestic debris, and the other was ringed with shelves and tools and work benches, and I remember so clearly the pencils hanging about that weren't school pencils, conically sharpened and fuzzy at the wood, but whittled to sharp shiny points. And this wasn't something I've thought about for years and years, until recently when I was gathering up all the pencils in the bindery, and noticed how they're sharpened in the same exact way, thoughtfully, with knives, instead of sharpeners.

And I've gotten used to this myself, quickly chopping pencils into wedge-shaped points with a utility knife, but it still makes me happy to come across them, to slice them up myself. I suppose this isn't even noteworthy, but I honestly haven't seen hand-sharpened pencils since my childhood, and this fact alone - the fact that its something I went years and years without noticing, and that suddenly I see them again - it's just so nice to be pleasantly surprised by an old memory. Ah pencils. They are so great!

Binder crushing, plus confusion

Blizzard book attempts

I've participated in a few obsolete slash nerdy pursuits before, the kind that, when introduced into casual conversation, almost always produces a "people still DO that?" reaction. Fountain pen afficionados and knitting societies, horribly embarrassing role playing games, along with the now-defunct Pencil of the Month group (the death of which I am frankly, bewildered), but none has seemed more insular than bookbinding. Aside from cocktail party conversation reactions (I mean cocktail parties metaphorically, because- do these things actually exist?  I'd love to go to one, but have never been invited) it seems like basic, easily-accessible information is hard to come by.

This suspicion blossomed when I tried to find a link to some of Hedi Kyle's work to pass along to a friend of mine. I wasn't surprised that she didn't have a website of her own, as she's an older binder, and one obviously firmly rooted in non-digital arts. But I was surprised to see that finding even a wikipedia page on her is difficult, if not impossible (I could have sworn that I've seen a page on her before, but can't seem to find one, at this instant). Aside from being a book genius and innovator of humongous proportions, she's also chief conservator at The American Philosophical Society and adjunct professor at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia. So where's the wikipedia page?! Is this a conscious decision, coming from a place of humility? Apathy? Insularity? Or do the people that care avoid electronic information, preferring instead the comforts of libraries?

I've just purchased a Festchrift about her, and can't wait to dig in, but in the meantime, is it totally presumptuous to begin writing a wiki page? Well, obviously, yes, but I hate the idea that a casual googler would be out of luck - lazy people should know about her too! Right? And, point being, it doesn't make sense that there isn't easily accessible information for the casual student, and I'm not sure why that is...

Beachy book

I think I made something decent! The endpapers are an unfortunate shade of primary blue (wouldn't a sandy tone have been much better?) but I had a bit of help in casing it in, so the corners are remarkably square. I have basically been singing this song since I took it out of the press.

Secret Belgians

I took a workshop this weekend at the Center for Book Arts here for making Hedi Kyle's Secret Belgian Binding structure. The story behind this binding is delightfully nerdy and involves it being discovered and reworked by either Hedi Kyle or Anne Goy, depending on which blog you read. I'm on team Hedi myself - I have a major bookcrush on that lady. She designed the blizzard book, one of the very first structures I tried to muddle through while at my office job using xerox paper and stealing company time.

Here are some great clearly written instructions, if you want to give it a try, and this page has some good tips as well.

Patern is Movement

I'm beginning to feel like I'm treading water a bit, as the action in the studio has picked up a bit and there isn't enough down time for me to learn new techniques. Instead I've been playing around with papers and colors using the standard case bound format, and am pretty happy with how these have turned out! Because any time one makes books that aesthetically match ones rugs, one is obviously On To Something (eye rolling is perfectly natural and ok by me).

Anecdote time: My first day, as previously mentioned, was a self-esteem trial, but the one moment of shining hope was when Gavin asked, "What is the purpose of endpapers?" [For all y'all muggles, endpapers are the colored sheets at the beginning and ends of the books that make it all nice and pretty.] I responded enthusiastically "To prevent the boards from warping!"and he seemed pleasantly surprised (so far, this has been the only instance of such, but I'm still warming up! I WILL impress him again, if it takes all dang year!). "No one gets that right!" he said, and I immediately killed his buzz by confessing that the only reason I knew that was that I had read it on his blog. It's difficult, this compulsive honesty thing.