Yesterday I finished my second practice disappearing spine practice, and managed to do the same thing wrong as I did on the last one, AND additional things wrong! I didn’t trim the end papers, so they were much too long when I stuck them down, meaning I had to trim them afterwards. Luckily, the paper on the boards was coated which meant the paper came off without ripping it. However I still managed to get the spine wider at the bottom than it is at the top so, yet again, it is a bit skew-whiff, its not as bad as the last one, and I managed to neaten up the end papers. But it’s not great – obviously a technique that needs a bit more practice at my end.
Bookbinding Update | Week 17
C&G Week 8 | Disappearing Spine Pamphlet Binding
So eight weeks in and I’ve been a bit more productive. You’ll see that I now have the corners on my 1/2 bound flat back book – very neat and tidy if I do say so myself, and have finished my disappearing spine pamphlet (called as such because you can’t see the spine). The latter is covered in more National Geographic collages and the 1/2 bound will be covered in some drawings I’ve done.
Unfortunately, when I was ‘casing in’ (sticking all together) my pamphlet (with owl), our teacher was also talking about the corners of the 1/2 bound (pink). She said if we were doing what I was doing to ignore her and she’d tell us again later, but considering I was the only one doing what I was doing, I got a bit distracted by listening to her as well, and now my beautiful owl pamphlet is wonky and I’m going to have to start from scratch. Hmph. Apparently this is a good thing (???), as the marking people like to see mistakes that are practiced and then rectified, still, I like the owl and I’m not sure I’ll find such a nice cover, so I am a little disappointed. Nevermind – practice makes perfect!
My last pamphlet is bowing a little, but apparently this is absolutely fine and is very acceptable in bookbinding, so that one is alright (that was the one with the trees on the front).
C&G Week 6 | Beginning Bookbinding
Bookbinding is going well and is SO much fun! I’m in the process of making two pamphlet bindings and one with a dissapearing spine, and a flat back 1/2 cloth binding, which should all be finished around the same time, so I’ll be able to photograph and upload them. I think I’ll make a smaller flat back one at home as the book I am reading states that you should be making about 6 of the same thing at one to really get practice in, so might do that!