Category: Book Making

Book Making, Embroidery, General, Printing

Process – Again! – 8th February 2021

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I am aware that I frequently mention process, but it is essential to both printmaking and book construction. This flow of work has not been able to be maintained over the last couple of weeks mainly because of the inclement weather and my warm bloodied self to venture to the studio. Many times I have brought materials into the the house and then to optimistically return them to the studio, only to return them to the house. At the moment it looks as if I will remain in the house for several more days. It means that the process becomes disjointed and consequently I have several projects on the go. Still, following on from the last blog I constructed the plate designed from my second piece of woven silk.

I then started to cut away the background

The cutting away was completed but I got no further, it awaits better weather before I can print from the plate.

I did fold the four books and six greetings cards from my last print run, I need to decide a colour scheme and style before painting papers for their covers, which I want to match, so making ‘Vulnerable to Alteration’ a compact group.

I have read several books and continued with my note taking

Book Making, Embroidery, Printing

All Sorts of Things – 30th November 2020

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I completed the book “Lace, Woven, Print, Stitch” and was happy in the way it turned out, a long book can be difficult as it becomes loose and floppy and the structure feels weak, but by stitching the 32cm pieces together so that a compact concertina style is constructed there is strength. 

Into each end fold I embossed the words with little wooden letters, there was really only one shot at this and thankfully it worked.

It wasn’t displacement therapy but I tidied the drawer which holds all my trial books and sorted them into styles.

I also decided to re mount an 1820’s whitework collar which is hanging in my studio. I laughed at the non-fade black paper onto which I had previously mounted the fabric, as you can see it left a perfect print!

And my book challenge —I will admit that the top and bottom books I didn’t read during the last fortnight, I had bought and read them during the first lockdown, but they were there in sequence so I added them to the pile.

I am planning a new printing plate to develop over the next couple of weeks, I do hope that it works out.

Book Making, General, Printing

New Project? – 16th November 2020

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There was a rush to the studio yesterday – we had decent enough light for me to take some photographs of the books that I had recently completed. So many days have been dark, damp and dreary lately so it was good to get that task out of the way.

These three images are of the book “Two Yards of Memories”, an edition of two.

I was able to complete the last of my “Half Yards of Memories” series. This edition focussed on print and I printed two in red to indicate madder and two for indigo, and here they are.

And for my ‘new’ project – I suspect that many of us have a book case like mine (and there are many other books in the house). Some books gather dust and some are frequently referred to. 

I decided that as the evenings are drawing in and its harder to be in the studio because of the fading light I would read (or skim or look at the pictures) of each of the books, beginning at the bottom left during these dark hours.

What I hadn’t considered that these books brought back many memories, the first, ‘Crewel Work’ had been given to me by a dear friend and the ‘Fairy Tale’  was one that I had contributed to back in the early 1990s. I have managed four so far.