Bookbinding

I've been thinking about bookbinding lately, ever since I read PBW's post on it here.

I've tried to research it a bit, but there dont seem to be a lot of courses out there beyond university courses. I thought there might be workshops all over the place, but there doesn't seem to be. Or perhaps I just haven't looked enough. There is one in Addlestone that gives workshops at The Otter Bindery, which looks promising. I might drop in on their next Saturday morning workshop (for £50) and see what I can find.

There is also a Book Fair in Tonbridge on October 28th, and a bookbinder will be there.

I love that word - Bookbinder.

Hmmm... methinks I have the inkling of a fairy tale coming to mind...

I so wish I had more time to spend learning about Bookbinding because I would love to do it. Not as a career or anything, but just as a hobby. PBW is right that handmade books would make great gifts. What could be more personal than your own book/journal made for you by a close friend/relative!

The continuation paper we use here at work doesn't have any logo on it, so I may have to accidentally drop a ream or two into my bag sometime. Hehe. It would make lovely strong leaves. I could even intermingle some tissue paper, or the coloured file paper that we use at work (pink, green, purple, blue).

The more I think about it the more the creative opportunities appear endless.

I've looked at a few online tutorials, and would be confident that I could sew together a book, but I wouldn't have a clue as to how I would get the pages to line up. When you fold over a few leaves of paper the ends are staggered. I wonder how they get them to lovely and flat. I cant seem to find anywhere on the net that mentions it.

Though I suppose the roughness of handmade books make them all that more charming.

We shall see. ...Though I have to devote the rest of this year to writing, as I want to have three books finished by then, and currently only have one (in very rough draft form!).

Perhaps I could spare a few hours a month to investigate it more. If anyone knows of anywhere that I can learn more about bookbinding, do give me a shout!