Practice Book: Coptic Stitch 9/3/23
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Since getting back into my bookbinding groove, I’ve wanted to challenge myself with more advanced structures that I havent tried before. I have some pretty ambitious ideas but it’s important for me to get solid on foundation techniques to build on.
I wanted to create a book that would open flat, show off some stitchwork, and be useful for compiling work that I’ve already done that are on loose sheets (or a very planned layout i can create ahead of time). Here’s how it went…
The Cover
I was hesitant to use any of my good materials because I’m still building up my confidence around anything that looks like sewing. I really needed a practice run. I went with a soft cover because those materials were easiest for me to get to. I had some really cheap watercolor paper that came with a set of paints. It’s generally useless as a substrate, but the texture feels and looks pretty. It’s thick but soft.
To jazz it up I collaged a strip of copy paper that had some morning abstract writing warm ups on it. It was a bit short for the pages i folded (measure like 3-4-5 times…cut once) so i extended it with some scraps of the watercolor paper which i thought added some interest to the edge.
Still felt a little plain but I was eager to get to the binding….!
The pages
But first I had to get to these pages. I have stacks of copy paper with penmanship, calligraphy, and other lettering practice on it. They are crazy messy and I love to look at them. I folded them into signatures for the pages.
I really didnt want to overthink this. I just wanted to go through the process. Reminding myself over and over *This is just practice…* to keep myself from putting too much pressure on myself. I started with random ones that i just liked….then making selection based on what i liked about them. I noticed a naturally balanced theme developed as a result.
The Binding
I was really attracted to this binding because of the details at the spine. I love how bits of the signature show off and that herringbone pattern on the stitches…MMmm mm mm….love it. All this peek-a-boo action and tiny details are so sexy.
But like I said…I’m at the beginning of my sewing journey and you know how it is when you know you’ll just suck before you’re any good and there’s a lot of *trust the process* moments….like riding a 2 wheeler for the first time.
Soooo yeah…this is where I saw the most potential for improvment. After jabbing my fingers with 4 needles going at the same time…i learned a lot. And though I’m not happy with the results…I had fun learning how to construct this book and how it functions.
WHAT I’VE LEARNED & WHAT’S NEXT
After making this i realized that a soft cover like this is not ideal for the Coptic. Also…though getting a buetter understanding of this book was really fun…but the cover feels kinda boring, the paper is cheap, the pages are rippled. The threads and needles I used weren’t consistent which overall kept it from looking polished.
On the next one…I plan to address all of this while applying what I learned to make something more finished and intentional.
