Quarter Cloth Hard Cover Books
sewn cords
Arianell accompanied me to my second Book Binding class. I had to pay attention, do the work, and take notes, so there are not as many photos as there could be! Plus my hands were often covered in paste!!!
Different techniques were taught at this second workshop – here is Arianell at the end of the first day that included preparing and assembling the book pages, making endpapers with a V-hinge; sewing the signatures into a book block using cords (or linen tapes in this case); covering acidic book boards with paper; choosing book cloth and pasting it up so it could dry overnight; and choosing cover paper.
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Mull
Here is Arianell showing the book block on the second day, which now has a Japanese paper spine attached with paste so the signatures don’t gape; a bookmark ribbon (blue) glued to the Japanese paper; a cloth mull attached to the spine over the ribbon; and head and foot bands.
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quarter cloth
This book cover has the cloth attached to the spine, so it will have what’s called a quarter binding or quarter cloth, in other words it will have cloth exposed on the binding about a quarter the width of each board…
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Gorgeous paper
…in this class we also put cloth along the front edge of the book. After the cloth was pasted on, we infilled the space between the spine and front edge cloths with paper – this levelled the space between the cloth pieces so there isn’t a big hollow. Then the fancy paper goes over the gap, covering the cloth a little at each edge…
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cover
…and on both sides! Inside the book cover, the edges are all trimmed to the smallest width, and then the inside is infilled too. Finally the book block goes in and everything is pasted in place, it gets nipped into the press for a few minutes then it’s all done except for the drying.
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Open
We took our damp and soggy books home at the end of the class and dried them under weights for a couple of days before opening them up, which gave all the paste a chance to dry so the book would not warp…
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book
…but look! We made a real book!!!
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Little pages
OK… now for a small one…
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binding
Arianell wanted a quarter cloth book like the big one, so we made a book block…
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Infill
…and having saved the scraps of book cloth from the big one, we made a little book cover, infilled the gaps with other scrap papers…
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Weight
…and made a simpler book, skipping some of the steps – we did the herringbone stitch on the sewing instead of using cords and mull…and didn’t add a head or footband.
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Big and small
…but it’s a real book just like the big one! The smaller scale marbled paper scraps from the first class was perfect for this little book.
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hm, what shall I write?!
Arianell is thrilled!
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Quimper Hittys 
enjoyed your learning. I had no idea it had all those steps. Is your first something written or to be written?
isn’t it fun to be learning something new. Books are such an integral part of our learning and making, just to hold a book is comforting. Have fun. Can’t wait to see what you create.
Seems to make this so exciting, I loved every photograph of this art and hand work. Thank you dear Hitty Lady, Love, nia
I believe I cherish your blog because you’re always teaching us something and now you’re continuing your own education and bringing us along for that also. Thank you so much. It sounds like a fun process and what a wonderful book you’ve created.
Oh my goodness! That is so darling! You made a lovely book and your doll did too 🙂
Wonderful post! Made me smile!
much like Arianelle I am also thrilled! What a complicated and VERY satisfying process. I have really enjoyed your book making!
They look excellent.
Those are beautiful books. Having made simpler ones I know how much work there is and how many steps. Also how the paste gets everywhere! I think you were very wise to make a small one at home after the class to fix the learning. – it is so easy to think your notes will be enough but then forget a crucial bit.
Fabulous! Those marbled papers are sensational, and the books are objects of beauty in their own right, not just as repositories for thoughts, information and ideas.