Book binding - Maidstone museum

Nearly finished!
Image credit: SM Jenkin

Yesterday, I fulfilled one of my dreams. I made my very first book. I've loved books for years, worked with them, read them and occasionally thrown them against walls. But I've never really thought about how they were put together, or repaired. Including the ones that have ended up decorating the wall.

I attended a one day book binding course, run by the very patient Mike Fitzgerald at the Maidstone museum. The course covered the whole process from blank page to finished product. The binding I put together was a full letterpress binding, and the book was stitched together with linen thread. I was introduced to the kettle stitch, which is an integral part of the bookbinding process.

Think you can't manage? The steps to take are pretty straightforward - if you can sew and wrap Christmas presents, you're pretty much there.

There are many people sharing their tips and techniques online, including Billie's Craft Room. As you can imagine there are many more!