Fall 2022
Choose a book from the Project Gutenberg website. Typeset it, print it, and bind it.
InDesign
Bookbinding
I knew immediately that I wanted to make a copy of Frankenstein with a stitched leather cover. I wanted it to feel like you were touching the monster's skin. I bought some leather, planned out where I wanted the seams to go, then cut it up. I then hand stitched it back together. I backed the leather cover with a sheet of rice paper for durability. In the meantime, I downloaded a copy of Frankenstein from Project Gutenberg and placed the text inside an InDesign file. I spent many hours formatting and tweaking parts of the book to get it just the way I wanted it. I printed it on Mohawk paper and longstitched all the signatures together. I glued the spine, added endsheets, glued my leather to book boards that I trimmed to the appropriate size, and finally attached my text block to the cover. I had a friend help me laser cut an F out of acrylic, and then I used a book press to deboss the cover.
I had so. much. fun. doing this project! I didn't know I would fall in love with bookbinding after taking a class on it, but it's genuinely become one of my favorite creative mediums. I want to learn more types of stitches and binding methods! I also want to learn more about leatherworking and laser cutting. I haven't previously been able to create a lot of physical artifacts, but recently I've been having a great time with them and I want to do more.
InDesign
Bookbinding
I knew immediately that I wanted to make a copy of Frankenstein with a stitched leather cover. I wanted it to feel like you were touching the monster's skin. I bought some leather, planned out where I wanted the seams to go, then cut it up. I then hand stitched it back together. I backed the leather cover with a sheet of rice paper for durability. In the meantime, I downloaded a copy of Frankenstein from Project Gutenberg and placed the text inside an InDesign file. I spent many hours formatting and tweaking parts of the book to get it just the way I wanted it. I printed it on Mohawk paper and longstitched all the signatures together. I glued the spine, added endsheets, glued my leather to book boards that I trimmed to the appropriate size, and finally attached my text block to the cover. I had a friend help me laser cut an F out of acrylic, and then I used a book press to deboss the cover.
I had so. much. fun. doing this project! I didn't know I would fall in love with bookbinding after taking a class on it, but it's genuinely become one of my favorite creative mediums. I want to learn more types of stitches and binding methods! I also want to learn more about leatherworking and laser cutting. I haven't previously been able to create a lot of physical artifacts, but recently I've been having a great time with them and I want to do more.