Linen thread - Association of Book Crafts

Issue 3 May - June 2012
ASSOCIATION OF BOOK CRAFTS (NZ) INCORPORATED
ABC
Ty p e fa c e = Pa p y r u s
MAY - JUNE 2012 NEWSLETTER
New members
A big welcome to our new members:
Marie Bezzant
Havelock North
Dr.Andrew Codling
Ann Smith
Auckland
Warkworth
Patricia Took-Stevens Canterbury
Linen thread
The standard measure of bulk linen yarn
is the lea, which is the number of yards in
a pound of linen divided by 300. For
example a yarn having a size of 1 lea will
give 300 yards per pound. The fine yarns
used in handkerchiefs etc might be
40 lea and give 40 x 300 = 12,000 yards
per pound.
The quality of the finished linen product is
Linen is a textile made from the fibres of often dependent upon growing conditions
the flax plant, Linum usitatissimum. Linen and harvesting techniques. To generate
the longest possible fibres, flax is either
is labour intensive to manufacture, but
hand-harvested by pulling up the entire
when it is made into garments, it is
plant or stalks are cut very close to the
valued for its exceptional coolness and
root. After harvesting, the seeds are
freshness in hot weather.
removed through a mechanised process
The word linen is derived from the Latin
called 'rippling' or by winnowing.
for the flax plant, which is linum, and the
earlier Greek linon. This word history has The fibres must then be loosened from
the stalk. This is achieved through
given rise to a number of other terms:
retting. This is a process which uses
Line, derived from the use of a linen
bacteria to decompose the pectin that
thread to determine a straight line
binds the fibres together. Natural retting
Lining, because linen was often used to methods take place in tanks and pools,
create a lining for wool and leather
or directly in the fields. There are also
clothing
chemical retting methods; these are
Lingerie, via French, originally denotes faster, but are typically more harmful to
the environment and to the fibres
underwear made of linen
themselves.
Linen is a very durable, strong thread
and one of the few that are stronger wet After retting, the stalks are ready for
scutching, which removes the woody
than dry. The fibres do not stretch and
portion of the stalks by crushing them
are resistant to damage from abrasion.
between two metal rollers, so that the
However, because linen fibres have a
parts of the stalk can be separated. The
very low elasticity, the thread will
fibres are removed and the other parts
eventually break if it is folded or bent at
such as linseed, shive, and tow are set
the same place repeatedly.
aside for other uses. Next the fibres are
IN THIS ISSUE
Linen thread
All you ever wanted to know but were
afraid to ask….rippling, retting, scutching
and heckling!
Marbling workshop in Christchurch
They might be shaken and stirred but our
Christchurch chapter can still create
amazing workshops.
Chapter news
Our wonderful liaison members from
around New Zealand report on their
exciting activities
Wanaka Autumn Art School
Taught simplified binding with Paul
Delrue's lacunose technique on the
covers
Jocelyn Windsor
Comes from a long line of book binders
and was one of our founding members
Ask Arthur
Arthur explains why knowing about paper
grain is crucial to bookbinders
SORRY but if you have not
renewed your membership this
will be your last newsletter :-(
Cover image: Ann Bell's wonderful hand
dyed linen thread.
2
Issue 3 May - June 2 2012
heckled: the short fibres are separated with heckling combs by
'combing' them away, to leave behind only the long, soft flax
fibres.
After the fibres have been separated and processed, they are
typically spun into yarns and woven or knit into linen textiles.
Just as the English cotton spinners (the Coats, Clarks, and
others) invested in the US textile industry in the middle to late
1800s, the British also
invested in spinning linen
thread. In Great Britain,
the linen thread industry
was dominated by three
family groups: the Barbour
family (whose original
enterprise was founded in
1784 by a Scot, John
Barbour, who migrated
along with many other
Scots to Northern Ireland),
the Knox family, and the
Finlayson family.
Each of these families had
mills in Great Britain and,
by the 1880s, in the US.
Robert Barbour of Lisburn,
just west of Belfast,
Northern Ireland first went
to the US in 1864 and built
the Barbour Flax Spinning
Co. on Spruce Street in
Paterson, N.J. and opened
a New York sales office.
The largest and most
important of the linen
thread works was built in
Paterson beginning in
1864 with the acquisition of
an existing mill. There,
under the management of
three Barbour brothers
(Thomas, Robert and
Samuel), the firm produced
and marketed linen thread
nationally.
used up. The natural colour of linen (either thread or fabric) is
a brown colour, not an off-white.
With linen thread sizing; the lower the number, the larger the
thread (ie a 35/2 is larger than a 60/2). The number before the
slash symbol (/) refers to the linen thread size or thickness.
The number after the slash symbol refers to the number of ply
that make up the thread. To use the term 'ply' in this sense
does not mean that this thread is to be divided or separated for
use (that would weaken it
substantially). It refers to
the spinning process when
the thread is made. All
other factors being equal, a
3 ply thread is heavier and
stronger than a 2 ply
thread. Linen thread sizes
are different than threads
made out of other fibres
such as cotton or silk and a
size of linen thread is not
necessarily the same size
as a thread made out of
another fibre that uses the
same number.
Traditionally, unbleached
linen thread is the preferred
material for bookbinding,
but unbleached long-staple
cotton will do almost as
well. Ideally the natural fibre
should have very long
fibres for strength and be
comparable in expected
lifetime to the paper and the
cover material. For less
traditional projects, carpet
thread, strong nylon thread
or even waxed dental floss
can be used.
Bookbinding thread should
be heavy. Thread
diameters of close to a
millimetre (when
uncompressed and not under tension) are quite reasonable.
Before you start sewing, it helps (but is not strictly necessary)
to wax the thread with beeswax. To do this, clamp the thread
against a block of beeswax with your thumb and pull it through
with your other hand. The thread will tend to cut a slot in the
wax, so keep changing the angle of pull to even out the wear
on the wax. Do this two or three times with the full length of
thread before you start sewing.
Linen thread has been used in needlework for thousands of
years and in many parts of the world was once in more
common use than cotton. It has a tendency to be a bit 'springy'
and somewhat uneven in diameter (the finer the thread the
less noticeable this is). It is a very strong thread in general,
although it will wear easily in the eye of the needle, so it's a
good idea to leave a short tail hanging from the needle to start,
and not to slide the needle along the length of thread as it is
A 50gm reel of linen thread 18/3 has approximately 170
Issue 3 May - June 2012 3
metres on it. A 'cop' or cone of 18/6 has approximately 430
metres. So, where can you purchase good linen thread?
Set watercolour marbling
Spray with a non workable fixative used to set charcoal and
pastel drawings. Just remember to use it outside or in a well
ventilated place.
ABC's Supplies Manager has pure linen thread 18/3 cord
which is whitey brown in colour and available in 50gm reels.
This is a good general purpose thread for sewing sections. For
Laminate board
exposed spine sewing she has black linen thread 18/6 cord
and white 18/6 cord sold in 10 metre lengths or multiples of 10. If you need a very thick board for an application such as a
large box or split boards for a library binding, it is much
Ann Bell dyes 3 core Irish linen thread No.18 for hobby
stronger to laminate two thinner boards than use a
bookbinders. She has a large range of colours; plain and
manufactured thick board. This can present problems as it is
variegated and can be contacted at:
difficult to make a clean, vertical cut through a thick board.
[email protected]
One solution is to guillotine it, another is to cut one thin board
exactly to the required size and then glue it to the second thin
Ohio, USA based Royalwood Limited offers a large range of
board which should be about 5mm larger all round. After
coloured 2, 3, 4, 7 and 12 ply waxed threads in large reels. If
pressing, the extra bits can be cut off using the required board
ordering over US$100 you can use their wholesale pricing.
as a template. Those who have tried cutting two thin boards
Delivery is within a few days of ordering. The catalogue is at:
exactly to size, and then glueing them together, find that when
http://www.royalwoodltd.com/cat14-17ar.htm
they are pressed, one board mysteriously slides a tiny bit over
the other so that the edges do not coincide. The above method
prevents this happening.
June McNicol, Queensland Bookbinding Guild
I wanted to congratulate you on the last bumper issue - a great
Letter to the Editrix
read! Sadly, I never met Arthur on any of his visits but relied
heavily on one of his books when I first began at the bindery,
so it was great to be reminded of this and read his notes to
ABC.
Regards
Kathleen McCarthy
Bindery & Preservation Services Team Leader
Dunedin Public Libraries
Dunedin City Council
Library news
Our Resource Manager, John Sansom, has revamped and
updated Library Holdings Catalogue (by title) available by
email or hard copy. To help make your choices easier the
listings are now arranged in categories:
•
Basic bookbinding for beginners
•
Advanced traditional bookbinding, including working
with leather
•
Book arts
•
General interest
•
Specific subjects eg albums
•
Novels with a book content.
John can also send an Index (by subject) of the ABC
newsletters.
Tips…how to
Create good quality lined paper
One of our members solved the problem of finding good
quality lined paper for making note books. Buy the desired
paper in A4 pad format from an art shop, use computer
software to create lines on a file and print!
Websites
http://www.marbledpaper.com.au/
This is the website of Joan Ajala, paper marbler. Joan’s
individual papers are used extensively by professional and
hobby bookbinders in Australia and the USA. Her marbled
cards are sold in Australian galleries and bookshops. She also
holds marbling workshops, using non-toxic paints and
materials. Joan welcomes special requests and will copy old
marbled paper from a piece of the original design.
http://www.behance.net/poeticblather
Hailing from Orem, Utah, Brandt Brinkerhoff holds his BFA
from Brigham Young University. There are a devastating 26
letters in his name, and he has an unhealthy obsession with
the late 1960s North American folk band, Buffalo Springfield. A
true glutton for punishment, Brandt enjoys binding books in his
free time. He holds an ardent belief in the magic and power of
words - the shapes they take, the sounds they make and the
visions, smells and tastes they conjure. But despite this
passion for literature, it’s safe to say Brandt is a tactile man,
highly concerned with craftsmanship, quality and the design
process. His love for his wife and two children is nearly
surpassed by his deep-seated and highly irrational love for
three-sided polygons. Residing in Chicago’s Roger’s Park
neighbourhood, Brandt is currently Fellow of Elven Robot
Manufacturing and Time Travel at VSA Partners. He is also
the founder of Mastodon, a rebel design cohort established by
the person, for the people—Insurgo Edere!
4
Issue 3 May - June 2 2012
www.katehollandbooks.co.uk
After studying Chinese at Edinburgh University, Kate worked
as the manager of Robert Frew Ltd, an antiquarian booksellers
in London. From there, she indulged her passion for books by
studying bookbinding at the London College of Printing, the
City Lit and Studio Five. She has exhibited at the annual
Designer Bookbinders exhibition at the British Library and has
been awarded numerous prizes including the Mansfield Medal,
the 1st prize open choice, the Hewits leather prize, the Ash
Rare lettering prize and the Falkiner Fine Papers prize. In
2008 she set up the Bookbinders Collective with Jo Bird.
www.book-binder.co.uk
On Chris Hicks' website he has a section on caring for books;
general advice on the care of books and the best way to look
after them or do simple repairs to prolong their life.
http://www.books2eat.com/
For those who want to have their book and eat it too International Edible Book Festival.
www.edenworkshops.com/book_binding_tutorials__a_range_of_free_illustrated_manuals.html
Bookbinding tutorials courtesy of the enthusiastic Richard
Norman who is now based in France. Sign up to his excellent
newsletter when you visit his website. See Eden Workshops
excellent newsletter for more on the Codex Gigas aka the
'largest book in the world':
The Codex Gigas (English: Giant Book) is the largest extant
medieval manuscript in the world. It is also known as the
Devil's Bible because of a large illustration of the devil on the
inside and the legend surrounding its creation. It is thought to
have been created in the early 13th century in the Benedictine
monastery of Podlažice in Bohemia (modern Czech Republic).
It contains the Vulgate Bible as well as many historical
documents all written in Latin. During the Thirty Years' War in
1648, the entire collection was taken by the Swedish army as
plunder, and now it is preserved at the National Library of
Sweden in Stockholm, though it is not normally on display.
www.shawnsheehy.com/Site/Home.html
Shawn Sheehy's art work examines the dynamic ecological
principles that operate in wild and in domesticated
environments. Of primary interest are those principles that
maintain balance in and among populations; for example, the
feedback loop that keeps the carnivorous predators,
herbivorous prey and plants in a given ecosystem in healthy
relative proportions. "I explore and express these principles in
the wild world in order to hold them up against the human
experience, intending as a result that we might adapt or reintroduce these principles into our human existence and move
ourselves back into a sustainable relationship with the wild
world. I find these issues particularly poignant in the face of a
Western production model that foregrounds growth, expansion
and an ever-increasing profit margin. Specifically, I explore
such diverse themes as food chains, interconnectedness
among discreet organisms in a specific ecosystem, resource
allocation, species adaptability and evolution."
"Artists' books can uniquely communicate complex narrative
concepts through image-based and text-based channels.
Within the book arts, I am most attracted to creating pop-ups—
I enjoy working sculpturally within the book format. I enjoy the
engineering challenge involved in developing intricate
dimensional forms that fold flat. I control as much of the book
production as possible: I make the paper, write the text,
illustrate the images, engineer the structures, bind the folios
and design the integrated whole. Pop-up images are
particularly powerful in capturing a viewer's attention-—they
facilitate the delivery of a potentially distasteful message with
their attractive packaging. Making pop-up books for adults
permits playing in the borderlands between 'youth culture' and
'adult culture' and thus striking out into new territory."
http://thomasallenonline.com
American photographer Thomas Allen constructs witty and
clever dioramas using figures cut from the covers of old pulp
paperbacks. Using salacious pulp art drawing’s of the ’40s and
’50s that covered books such as I Married a Dead Man and
Marihuana Girl, Allen constructs one set of pictures up close
while obscuring another and in the process creates a different
context. Each piece is given a brand new storyline, though
they never quite stray from their cheeky origins.
www.thisiscolossal.com/what-is-this-madness/
Christopher Jobson is the creator and editor of Colossal. He
lives in Chicago with his wife Megan, son Caleb, and dog
Mojo, but he has also spent much of his life in central Texas
and Prague. By day he works as a web designer and creator
of digital things and by night he does what you see on his
website - This is colossal. He also writes for Wired Magazine
and contribute to Designboom.
Christopher likes to describe Colossal as a blog that explores
the intersection of art, design, and physical craft. I enjoy
artwork that is tactile, physical and non-digital in nature,
especially sculptural work and installations that use impossible
numbers of components, or sequences in a process. During
the course of a week you’ll find roughly 30 posts on
photography, design, animation, painting, installation art,
Issue 3 May - June 2012 5
architecture, drawing and street art. He shares things that he
feels are accessible to everyone, requiring little explanation or
theory."My only true goal is to provide you with a constant
source of visual goodness that hopefully inspires you to go
make something awesome."
Mini book swap
by ROBYN HUNT AND GILL CARLSSON
This book was made for Josie Slack by Gill Carlsson
Top to bottom:
Josie Slack for Gill Carlsson
Kay Stanton for Judy Newbury
Judy Newbury for Kay Stanton
Judy Johns for Robyn Hunt
Left:
Jayne Barnette for Lyall Clarke
6
Issue 3 May - June 2 2012
Far North Chapter
by VERONIQUE LAUTENSLAGER
After having to postpone due to bad weather, the Northland
group did meet in March. We made some circular flip-up books,
origami boxes to store our books in and a range of flexagons.
The gathering was very small but we had fun and were very
pleased with our achievements.
As our Chapter is small and covers a large area, it has been
difficult to organise meetings so the majority of members can
attend. To make planning easier, we decided to have a regular
date in the future - the second Tuesday of every other month. If
there is a demand for more we could increase to every month.
Hopefully, people will note the dates in their diaries well ahead
of time and work around those days for their other activities.
The next meeting will be May the 8th and details will be
emailed as usual to those concerned.
Warkworth Group
by GILL CARLSSON
With a total of 8 members we are almost a chapter. Below is a
recent photo taken of our group with our completed ‘Caterpillar
Stitch’ bound books. Ann Bell came up to do this workshop for
us. It was lots of fun and a lively class.
After moving to Warkworth two years ago, I looked for an
opening to continue my passion for bookbinding. After
becoming the group leader at the local art and craft centre, I
Kaye and
Ngaire
Issue 3 May - June 2012 7
have organised many workshops. I am very
active teaching most workshops and am
about to hold a beginners course. During
the last year of weekly meetings we have
made paper, marbled paper, tried silk
cocoon stripping paper and are always
looking for new things.
We are now working towards an exhibition at
the end of this year which will focus on book
art rather than traditional bookmaking.
Peter came up to our group to do a
workshop on book repairs and we had a
lovely 2 days with him. He is sorely missed
and his talent was great.
8
Issue 3 May - June 2 2012
Wellington Chapter
by KEN GORDON
Ten members had an enjoyable and educational visit to Jill
Rose’s bindery on Saturday 17 March. Jill is one of our
members and is a professional bookbinder. She lives on a life
style property some eight kilometres north of Masterton with a
custom-built stand alone bindery on the property. The bindery
of some 100 square metres houses most of the hand binding
machinery from the former Government Printer (GP). Jill,
herself a former long serving employee of GP bought the
machinery on the eventual demise of GP and set up her own
bindery.
We had a most enjoyable day, with Jill as both a gracious host
and a generous tutor and demonstrator. During our shared
lunch it also became obvious that Jill's many talents included
fancy cake baking, as evidenced by both what was on the table
and by the several certificates of prize placings from the
Wairarapa A and P Show!
Incidentally Jill is always open for business for repairs, fine
bindings, and any commercial work.
The Spellbound partnership is located in the quiet and
peaceful Miki Miki valley. Jill Rose is the binding partner
and she went through her 4 year apprenticeship with the
Government Printing Office. At the time the GPO was the
best place to do an apprenticeship.
On completing her trade certificate, Jill went to England
and worked for 2½ years at a small bindery in Oxford
which was a member of the Blackwells group, a prominent
publishing and book selling chain.
On returning to New Zealand she worked for Collins
Olympic Stationery for 4 years, before going back to the
GPO. 17 years later redundancy allowed her to purchase
the last remaining remnants of the old GPO hand bindery
and install it in the workshop on the lifestyle block she
shares with partner Craig.
191 Mikimiki Road, Masterton, New Zealand
P.O.Box 637 Masterton
Ph/Fax: (06) 372 5992
Mobile: 0274 498 939
Ph/Fax (from overseas): +64 6 372 5992
Email: [email protected]
Jill at her signature sewing
machine
Issue 3 May - June 2012 9
Top left: Glenda Leete contemplating her
next move
Bottom left: Susan Peacock trying her hand
Top right: Jill demonstrating gold leaf
techniques
10 Issue 3 May - June 2 2012
Auckland chapter
Article and photos by HARRY VAN DER VOSSEN
ABC's Open Days at MOTAT in Auckland are part of our commitment to the Museum to present some aspects of bookbinding
and provide visitors with an opportunity to see bookbinders in action.
We offer a one day workshop in which adults can learn to repair or completely re-bind a paperback into a case binding. They
register with MOTAT office for this and pay a nominal fee.
On other days ABC members can come in to work on their own projects and use the bindery's extensive range of equipment
and best of all, exchange notes or get guidance from experienced, sometime professional binders who may be there.
During school holidays Open Days are aimed at children. Youngsters are invited to sew a one section book. Materials
are supplied for free and two or more members help the children through the process of making their very own book. This is a
real draw card, even with the parents, who love to sit and watch, temporarily relieved of their enthusiastic charges. The photos
taken on Sunday 15 April caught binders Mary Molloy and Marie Thomas fully engaged with some of the 30 plus youngsters
who came to make their books. As you can see it is a very engrossing activity for all concerned.
Issue 3 May - June 2012 11
Marbling in Christchurch
31 March and 1 April
by TERRY PARK, ANN AND JUDY
NEWBURY
A lighthearted decision to hold a marbling workshop
presented us with an immediate problem. Due to
over 10,240 earthquakes in the Canterbury area
there is now a huge shortage of rooms available for
hire, and all possible suitable venues were fully
booked. However Ann had a bright idea, which
culminated in her now having a very tidy very large
garage, and the ABC Christchurch Chapter having
use of said very tidy large garage for the Marbling
Workshop.
Di Baynon and her daughter Mandy were both brave
and very generous in coming South to conduct the
workshop and after much planning, emails and talk,
they arrived in Christchurch bringing with them three
(at least) very large suitcases which were packed
with everything anyone could desire for paper
marbling. They were both very happy to work around
any of our slight difficulties, ie washing off marbled
paper in paint trays propped up against Ann’s garden
clothes line.
Georgie, Janet, & Sandy – all set to marble
Saturday started with demonstrations, mixing paint,
making combs ready for the master pieces to come.
The weather could not have been better, sunny and
calm which was just as well as the garden was
festooned with drying artworks, and alumed paper.
On Saturday evening we went to the Cashmere Club,
for a delicious meal cooked by someone other than
‘the Marblers’. A great evening which was well
attended.
Terry & Liz s9rring the Carageen
12 Issue 3 May - June 2 2012
Sunday morning commenced with the aluming of heaps more
paper, and April Fools Day was well celebrated by a marbling
exercise conducted by Di and demonstrated by Ann – using
plants, leaves, tomato sauce, and chilli sauce.
Under Di’s guidance a very large bath was constructed from
planks and a tarpaulin. Everyone applied the paints and
helped to comb. We each then placed our own earthquake
motif on the paint, the paper was lowered and lifted and there
was a magnificent banner, approximately 2 metres long which
was dried over Ann’s vegetable garden pathway.
Sandy, Sam, & Georgie, paFern making
Our thanks go to our local Planning Group for their rather large
commitment in getting this wonderful weekend underway, and
also to Di & Mandy for visiting Christchurch and giving us all
such a treat. It was an inspiring weekend, from the mixing of
the carrageen, aluming the paper, to the exciting creation of
marbled design, and we all felt that the garage venue was
much more fun than a more traditional classroom.
From the tutors
DI BAYNHAM and AMANDA DUCROT
We had a great time in Christchurch. My daughter (Mandy)
and I left a wet and windy Auckland to fly down to
Christchurch. The weather was fantastic for us while we were
down in Christchurch. The weather makes a big difference
when you are marbling. We were made so welcome.
this it brought a lump to my throat.
Liz Davison picked us up from the airport and took us all
around Christchurch. As we drove past all the damaged
buildings it brought back memories for me from when I was a
child after the war. Living near Liverpool which received heavy
bombing during the war there were lots of buildings damaged
or demolished and in parts Christchurch was very much like
The people of Christchurch are strong people because for me
it was fantastic how the place is being cleared of dangerous
buildings and new buildings are being built and people are
carrying on, to try and live as normal a life as possible.
Liz had organised a few places to hold the work shop but
because of the quakes she had to find other options. Ann
Back: Derek, Mandy, Di, Janet, Liz, Judy, Sam,
Front: Sandy, Gina, Georgie, Ann and Terry
Issue 3 May - June 2012 13
Di (with helpers) laying the banner down on the marbled bath.
offered her huge garage which was over the other side of
Christchurch and a wonderful venue very homely. Thank you
Ann. We had to improvise with some of the gear but it was
great fun and we had all sorts of marbling being produced.
On the second day we made a huge bath approximately two
and a half meters’ long and 40 centimetres wide. ( Thanks to
a special helper who helped to construct this bath) I had
thought it might be an idea to mark the occasion of the
earthquakes and how individual people remembered one
special thought about them. So we put our thoughts into
making individual stencils, after making a pattern on the bath
first, we then placed our stencils onto the bath, then everyone
held the huge piece of paper and together we laid the paper on
the bath and printed this huge banner. Rinsing off was
interesting but we managed it in the end.
Some of the girls produced some lovely Spanish steps
marbling it was good to see the ideas and experimenting
going on through the whole class. Mandy and I would like to
thank Liz for all the running around and accommodation Liz
provided for us it would have been very difficult without this
help. I would like to thank everyone who come to the workshop
Also thank you to all the people who helped to set up the
workshop area and cleaning up it was very much appreciated.
It was a very memorable work shop thank you girls and
thank you to our special helper.
14 Issue 3 May - June 2 2012
Wanaka Autumn Art School
by ROBYN VAN REENAN
A beautiful binding and a fascinating technique with some
oriental stitch play thrown in as well. That was the programme
for Rosemarie Jeffers-Palmer’s Book Arts course at the
Wanaka Autumn Art School. The 12 participants put their
heads down and went for it. The two key features of the week
were the production of a leather covered book using the
simplified binding technique and also including Paul Delrue’s
lacunose technique for at least part of one or both covers.
Thanks to the generous donations of leather scraps from a
number of ABC members the class had a great selection of
leather pieces to choose from. The lacunose technique
involved lots of paring to have the leather as thin as possible.
Fortunately Rosemarie had brought a couple of paring
machines which, once we got the hang of them, were most
helpful.
The leather was then glued onto a backing either in a
completely random pattern or with some plan of maybe a
landscape. Some of it was scrunched to produce fine ridges,
but once lightly pressed and dry it was all sanded. Below the
surface many of the leathers had interestingly different
colours. Floating ends were re-glued, more pieces were added
if required, and more sanding and pressing followed.
Rosemarie is second from the right in the middle row
Issue 3 May - June 2012 15
Drying spells enabled us to work on our books with deckled
sections sewn over tapes, decorated leather headbands added
followed by the leather spine.
The covers were prepared separately, covered with leather
and with their Lacunose panels either inset or onlaid. Further
decorative tooling was also a possibility. Simplified binding
lends itself to a wide range of cover materials and the
lacunose technique has endless possibilities.
Everyone went away full of enthusiasm to take the process
further after a full-on, but happy week with Rosemarie, a warm,
confident and thorough tutor.
If you are wanting to know about about the simplified
binding technique - which is not at all simple - there is a
very good article in one of the Bonefolder issues:
http://digilib.syr.edu/cgi-bin/showfile.exe?CISOROOT=/
bonefolder&CISOPTR=72&filename=73.pdf
16 Issue 3 May - June 2 2012
Usually I use one of the two following methods for determining
the grain direction. The first is by feeling the difference in
resistance when pushing gently down on a sheet of paper
folded over itself (not hard creased). The side that pushes
down with the least resistance indicates the paper’s grain
direction along the fold. This method is easier for larger sheets
of paper and thinner boards. Thicker boards can be gently
flexed by holding opposite edges in the palms of each hand
and repeating along each dimension then observing the
difference in resistance. The sides that show the easiest
movement indicate the direction of the grain.
Dear Readers The other way I check is to mark a line in pencil in one
I can report that Auckland has capped off the dreariest of
direction on the corner of a sheet. Cut that corner out leaving
summers with a most splendid autumn. What a treat and joy
some of the pencil mark still on the full sheet. This helps to
as calm, dry and sun filled days abound. This month’s question distinguish where the sample was cut from later. A 4cm2 piece
from Elizabeth is of huge significance to all makers of books,
should be plenty. Lightly moisten one side - this will result in
she asks
the paper curling, sometimes a lot and sometimes only a little.
Carefully observe what happens, as some papers will become
"Why is the grain in paper of importance to bookbinders?
limp and flatten out quite soon after dampening. The grain
How do you determine the direction of the grain? Are
there any instances when you would have the grain at
direction is at right angles to the curve; or another way to think
right angles to the spine?"
of it is that the curl makes a tube or tunnel that the grain
travels along.
Firstly, I should explain that paper grain is also referred to as
machine direction. The fibres aligning themselves in the
There are other ways of identifying grain direction including
direction of the wire, on a papermaking machine, as the pulp
gently tearing a small section along the width and length and
flows onto it from the head box, creates the phenomenon of
feeling which has the most resistance, or looking at the torn
grain direction. This is also why hand made papers do not
edges for an indication of which way the fibres are arranged.
have a grain.
Once you have worked out the grain direction of a given sheet,
Binders need to understand the grain direction of their paper
it is a good policy to mark it with an arrow, for future reference.
and boards. They will fold, warp and tear more easily in the
grain direction rather than across it. This will make a difference If you have your own favourite method of finding the grain of
to how easily a page opens and how rigid a book board will be. paper, why not share it with other ABC members by writing a
letter to the editor.
You certainly do not want boards gaping open or pages that
resist and possibly fracture when being turned. Another most
important characteristic of grain is that when wet the fibres
expand (stretch) across the grain (right angle to the grain) as
much as eight times more than in the machine direction. This
is used to good effect by the binder, as it will counteract the
warp of a covered board. The way this works is that when
putting down a board liner or endpaper it is stretched either by
the paste or by wetting first. On drying the liner or endpaper
will shrink back pulling the board back into shape with it. If
done well this will result in perfectly flat boards. It is important
to become familiar with the properties of the papers that you
use most often so that you will understand how to achieve the
best results.
The grain direction should always be head to tail, this is for the
text block, spine linings, book boards, endpapers, board-lining
papers and so on. The exception can be for books bound
landscape where stiff pages/boards are more important than
ease of opening, here it is acceptable to have the grain
running spine to for edge. Although in this case the grain of
spine linings should still run head to tail. Toodle pip
Past exhibition
ARTBOUND: Bound Art
Featuring 49 national and international artists, this exhibition of
over 60 artworks, many being exhibited for the first time, will
be opened by internationally acclaimed book artist Adele
Outteridge. The term ‘Artists’ Books’ is a genre definition which
is often debated, as it can encompass many styles, mediums
and interpretations, giving this exhibition an exciting variety of
artworks. ARTBOUND includes all works that come under this
banner and are defined by: bound editions of prints or
drawings; altered books; sculptured statements relating to the
book form and/or paper engineering.
http://www.galleryred.net.au/artbound-bound-art-30september/
Issue 3 May - June 2012 17
magazines made into hard cover books.
Can you tell us about your worst book/ binding experience?
Once getting a cover on back to front and occasional wrinkles
in an end paper.
What other interests and hobbies do you have?
Embroidery, tapestry, knitting and much sewing over the years.
I have a doll collection and belong to a doll club. I also work as
a volunteer at the Maritime Museum here in Auckland taking at
least one of the school programmes.
What is your favourite book?
I don't have one favourite but enjoy biographies and
autobiographies.
What is your favourite quote?
Love many, trust few and always paddle your own canoe.
What is your occupation?
I am retired from office work and bringing up a family and
helping with eight grandchildren.
But wait there's more..
Profile:
Jocelyn Windsor, Auckland
In my conversation with Jocelyn I learned some more
interesting things that I think are worth sharing.
Bill Downie had to work hard to convince his employers that he
should be permitted to train the public. Up until 1983 ATI had
only trained apprentices but their numbers were dwindling.
How long have you been an ABC member?
Jocelyn said that English born Bill was a wonderful teacher
I was a founding member of the ABC with John Sansom and
both patient and a perfectionist. She recalled him encouraging
some others. In 1983 I attended Bill Downie's first class of non new students to look and handle everything in the bindery to
apprentices in the bookbinding room at A.T.I. (A.U.T.) As one start with - she was instantly attracted to the books in pieces
of my great grandfathers and his father before him were
and wanted to learn how to put them together!
bookbinders trained in London, England, I had an interest in
Jocelyn also recalled Bill's advice about Bibles, something that
the trade. The younger one came to New Zealand in 1873
she still says to people today "don't ever try to mend a Bible".
when my grandmother was a six week old baby. William
Bill always said to people that they should put an old Bible in a
Franklin worked for several firms before joining the
box and buy a new one. This was because Bill knew that only
Government Printing Office. He was a very capable finisher
and had been promoted to Government Printer but died before very experienced binders should ever attempt Bible work
because of the narrow margins near the spine.
moving to that position.
I would love to be able to visit Jocelyn's home based bindery to
see some of the equipment she told me about. Jocelyn's
Meeting up with other bookbinders and sharing knowledge. I
enjoy the speakers and being able to buy materials suitable for grandchildren have to hold their hands behind their backs if
they want to see her using her guillotine because it has no
good bookbinding.
guard. Jocelyn brought it from a binder who had to sell
How would you describe your skills and experience as a
because he was taking on an apprentice and wasn't permitted
book binder?
to have a guillotine without a safety guard.
I can do basic bookbinding especially casing in and have
She has 3 nipping presses; the largest was found in a garden
equipment and materials necessary for a good finish. I have
and once reassembled was too heavy for one person to lift.
mended lots of books of all sorts and been to workshops on
Her commercial card cutter had to be delivered by a special
restoration. I have a hot printer so can title books when they
truck and she uses scrap steel with handles welded on for
are finished.
weights. Her husband Ken purchased her boards as sheets of
Where could readers see examples of your work?
MDF and has cut them down to size. Lots of Kiwi ingenuity in
Most have been done for other people but we have some of
that household.
Editrix
our own books that have been repaired and also some sets of
What do you most enjoy about being an ABC member?
18 Issue 3 May - June 2 2012
If it is worth collecting it is
worth protecting
by DAVID ASHMAN AND JOHN
SANSOM
Genealogists collect stuff. Lots of paper including:
photographs, documents and books. These collections often
contain unique and rare materials and can be of historic or
monetary value. Paper deteriorates over time. Therefore, it is
worth investing a little more time and resources to protect
these valued assets. Some simple measures can be taken to
help preserve your memorabilia and family treasures.
Photographs
or archival quality “heat set” tissue applied with a tacking iron.
The weakest part of a book is the first and last few sections,
the spine and the joints. Due to frequent opening and closing,
the hinges of a book can fail and the covers may become
detached.
If a book is in poor repair or damaged, wrap it in acid free
tissue and store in cool, dry conditions inside an archival
container, until it is able to be properly repaired. Place a note
inside to record something of the book’s history.
A tatty old book falling to pieces may not receive the respect is
deserves from your grandchildren.
“Tipping In” loose pages
Loose pages can be replaced relatively easily:
If you have them, it is most important to preserve your
negatives. Negatives are the back up for prints that may
become lost or destroyed. Store them in archival sleeves or
acid free envelopes in a cool, dry place. Copies of black and
white prints can be kept in albums or archival sleeves/
envelopes. Coloured prints, generally, will fade more quickly
than black and white or sepia toned prints, therefore they are
best stored out of the light under cool, dry conditions.
•
Certificates and documents
•
It is a good idea to photocopy these onto acid free paper and
then store the originals in archival quality sleeves or
envelopes. Do not use PVC envelopes or enclosures. PVC is
chemically unstable and will emit degradation products that will
harm any material it is in contact with.
•
•
•
Lay the loose page in place and lined up with the fore
edge of the book.
Place a small weight on the page to keep it in place.
Fold the page back and lay a strip of waste paper 3mm
or so back from the spine of the book, with a small
weight in place to keep the page folded.
With a small artists brush (a finger may do as well) run
a line of paste along the exposed strip. Discard the
waste paper.
Fold the page down onto the paste and smooth down
with a clean finger.
Newspaper clippings - brittle paper
News paper yellows quickly with age especially when exposed
to light. Photocopy onto acid free paper. Brittle and fragile
documents should be stored in archival quality enclosures and
kept in cool, dry conditions.
Books
Handle with care, keep out of strong light and store in a cool,
dry atmosphere. A regular schedule of removing dust and
checking for signs of mould and insects should be undertaken.
Old books that are part of your family history need special
care. If allowed to deteriorate they become much more
expensive to repair.
Book 401 - Masters: Book Arts:
Major Works by Leading Artists
ABC now has this book, reviewed in the November December 2011 newsletter in its library. It is one of my most
consulted visual books.
Editrix
This collection in the popular Masters series, offers fielddefining work from 43 master book artists. The selections
demonstrate conceptual, aesthetic, and technical excellence,
as well as incredible beauty. Brief comments from the artists
about their work, careers, and philosophies accompany the
Some old books were printed on good quality paper which
stunning images of their most innovative and technically
could outlast some papers made in the twentieth century.
accomplished book art achievements. It is a full colour
Small tears may be repaired with either paste and repair tissue
production paperback with 330 pages.
NEVER make temporary repairs with self adhesive tape
(Sellotape or masking tape for example). Self adhesive tapes
can dry out in time and fall off leaving behind staining and
translucence that may cause permanent disfigurement. Loose
pages can be replaced by “tipping” them in, see the reverse of
this hand out for how to do it.
Issue 3 May - June 2012 19
catalogued as Loan 74. On 14 July 2011 the British
Library launched a fundraising campaign to buy the
book for £9 million (US$14.3M), and on 17 April 2012
announced that the purchase had been completed and
the book was now British Library Additional MS 89000.
The library plans to display the Gospel for equal
amounts of time in London and Durham. They describe
the manuscript as "the earliest surviving intact
European book and one of the world's most significant
books".
With a page size of only 138 by 92 millimetres
(5.4 × 3.6 in) the St Cuthbert Gospel is one of the
smallest surviving Anglo-Saxon manuscripts. The
essentially undecorated text is the Gospel of John in
Latin, written in a script that has been regarded as a
model of elegant simplicity. Its original red leather
binding survives today.
Ancient gospel saved for
Britain
The St Cuthbert Gospel, also known as the
Stonyhurst Gospel or the St Cuthbert Gospel of St
John, is a 7th-century pocket gospel book, written
in Latin. It was placed in the tomb of Saint Cuthbert
of Lindisfarne, probably a few years after his death
in 687. Its finely decorated leather binding is the
earliest known Western bookbinding to survive, and
both the 94 vellum folios and the binding are in
outstanding condition for a book of this age.
Although it was long regarded as Cuthbert's
personal copy of the Gospel, to which there are
early references, and so a relic of the saint, the
book is now thought to date from shortly after
Cuthbert's death. It was probably a gift from
Monkwearmouth-Jarrow Abbey, where it was
written, intended to be placed in St Cuthbert's coffin
when his remains were placed behind the altar at
Lindisfarne in 698. It presumably remained in the
coffin through its long travels after 875, forced by
Viking invasions, ending at Durham Cathedral. The
book was found inside the coffin and removed in
1104 when the burial was once again moved within
the cathedral. It was kept there with other relics,
and important visitors were able to wear the book in
a leather bag around their necks. It is thought that
after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in England
by Henry VIII between 1536 and 1541, the book
passed to collectors. It was eventually given to
Stonyhurst College, the Jesuit school in Lancashire.
From 1979 it was on long-term loan from the British
province of the Jesuit order to the British Library,
Issue 3 May - June 2012
20
Bookcases as you
have never seen
before. For more
examples check
out the full series
on this website:
http://
www.brainpicking
s.org/index.php/
2009/12/16/
bookshelfdesigninnovation/
Association of Book Crafts (NZ) Inc
Resource Manager:
Management committee
President:
Vice President:
Secretary:
Treasurer:
Assistant Treasurer:
Joe (Megan) Horton
David Ashman
Gaynor Gallagher
Malcolm Grant
Con Anderson
John Sansom, ph (09) 473 6865, email: [email protected]
4 Alnack Place, Auckland 0630
(09) 625 1777
(09) 360 4223
(09) 522 4669
(09) 412 7258
(09) 818 5055
Supplies Manager:
Lynne Fryer, ph (09) 536 6935, email: [email protected]
13 Alexander Avenue, Maraetai Beach, Auckland 2018
Correspondence:
Committee:
Roger Boud
Lynne Fryer
Véronique Lautenslager
Lynne Melton
Terrie Reddish
John Sansom
Jennifer Simpson
Elizabeth Steiner
Harry van der Vossen
Secretary, Flat 3, 11A Orakei Rd. Remuera Auckland 1050
(09) 521 3301
(09) 536-6935
(09) 407 3233
(09) 521 3032
(06) 877 8040
(09) 473 6865
(09) 827 7120
(09) 817 6343
(09) 528 9858
Library Books and Accounts:
Malcolm Grant, Treasurer, Ph (09) 412 7258 email: [email protected]
87 Nelson Road, Taupaki RD 2, Henderson 0782
Home Study:
Robyn Hunt Ph (07) 346-0478 email: [email protected]
P O Box 2211 Rotorua 3040
Editrix:
Terrie Reddish, Ph (06) 877 8040 email: [email protected]
P O Box 28 208, Havelock North 4157
Chapter and group liaison:
Northland
Wellington:
Christchurch:
Veronique Lautenslager
Ken Gordon
Liz Davison
(09) 407 3233
(04) 476 9323
(03) 355 0400
Dunedin:
Central Otago:
Kathleen McCarthy
Robyn van Reenan
Association of Book Crafts (NZ) Incorporated
C/- 4 Alnack Place, Torbay, Auckland 0630, New Zealand
(03) 487-9450
(03) 443 1810