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Big River Bindery

Practicing the Book Arts in the Greater Toronto Area

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What’s Happening in the Shop

We’re working hard and having fun in the shop. See some of what we’ve been doing here.

bigriverbindery

I finished out the week filling the inside of the

I finished out the week filling the inside of the clamshell box cases. You want to fill the empty space and equalize the pull do the adhesive. #bookbinding #clamshellbox #case #boxmaking #bookarts #torontobookarts

Took a break from box making to clean the spine of

Took a break from box making to clean the spine of this book. Used Methylcellulose to soften the original glue and some scraping to make it clean. #bookbinding #bookconservation #bookrepair #cleaningthespine #bookarts #torontobookarts

The clamshell box cases need a strip of bookcloth

The clamshell box cases need a strip of bookcloth to finish the inside before the trays go on. I want them tight to the case so it opens well. #bookbinding #boxmaking #bookarts #torontobookarts

The clamshell covers need the edges turned in. It’s a bit more complicated with larger boxes but the right tools make it quick. #bookbinding #boxmaking #clamshellbox #bookarts #torontobookarts

Building a case or cover for a clamshell box. The

Building a case or cover for a clamshell box. The separate pieces all get attached to the cloth to start. Using a roller with the PVA makes it quick work. #bookbinding #boxmaking #clamshellbox #bookarts #torontobookarts

I had a great day at @gwartzmans teaching the Tunn

I had a great day at @gwartzmans teaching the Tunnel Book. The students worked hard and made some amazing books. A fun Saturday on Spadina! #bookbinding #bookarts #tunnelbook #torontobookarts

Had a great book launch for @e.m._harrison new boo

Had a great book launch for @e.m._harrison new book on Canadian artist publications. It was great having familiar faces and some new ones come celebrate the new book and print a keepsake. Congratulations Elijah. #bookbinding #bookarts #artistsbooks

Today is the last day if the workshop at @american

Today is the last day if the workshop at @americanacademyofbookbinding, so I did some last minute work in the studio. These boards got another layer of paper before resting in the press. #bookbinding #boardlining #bookarts #leatherboundbook

After adding leather hinges to our books, we had t

After adding leather hinges to our books, we had to make sure there’s no puckering or lifting when the board closes. Luckily these joints seem in good shape. Almost done with the books. #bookbinding #leatherboundbook #leatherhinge #bookarts @americanacademyofbookbinding

So much fine tuning in a leather binding. Finding

So much fine tuning in a leather binding. Finding every lump or bump, then scraping it away. We want the finished cover to be smooth and flat when done. It did go much slower than this in real life. #bookbinding #bookarts #leatherboundbook #paringleather @americanacademyofbookbinding

We’re not done with sanding our book yet. After

We’re not done with sanding our book yet. After sanding the spines, we lined the boards front and back so we need to sand the extra off the edges. This takes its time, but comes out so smooth. Back to more sanding. #bookbinding #leatherboundbook #sandingboards #bookarts @americanacademyofbookbinding

We’re on to paring our leather for our books. St

We’re on to paring our leather for our books. Starting with a scharf-fix makes the first cuts quick and easy. #bookbinding #leatherboundbook #paringleather #bookarts

It’s time to sand away the layers of paper on th

It’s time to sand away the layers of paper on the spine. We’re looking for smooth and flat, as it will all show through the leather once applied. #bookbinding #leatherbinding #sanding #paperlayers #bookarts @americanacademyofbookbinding

After lacing on the boards, the cords get frayed o

After lacing on the boards, the cords get frayed out on the inside of the board. Some paste and a tight fit keep the boards on the book for the rest of the steps. #bookbinding #leatherboundbook #lacedboards #bookarts

Last night I laced on the boards on one of my book

Last night I laced on the boards on one of my books. The frayed cords attach the cover boards to the text block before the leather goes on the book. #bookbinding #leatherbook #lacedonboards #bookarts

Sewing is a traditional method for attaching pages

Sewing is a traditional method for attaching pages in books, though the styles and techniques have evolved over time. Join us to sew multiple books using sewing structures ranging from early bindings sewn on leather and cord to 19th-century structures sewn over woven tapes. See the workshop details on our website, link in the bio. #bookbinding #bookarts #sewnbooks #sewingvariations

This afternoon we plowed the edge of our book at @

This afternoon we plowed the edge of our book at @americanacademyofbookbinding. After careful adjusting to keep it square, the process was easy. Such a flat shiny top of the book. While this rests, I’ll work on rounding and backing my next one. #bookbinding #plowing #leatherbinding #bookarts

We’re making good progress on our leather bindin

We’re making good progress on our leather bindings at the @americanacademyofbookbinding in Telluride. There’s no time for relaxing and enjoying the mountains, we have books to make. While my first book is drying, I started sewing this book with raised bands. #bookbinding #bookarts #sewnbook #leatherboundbooks

I’m away from the shop practicing fine leather b

I’m away from the shop practicing fine leather binding at @americanacademyofbookbinding in Telluride, Colorado. It’s nice to carve out some time to learn more skills and practice the ones I know. It’s such an amazing shop. It’s good to be back here. #bookbinding #bookarts #leatherbinding #practicingskills

There’s still time to sign up for my tunnel book

There’s still time to sign up for my tunnel book workshop at @gwartzmans on Saturday, June 21. We’ll spend the day making your own world, folded into a book. See all the details at @gwartzmans or on my bio. #bookarts #bookbinding #tunnelbook #papercrafting

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