Take a seat...The Little Book of Chairs

It's been a long time since I posted a blog.  A long list of excuses covering everything from bereavement to redundancy and mid-life crisis could be legitimately used to explain my absence, but rather than bore you with the details, I'll simply ask you to accept my apologies, and sit back and relax to enjoy the latest posting, which looks at my latest project - on the theme of...chairs.

I'm no antiques expert, but I've always loved those old-fashioned, button-back chairs in leather or velvet.  To me, they are like works of art, extolling the virtues of craftsmanship and skill belonging to another age.

Partly inspired by a similar chair, which takes pride of place in our living room, and partly inspired by some wonderful black and white illustrations found on the 'Graphics Fairy' website, I decided to create a memento dedicated to the beauty of the button back chair in the form of an accordion picture book.

I wanted to convey the sumptuousness and elegance of this style of seating, and originally, had plans to house the book in a mock, padded chair-type structure.  I even created a padded piece covered in leather and upholstery tacks, but wasn't overly keen on the effect.

As so often happens during the creative process, the original ideas don't always materialise in the way that they appear in your mind.  I'd bought some beautiful covering paper from a bookbinders in Halifax a few years ago, which had a mottled, wood-effect design, and with this in mind, I made a small slipcase in which to house the concertina and covered it with the paper.  I kind of liked it as it was and decided against any more additional touches.

Thanks for reading.  Until next time, bye for now!
x

Longstitch binding

It was with some trepidation that I recently had a go at long stitch binding, my previous attempts some years ago having been far from satisfactory.  I must credit the fabulous 'Mini Book Necklaces and Keychains Tutorial' on the 'Art by Wendy' blog and 'Altered Alchemy' for providing the inspiration for my creations.  Their beautiful work encouraged me to have a go, and having some small leather samples to use up, I had another attempt. 

As you probably know, long stitch binding differs from traditional bookbinding in that the stitching is sewn directly through the covering material, leaving the (hopefully) beautifully neat stitches exposed on the spine.  Popular in the middle ages, the method has enjoyed something of a resurgence in recent years, and I'm starting to appreciate why.  It's a reasonably simple binding, requiring very few tools, and you can see the results fairly quickly.  It's also surprisingly versatile, with many variations of the style available.

Miniature leather longstitch binding

My own version uses the long stitch and chain stitch combination, but there are many different styles, often much more complex and detailed.  There are also many different closure mechanisms, ranging from leather cord to buttons.  My own version, I have to confess, was taken from the 'Art by Wendy' tutorial (sorry Wendy!), but I loved it so much, and it was perfect for a long stitch binding of this size (ie. miniature).  Attached to the covers were some beautiful filigree style embellishments from The Funky Aardvark in Chester.

The popularity of the long stitch binding is evident in the number of Etsy sellers producing remarkable work in this style.  There were too many to mention here, so I've whittled my selection down to the following beautiful examples:

This leather journal sketchbook by absolutelyevo demonstrates how beautiful the stitching can look.  The closure mechanism is a leather wrap closure.  Stunning work.

I love the stitching on this LongLink Bound Leather Notebook by ipiccolilibri which features a brown leather long as a closure mechanism.

 I love the clasp closing mechanism on this Embossed Leather Journal by Coco's Creations.  Beautiful leather and stitching too.






If anyone fancies having a go at long stitch binding, I found these online tutorials very helpful:

Sew Technicolor: Handbound (Faux Leather) Journal Tutorial

YouTube: Medieval limp binding

YouTube: Simple Bookbinding
 

Until next time, thanks for reading.  Have a great week!