DIY Type Cabinet

I have been tired of this pile of plastic boxes that house my lead type for my KwikPrint hot stamping machine for a long time.  No one box holds an entire font and the plastic is not aesthetically pleasing. I

have priced type cases on Etsy and eBay and didn't want to pay $175 and up for a wooden box.  When  I found this affordable steel utility case I knew I could turn it into the type case I wanted.

Three of the four drawers had metal 3"x3" dividers.  However, I needed a lot more sections than 12 per drawer.

So I cut up some strips of Davey Board and created a box to place in the drawer with 35 sections. 

This allows me to fit a whole type font, spacers and punctuation per drawer. It was no easy task to cut and glue the row dividers but it was worth the effort.

Not only is the case more functional than the plastic boxes but the industrial look of my DIY type case also looks much better with my machine!

Turning Fabric Into Bookcloth

High quality paper backed bookcloth is a cinch to make at home with a few basic supplies.  Virtually any cloth will do.  In this example I am using Japanese linen fabric I purchased at Britex Fabrics on a recent trip to SanFrancisco. 

The fabric needs a lining because the weave of most cloth would allow too much adhesive to seep through when covering boards. I use a heavyweight Japanese paper like Okawara to line the fabric and a wheat starch paste such as Zen Shofu to attach the lining to the fabric. Cut out your fabric and a piece of Japanese paper the same size as the fabric.

Place the Japanese paper on a piece of waste paper and liberally apply the wheat starch paste in a star pattern starting at the center of the paper and moving out to the edges.

Drape the fabric onto the pasted out Japanese paper and smooth out from the center outwards.  Do not overzealously rub down the fabric as that could cause distortion to the fabric pattern.

Finally place the newly lined fabric between Hollytex (a non-wover polyester) and blotter and weight with a piece of plexi glass. The "drying sandwich" should be blotter, Hollytex, fabric, Hollytex, Blotter.   If you are not a conservator and these materials are not lying around your house you can sandwich the fabric between pieces of wax paper.  The dry time will just be longer. 

After drying over night the bookcloth can be used for full cloth bindings!

Olivetti Lettera 32

It's that time of year when I should be telling you about new products and holiday craft fairs.  However, I've recently purchased an Olivetti Lettera 32 so I'll talk about that instead! The Lettera 32 was produced by Olivetti, the Italian typewriter firm, from 1963-1977.  My serial number is relatively low (2294387) so my guess is this is a 1963 model.

Close-up of the Olivetti Logo 

Carriage Return Lever

I love the design elements on this machine.  It was designed by legendary Olivetti designer Marcello Nizzoli as a follow-up to the Lettera 22.

I like that this particular machine was made in the original Ivrea factory at the foot of the Alps.

I found this 1962 exhibition catalog at work, "Stille Olivetti:  Gescichte und Formen einer Italienischen Industrie" with this stunning photograph of the Ivrea factory.

It types like a dream.  Purchase something from Moonlight Bindery and you just might receive a typed thank you note!

Analog

As a furloughed Fed I found myself with ample spare time to explore the Arts Walk at Monroe Street Market specifically a new shop called Analog. Monroe Street is located in the Brookland neighborhood of Washington, D.C. across the street from Catholic University.

Melissa hard at work

Analog is the brain child of Melissa of Craftgasm and Lisa of Beltway Vintage. The shop has a great look and feel and lots of unique items for sale. The space is Melissa and Lisa's studio and retail shop.  Monday through Wednesday they work in the studio and Thursday through Sunday the retail shop is open for business.

Fashion magazines, postcard notebooks & vintage treasures

Analog is decorated with vintage furniture and luggage as well as Melissa's maps.  The feel is funky and fun. The shop also carries some great alternative fashion magazines including the local Lurie & Wilma "an eco-chic lifestyle publication" and Worn, a Canadian magazine that offers in depth articles on the history of fashion.

The librarian side of me was very fond of these library card notecards as well as the card catalog display shelf!

My Purchases

I came away with a fabulous vintage dress, issues of Luri & Wilma and Worn, library card notecards and an array of Girl Scout merit badges. I will definitely be back for some holiday shopping!

Screen Printing Bookcloth

This year I've concentrated on product expansion. For years I've screenprinted (specifically Gocco printed) onto notebooks and cards. I thought why not bookcloth?

Step one is burning the screen.  I chose a new image for my first experiment in printing cloth, this hedgehog print. Here is the Gocco screen ready to go.

The bound books are too thick to fit into the Gocco press so I print on the cloth and then bind the books after the printing process. You have to leave just the right amount of space to make this work.

Here are some bound examples.  If you place the image too far to the right or left it will be off center on the final product.  Tricky but the results look great.

The screenprinted journals go nicely with my other printed products rounding out the line. 

Paris - The Bookbinder's Tour

These are the bookbinding highlights of my three day trip to Paris in April.  Yes, I did the usual things and saw the sights you have to see when in Paris but I also had a chance to enjoy the bookbinding side of the city.  First stop, The Louvre with their exhibit, open through June 11th, Livre/Louvre.  An interesting and interactive look at how reading stimulates the mind.

Next stop, Musée de Cluny, the museum of Medieval Paris.  The highlight of the museum are the Unicorn Tapestries.  However, for a bookbinder, this hand painted fencing book  is a work of art.

On the last day in the city my husband Eric and I visited Relma, the family-owned bookbinding supply company.  They have a huge selection of papers, leathers and tools.  I was thrilled to discover that they employ a Scottish manager, Alison (on the right), saving me the embarrassment of attempting to order supplies in French. Plus I lived in Scotland many years ago and have a special place in my heart for all things Scottish!

My favorite purchase is this double pass, hand marbled paper.  It was marbled with one pattern, dried and then marbled on top of the first pattern with a second pattern.   I can't wait to make extra special books with this paper.

Last Coptic Class

I tried something new for me this Winter and taught a five week Coptic Bookbinding class. What is coptic binding you might ask? It is an ancient bookbinding technique that was developed in Egypt in the 4th century. The cover is sewn directly onto the signatures of the book and the spine is exposed. The thread becomes a design element in the binding.

Ten students came to class every week for 2 1/2 hours. I was impressed with how quickly they picked up this tricky bookbinding form. Everyone finished at least one book with one student completing six!

This one has covers made from wood veneer with an old book cover printed on the cover.

I like the complimentary bindings in this colorful paper.

All metallics! This dynamic duo took the class as a date night - great idea.

Great colors!

I like the design of the covers on these.