My literature list this month is shorter than ever, it contains one single book:
At Home with Handmade Books. 28 Extraordinary Bookbinding Projects Made from Ordinary and Repurposed Materials by Erin Zamrzla. I quite like this book. It is a little layouted like a journal would be: In has three major parts. In the first 60 pages it looks similar to a gallery book, showing off different ideas and books, always with a page remarked where detailed instructions are to be found. Much like a cooking journal: Recipe on page 73, something like that. The books are all based on Japanese Book Types and is sorted in according sections: Accordion Books, Flutter Books, Four-Hole Binding & Variations, Yamato Binding, Account Books, Ledger Books.
The second part has 40 pages and is called simply Bookbinding Instructions. Here you find basic information about glues, paper, and tools. And you will find information about said Japanese binding styles in generality. Mainly it contains stitching diagrams for different variations of the 4-hole binding. But what I like is that it is a general section.
It is then followed by a third part of 90 pages giving detailed instructions about how to reproduce the books you saw in the first part, including measurements, and where needed templates.
Throughout the book you will see clear graphics and beautiful photos. Following exact instructions is just not my pair of shoes, but I found some of the ideas presented really funny and even pondered trying some of it. And I really like that there is this middle part. So I would recommend it to anyone who would like to explore these bindings a little more.
I’d seen this and wondered about it. Thanks for the review!