Friday, April 12, 2013

On My Bookshelf



This week's book is one of my favorite new books that has been recently added to my collection--At Home with Handmade Books by Erin Zamrzla. As the sub-title indicates, there 28 easy and accessible projects for all levels of bookbinders or those who are interested in learning basic bookbinding.

By being easy, please don't be fooled about the outcomes being amateurish. These are traditional bookbinding techniques that are explained in a clear, deliberate and concise manner. The illustrations and instructions are superb.

The book is divided into three sections: A gallery of all of the projects; a discussion of basic bookbinding techniques, terms, and materials; and detailed instructions.

There are two overall bookbinding styles here: accordion books and Japanese Stab Bindings with variations on each style. This is probably one of the most accessible treatments of Japanese Stab Bindings and I highly recommend it.

I have always been a fan of the accordion book and the image below shows how a simple accordion binding can turn a travel photo album into memorable wall art.


p19. At Home with Handmade Books
by Erin Zamrzla

I highly, highly, highly recommend this beautiful book and would recommend it to anyone interested in bookbinding or beginning bookbinding. This book would be a great introduction to the great craft and art of making books.


Full Disclosure: Neither Amazon.com nor the author have provided any compensation for this review. This book was purchased online without a personal perusal before purchase.

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