Friday 21 January 2011

A Long-Awaited Book

Three years ago, I became aware of a book entitled 'Art Deco and Art Nouveau Book bBnding' By Duncan and de Bartha (ISBN0-8109-1881-1, 1988). What I read about it made me anxious to see it but there were no copies on Amazon.co.uk and one on the US Amazon at a price which translated into £145.00. So I kept an eye on the price. After about a year, there were five or six copies on offer by different booksellers, none less than £80.00. But slowly, slowly, the cost decreased to £40.00 at which point I gave in and bought it. It is fantastic. It is a book to read  and read again.  I can quite see why it was so expensive and it is worth every penny of £145.00.


On the left is one example of a bound book. There are 252 photos of different bookbindings - all French!!!!! The trouble is they are 95% leather inlay which is difficult  and I have no hope of remotely emulating but I can still sigh over the photos.








This is a photo (rather poor) of an acrylic painting by Michael of Abigail who is our great-niece. 


He is now working on a set of paintings and drawings of morning glories for a book which I intend to submit to a local exhibition in March. I have collected together a lot of haiku about morning glories and will create a book with a Japanese binding from all this material.





On the weaving front, I have warped up and started a scarf in Atwater-Bronson lace or to be precise, I am weaving a sample for the Guild records first. I have also wound a warp for the concertina double weave book.

I did go to my Bourneville class this morning and am manufacturing little individual motifs to attach to a bigger item. But I had to rush back as Michael went to hospital this afternoon to have a transfusion of some fancy chemical.

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I am weaver and - -. I dye my yarns with acid dyes, I paint my warps, put fabric collages and stencils on my weaving. I have three looms, a 12 inch wide, 12 shaft Meyer for demos and courses, a 30 inch Louet Kombo which is nominally portable but has a stand, two extra beams and a home-made device containing a fan reed. And last a 32 shaft Louet Megado which is computer controlled, has a sectional warp and a second warp beam and I am the proud owner of an AVL warping wheel which I love to bits and started by drilling holes in. I inserted a device for putting a cross in. I have just acquired an inkle loom and had a lesson from an expert so I can watch TV and weave at the same time. I am interested in weaving with silk mostly 60/2 although I do quite a bit with 90/2 silk. I also count myself as a bookbinder with a special interest in Coptic binding.