A Happy (Bookbinding) Bunny

I have been to a bookbinding class all day - run by Anna Yevtuka who is highly organised. So we not only made a book using the Secret Belgian Binding but did a surprise at the end. First though the name. The binding is clearly a relative of Coptic binding and dates from the early Middle Ages. It was very popular in Flanders, hence the Belgian. The Secret is that the method got lost until someone recently decided to investigate and worked out how it was done. 

The cover is made in three pieces, front, back and spine. Holes, like a Coptic binding, are punched into the covers and the three parts sewn together. Note that there is no text block in the photo above. You then lace the text block into the covers.

 

The chief difference is that the spine is now protected which it is not in a Coptic Book. The covers are of paste paper made by the tutor but we started the day by making paste papers of our own. These were not dry enough to use for this binding but they were by what should have been the end of the day and I used one to cover a Reverse Stab Binding.

This is it with my paste paper on the covers.

And this shows the inside. The stab binding/Japanese style I have always used has the hinge near the spine but on the outside with the stitching showing. This Reverse Binding has the hinge actually on the spine and the stitching is inside. I can see that this will be a real asset. Don't be surprised to see samples very soon.

So as I said, a very happy bunny.