Paper and Secret Belgian Binding

I have always loved paper and books. I still do and prefer to feel the paper as I turn pages when I read. I was even a librarian for a while. I have tried over the years to take a paper-making class. Unfortunately, either my schedule conflicted or the class was canceled due to lack of participants. A few months back I saw a small paper making kit at an art store and promptly bought it with the coupon I had. A few weeks ago my husband was unpacking his "war room" (what he calls his office) and came upon some very, very old files. He shredded the documents into 2 big boxes - one he took to the recycling center and one he left at home for me. Then I had no excuses for NOT breaking out the paper-making kit.

It turns out shredded documents have a lot of text that turns the slurry gray. I added some solid colored party napkins to change the color. Below is a photo of the more-fun-to-use-recycled-from-bills paper I made. The sheet on the far right is more chunky and you can see some of the shredded text. I added some glittery bling to a couple of the sheets to add sparkle. I barely made a dent in the box of shredded paper! I also found some other fun additives for paper (sparkly stuff, botanicals, etc.) so I have plenty of options for more to do. It's just finding the time and space to make a wet mess in the process. [You can click on the photos to see a larger image.]



When I saw the Cultural Arts Center offered a Book & Paper Arts Class, I wanted to register but had to wait a year since I had another Monday night class. I have been thoroughly enjoying the class. Each session is 6 to 8 weeks long and goes all year long.

Recently we learned the Secret Belgian Binding. The binding wasn't well known and is supposedly Belgian. Hedi Kyle was the one who examined an old book with the binding and figured out how to do the stitching. It can be a bit challenging at the beginning (holding all the parts together and keeping constant tension) but the pattern is basic.

For the cover, I chose a soft flock with paper backing. I have gotten very tactile lately and love the feel of it. I picked a thread that would show against the cover color since the stitch is interesting and decorative.

One of the nice things about this binding is the book lays flat when open - perfect for journals or other blank books for writing.

For my end sheets, I used some textured wallpaper samples.