Butterfly Napkin Coptic Stitch Journal

Ok, this is the last handbound book I'll post for awhile (at least a few day, anyway), promise. ;) But, I saved my favorite for last.

This journal is bound exactly the same way as my Blue Paisley Journal. The differences in this one are in the materials used. I used a paper napkin for the front cover, gluing just the single, thin, patterned layer to a piece of white 65# cardstock. Because the napkin wasn't quite big enough for the project, and because the butterfly pattern wasn't exactly continuous when the napkin was unfolded, I didn't glue it flat, but instead tore it into large pieces first, then placed them randomly, letting them overlap and wrinkle for lots of texture. I pressed the prepared napkin between two sheets of wax paper, under heavy weights (large books and divers lead shot weights) until it was dry. This assured that it would dry perfectly flat. Napkins have a nice soft feel to them, but they are extremely fragile, so, once it was completely dry, to protect it, I coated it with a layer of Mod Podge. If you attempt this, let me warn you, as soon as the napkin gets wet from the Mod Podge, it will try to pull apart from the cardstock and tear. Be gentle and take your time! The back cover was covered in a piece of fern patterned paper that paired nicely with the ferns on the napkin. I used a deep yellow 18/3 Irish Linen Thread for the Coptic Stitching.

Here's a look at the inside cover. I love paper with any kind of text on it. I used it on the inside front and back covers. The patterned paper on the right is just one of 10 different patterns I used to wrap each of the 10 signatures.

The fern patterned paper was perfect for the back cover, don't you think?

A major difference in this book and my previous books is the paper I used inside. As you can see from this photo, the pages are brown. They are made of 70# textweight, recycled, acid-free brown bag text paper. And, yes, they feel exactly like a paper bag from the grocery store. Do they even have paper bags in stores anymore? They were always so handy to have around for crafting, and, of course, a necessity at the beginning of every school year when we had to cover all our school books. ;~D  Because this paper is much thicker than 24# paper, I used fewer sheets per signature, giving this book 160 pages. It measures 4-1/8" x 5-1/2" x 1-1/4". I love the rough texture and rich brown color of the writing pages, and while they might seem unusual for a journal, they are a perfect match for the nature-inspired covers.

I hope you have enjoyed my latest bookbinding projects. I'm studying Keith A. Smith's Non-Adhesive Binding Book Series right now, so I hope to be able to share several other bindings with you soon!

~Hugs,

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