Dear Everyone ~
I have just completed a 32-signature buttonhole-stitch
book for the admirable & admiring Virginia from Utah.
I’ve written about Virginia’s bookish enthusiasms
previously—you may remember her as the student who
flew to Chicago in the heat of last summer for
a whirlwind workshop weekend.
This is the third of these books that I’ve made,
and the thrill is not diminishing one iota.
My original commission back in 2016 was from
a gentleman celebrating his first wedding anniversary,
which is “paper”. His wife is an artist, and he thought that
a book where paper is the star would be a perfect
gift for her. We decided on the buttonhole-stitch binding
so that all of the colours would be part of the spine.
I was slightly trepidacious about the orignal project,
for two reasons. It was the the first time I’d made a
buttonhole-stitch book larger than 4 x 5 x 1. And
the Moriki is much lighter than a text-weight paper.
It is strong but feels like gossamer.
Well, the book turned out so well, that I had to make
one for myself as well! I used to think of it as the shop mascot.
It felt so grand to hold in my hand, and all the
signatures lined up so beautifully. There was something
magnificent about its presence. Many customers were curious
about it, so I put up a little sign encouraging anyone
with very clean hands to pick it up and pet it.
I put the book in my online shop, where it rested
comfortably for quite awhile … until a longtime customer
(and workshop student) bought it. Unbeknownst to me,
Virginia had been eyeing it, and although she was pleased
for me that the book had sold, she suffered a bit of
non-buyer’s remorse. Several weeks later,
she placed her commission. She told me:
“ I have no idea what I will actually use it for.
It is just something that called to me. I think
it was the sheer glory of all the different colours
with deckled edges bound into a big book.
I may use it for block printing with some
writing in it as well. ”
A full sheet of Moriki measures 25 x 38, with a
deckle on all four sides. I can fold the entire sheet
down into a single signature because the paper is so thin.
The signature comes out to be 32 pages, and there are
32 of them in the book, two each of 16 colours.
Virginia is a Japanophile:
“ If I didn't know that it was Japanese paper,
I would say that the texture reminds me of raw silk.
What the colours really evoke are memories of when
we lived in Japan—we were there in the mid-50s.
Most Japanese were still wearing kimonos.
I remember all the colourful festivals—and
many of the children’s songs that we learned. ”
The paper I used for the book’s cover is a wonderful
contrast to the delicacy of the Moriki. It’s made
from Belgian flax, and every sheet is dyed several times
to achieve overlapping fields of colour. It is incredibly strong,
the perfect protective “casing” for a book that
is 3½ inches thick. I asked Virginia if she has a specific
place in mind for her new book, and she replied:
“ I have a spot in our living room next to some
mementos from Japan. At first, I’ll just admire it
and handle it; it will take a little bit for me to move beyond
feeling it’s too precious for me to journal in. Actually—when
I really think about it—it is a little intimidating, but it’s kind
of a challenge and a growth hurdle that I want to step up to. ”
I am looking forward to wrapping Virginia’s book for her.
I have something quite special in mind, but can’t
show you today, because it will be a surprise for Virginia.
In deckled delirium, Bari