Dear Everyone ~
I’ve been making books covered with Serizawa & Nishijimi calendar pages since the winter of 2018. For my first “test book,” I used a vintage Serizawa page from March 1962, that was gifted to me by Alyson, my postal muse. As it happened, 1962 “matched” 2018 in terms of days of the week and dates of the month.
I have now made umpteen books with Serizawa and Nishijimi covers, having acquired a veritable trove of 1962 Serizawa calendars and a couple of years of Nishijimis from another dear friend. You can read about my delirium over my Season of Serizawas here. I have since made books using the Buttonhole-stitch, Long-stitch, Soft-cover Coptic stitch, and most recently the Butterfly-stitch.
And now, I am delighted to offer my first DIY (design it yourself) collection of Serizawa & Nishijimi books! I am presenting a binder’s dozen (13!) calendar pages from which to choose for your book cover. And thanks to some fresh functionality on my website, you can then choose from two different binding styles: a Buttonhole-stitch or a Long-stitch. As you will see, the double drop-down menu is a new cause for double happiness. And once you’ve placed your order, I will e you promptly with a photo of your thread colour options. There is always more than one colour that suits, and you can consider whether to complement, contrast, or coordinate.
Last year, I received inquiries from several customers about calendar pages for a specific month, or theme, or colour…and their requests are my inspiration for this limited-edition collection.
Some months ago, Michelle in Houston responded enthusiastically to a book I had posted on Instagram. That book was already spoken for, so I offered to email her photos of a few other calendar pages. While we were e-communing, she mentioned that she would like toned paper pages, so I immediately mailed her some paper swatches. She selected three colours, as you view here.
In the process, Michelle sent me a charming email:
“ I remember being in a cathedral and wishing I could get a picture of the ceiling, but it wasn’t working out. I thought that drawing it would have been perfect, even though my drawings likely would not have been as beautiful as photos. Haha! I wanted to have a landscape oriented sketchbook so I could draw panoramas across two adjacent pages. Or, I could just use one page per illustration and have a more standard proportion when I want. When I start traveling again, I will use my sketchbook as a journal, with a written log, and as a scrapbook for small keepsakes, as well as my en plein air drawings & paintings. ”
Meanwhile, back in the Midwest, Pamela in Richmond (Indiana) had her eye on a Nishijimi calendar book online but it was scooped up/out from under her! This passing disappointment prompted her recent commission for two books as birthday gifts-to-self, one Buttonhole-stitch & one Long-stitch, using a March Serizawa & a March Nishijimi. She has chosen soft white Hahnemuhle Bugra paper for her pages in both books.
Ordering her pair of books set Pamela to reminiscing:
“ When my granddaughter was very young, I would walk her around the neighborhood. I took a notepad, and we would draw flowers, squirrels, and birds, writing their names next to the drawings. If only I had had a book created by you to save those drawings.”
“ The first book I purchased from you is covered in ‘Japanese mountains’ Katazome. When I received it—as soon as I had removed the bit of washi, the twine, and the mysteriously crisp white tissue— I immediately looked to see if you had signed the book, and you had. I will continue to fill it with drawings and ideas for other artwork & projects. It is now My Idea Book. ”
For years, I had kept the pages from Serizawa calendar portfolios I’d purchased at Aiko’s, and I used them mostly for wrapping or making envelopes. I even wrapped a handful of my first edition of Bundles of Stationery Joy in Serizawas. However, once I began covering books with them, I couldn’t imagine doing anything else with them! I love making books and I love these calendar pages, so this is truly my double happiness stitch-uation!
Spring Serizawa & Nishijimi collection
Springing forward, Bari