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Here is my second foray into leatherbound bookbinding. It was more efficient than the first attempt, and informs what practices to continue in future books.

I stitched the spine using twine again, but unlike the first time, I tied the twine in place. Since I don’t have a sewing frame, I made do with a stepladder, which provided the top and bottom rails to hold the twine in place. From there, sewing the signatures was easy. I even stitched my own headbands for this book.

I chose this leather because of the colour and texture. It’s butter-soft and very pleasant under the fingers. After attaching the cover boards via the twine, and gluing and rounding the spine, I glued the leather to it. I embossed the front cover to make it more clear where the front of the book is.

This book is 280 pages of lined cream Strathmore paper with an imprint of birds on the bottom outside corners of the spread. It’s hefty, but not too heavy.

I love the texture that the embossing on the front gives this book, and I hope to do fancier covers in the future as well. Every book is a beloved creation, but also a learning experience.