I Made It Myself!

By Kate

I’m probably the least “crafty” person I know. I can’t paint. I can’t knit. I can’t scrapbook. (I’m not even sure what that means!)

I tried to throw pots once but all I did was…well, threw pots. Like, across the room. Wet clay went everywhere. What a mess.

I used to sew but I don’t do that anymore. I can’t even bake a pie.

So when I sat down and tried to come up with a hook for a new mystery series, I knew it couldn’t be anything to do with crafts.

I was a craft-free zone.

Or so I thought. But then I remembered that I was actually good at making something crafty. Just one thing.

I used to make books. Yes, make books. Anyone can write a book, but make a book? Ha!

When I was a little girl, I used to make books all the time. I’d collect the cardboard inserts from my father’s laundered shirts, then cut them up, line them up with paper and punch holes, and tie it up with a pretty ribbon. I’d draw a picture on the outside cover, then give it to my mom or my grandmother or a girlfriend. I’m sure they rolled their eyes as I walked away. They were probably wondering where the story was, but my work was done. I just made the book. Someone else could write the story!

Years later, I’d recall those rustic bookbinding skills and used them as a basis for selling my mystery series based on a bookbinder as the protagonist. Coincidence or destiny? You be the judge!

These are photos of some of the books I've made and a bit of the process involved.

Each of these books represents a different bookbinding technique.

This flowery cloth is unusual, and the threads used to sew the paper to the cover are braided to create a natural bookmark.




These linen strips are sewn to the pages and keep them all together. Then the strips are stuck under the endpapers and glued to the book itself.



So that's my craft. What's yours? I know there are lots of other amazingly crafty people here in the Lair, so tell me about the arts and crafts you love. Any knitters out there? How about that scrapbooking thing? Or crochet? Photography? Painting? Tell us what gets you crafty. I’ve got a $15 Amazon gift certificate to give away to one random commenter today! Source URL: http://extravagancedeplumes.blogspot.com/2008/09/i-made-it-myself.html
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