Measure twice…..

Many years ago, while living in Canada, I was fortunate to be introduced to the 

Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild. 

(CBBAG - lovingly pronounced Cabbage)

I'm reminded as I work today of the many courses I took there during the five years
I called Toronto home.

I recall at the core, CBBAG was a very serious group. I often sat with librarians, who were there to learn book structure, not really the craft. Sometimes I found it tedious to sit through the lessons, which were detailed and academic.  At the time there were a prescribed set of courses a student had to take in order to advance through the levels.  At the outset of my instruction, I remember that all I really ever wanted to do was learn to make a 'box', best covered in leather.  If I remember correctly, back then, a student had to advance to level 3 before they could enroll in the 'box' class. What I learned by eventually taking the class, was that it was really was a book 'enclosure' class. I learned a lot as I progressed. I'm not sure how much I retained about book structure, but the discipline, patience and appreciation for precision I gained in those courses has stayed with me.

What I learned about the tools and process used in bookbinding has been invaluable. I duplicated the provided tool kit and developed expertise using them over the years.  I found the principles that were taught, not only apply to bookbinding, but to many other creative disciplines. 

Today I was thinking of one final class I took with Betsy Palmer Eldridge, in the basement of her grand old home in downtown Toronto.  I had finally accrued enough credit to enroll in her Leather Bindings course just before I moved back to Michigan.  Betsy is an esteemed Master Bookbinder, in the German Tradition, and VERY serious about teaching her craft.
 I felt, once again, over my head, as I was just there to learn a few things about working with leather…….
and was more than a bit intimidated by her VERY thorough and academic approach to tooling leather for bookbinding.   

But the one thing I learned from Betsy that I recall today as I set about hand stitching the second of two drapery panels for my front window…….

…..that I hold as a cheerful nugget of wisdom….

And I paraphrase……

"50% is about making it perfect 

and

50% is learning how to fix your mistakes"

What a relief!

to know that

(even) she made mistakes, 

(therefore mine were OK)

and that

(in fact)

 mistakes are part of the process

Favorite Tools.........

I had the good fortune to attend what amounted to a few years of workshops at the Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild.......CBBAG.....or fondly 'Cabbage'.........and as we know there is always one morsel of information that is 'worth the price of admission'...........and this was my favorite morsel..........

The Bookbinder's Tool Kit..........

Some of the items, from left to right, 

a knife for slitting folded paper

a basic good 12" metal ruler without a cork back (cork collects carbon from pencils and smudges paper)

Carpet Scissors - angled for odd cuts against a book or box structure

a self made sand paper board made from book board and sandpaper.....for sanding paper and board

various bone folders, both natural and synthetic.....natural bone can be formed to suit task

scalpel.......#3 holder, #11 blade (from medical supply store)......facilitates exact control, stick the blade into a cork to store safely

awls for punching holes and marking measurements

micro spatula for spreading glue in tight spaces

Dividers......better to use than a ruler!

metal angle for accurate squaring

utility knife

white eraser

HB & 3H drafting pencils....for marking and signing work

I made my roll from artist canvas and bias tape, but notice they are now available at Lee Valley Tools

note:  this is the US link, there is another for Canada