Saturday, February 18, 2017

More bookbinding adventures

I haven't made any books in a while (not since I was home last time) but I had this old cookbook that was my great grandmother's on my mom's dad's side. Fun story - did you know my great-grandma used to babysit Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon? Cool, right? And my grandpa (her son) didn't want to play with him because he was too little!


As you can see, it was pretty tattered. This cookbook was published in the 1930's and by all indication was used for decades. (The pages you see here are the blank ones at the back, used for writing in her own recipes.) In addition to writing in many of her own recipes, she collected many from newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, etc, and either pasted them inside or folded them up and stuck them between the pages. I found a newspaper article from 1972 talking about how useful computers were proving to be in police work! It also advertised Cuticura, which is a salve I use in South Africa but can't find here in the States. Instead of removing all these tidbits, I decided to bind them into the book.

This is by no means any kind of professional restoration. I used regular contact paper and packing tape, which probably would turn the pages yellow or something if they weren't already yellow and stained with decades of food splatters. I started by taking the covers off. The binding had fallen off long ago and been replaced with packing tape, which wasn't doing much good at all. Then I cut the signatures apart. A lot of them were still ok - if rather brittle - but the ones at the front and back of the book were falling out and falling apart. I encased them in contact paper and folded them over to create new signatures. I also created new page sections from clipped recipes, index cards, etc by creating "pages" with contact paper - sticking the scraps between two pieces of contact paper and folding them over to create new signatures.  

For the sections where the stitching holes hadn't been ripped out and weren't too badly damaged, I reinforced the folds and edges with contact paper (and sometimes packing tape).

I punched holes in the cover and began sewing everything together. This page has an excellent article on the mechanics of bookbinding.

I used waxed linen thread from Hobby Lobby, and regular needles with holes large enough to accommodate it. I broke several needles!


I cut a strip of leather and bound it to the edge of the book. I unfortunately didn't take photos of this step or any of the stitches but it wasn't too hard. I marked the design on the wrong side of the leather and used an ice pick to poke holes in the leather and the book. Dad has an awl somewhere but I have no idea where!


I was quite happy with the result! The spine is flexible yet sturdy. All of the most fragile pages are pretty securely protected, and most of the pages have contact paper/tape on the edges to keep them from ripping when I flip through the book.


I will still have to be careful with it, but I don't have to keep the whole thing in a Ziploc anymore to keep the pieces all together! Hopefully I will be able to use it for years to come!


I had a bit of leather left, so I made this little thing too:





Wednesday, February 1, 2017

Winter Update

Hey everyone!

Sorry, you haven't heard much from me lately on this blog (besides the occasional crochet pattern). This is mostly because I'm still at home and don't have a whole lot of new things to say.

I'm currently ALMOST 3/4 of the way to my monthly support goal (if you see on the thermometer graphic to the side of this blog). When I hit $1000/month, I am going to book my return ticket to South Africa. I have had a lot of one-time gifts, and I will trust God to bring in the rest when I need it. I have to return for a little while in late April 2018 (next year) to renew my visa, but hopefully that trip doesn't take too long!

As always, if any of you have more questions about monthly support or how it works, don't hesitate to ask...my email is abigailcaple@gmail.com.

I have been doing my best to keep busy at home with visiting friends and speaking at churches, working on my crochet business, and sewing/doing other crafts. Here are some things I have made recently:


Dresses,


dresses, 


and more dresses,


as well as these quilts (no, most of these aren't going back with me...I don't have THAT much space! But the dresses are!)

It's been nice to spend lots of time with people too - my grandma, as she's getting older (and isn't so happy about me moving away...), and friends farther away - I've been blessed to be able to travel some while I've been home.


Making Christmas cookies with my grandma


Cheese!


Visiting a friend with adorable puppies!


She has lots of chickens too. I miss my chickens! I have lost two to snakes (or who knows what) while I've been gone.


And, of course, time in the States wouldn't be complete without frequent trips to the thrift store. No, I didn't buy these beauties! Ha ha!

It was nice to spend the holidays at home. We had Thanksgiving at my aunt's. Isn't this a beautiful table?!


Christmas was fun too, with lots of decorations.




All these nativity sets! Yes, that is one made up of bunnies!



Sweet baby Z is the only one of the babies I left who is still in our care! We have had a new bunch of kiddos come in since I've been gone. He's so big now - he just turned one and has started walking. As you can see he is enjoying his mango - I'm jealous that I'm missing mango season!

So, that is my life here in Ohio - it hasn't been super exciting, but I wanted to write an update so people didn't think this had become entirely a craft blog! ;) Hopefully I will return to South Africa soon so there will be a lot more baby pictures then!