A Book a Day? What's Up With That?


Hi, and welcome to this year-long project. So what's this all about and how did it happen, you might ask. In mid 2007, artist Noah Scalin decided to make a skull out of anything he could find, every day for a year. It stretched him in ways he never imagined, as an artist, a writer and a person. His experience turned into a blog that went viral, and then a book.

Others have picked up on the idea: 365 Hearts, 365 Masks, 365 Bears drawn on a cellphone, 365 paper napkin mustaches.
I wanted to play, too, and I chose books. I love books, I know a bit about making books (thanks to my talented book-maker sister, Marilyn Worrix), and they're broad enough in definition to give me a lot of creative leeway.

The whole point is not really the books. The idea is to stretch myself in many ways as an artist and a person, to set up a discipline, stick with it and see what that teaches me.

I hope you'll join with me and follow along on the journey chronicled here, and let me know what you think.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Book 315 - There's a Wocket in My Pocket - Recycled/Upcycled Dr. Seuss Book as Journal/Blank Book - Single-Needle Coptic Stitch Binding

Don't you just love Dr, Seuss? I have always done so. That's why whenever I see a Dr. Seuss book with a cover in decent condition in the Goodwill bins, I grab it. This recycled Dr. Seuss book journal has a fun, bright yellow cover and the typical Dr. Seuss illustrations.

I cut the spine and took out the book block (I'll probably use some of the other delightful illustrations in another project). I bound the cut edges of the covers with some fun green-and-gold diamond checked washi tape. I used the same to bind the spine cut edges and also used it on the folds of some of the signatures to form a pattern on the visible spine.

After punching all the holes for the sewing stations, I bound the book with a single-need coptic stitch or chain stitch binding with bright yellow cotton thread.

SIDE NOTE: I've found a great and inexpensive source for usable binding thread in lots of colors. Check out the craft aisle at your local Wal-Mart and go to where they have the children's crafts. Look for the cord/thread they sell for girls to make friendship bracelets. It's 100% cotton, comes in lots of bright colors and is quite strong and not stretchy. If you run it through a lump of beeswax or a candle before stitching, it works beautifully.

I like way the washi tape and the yellow thread worked on this one to make a nice pattern on the spine.





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2 comments:

  1. RitaJanuary 5, 2012 at 10:52 AM

    I also love Dr. Seuss books! This is so cute! I hope you can find some uses for the inside pages. :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lucia SasakiJanuary 5, 2012 at 1:17 PM

    Hi Donna it's wonderful seeing your updatings, I loved specially this one and you are right telling us that the yellow thread combined with the recycled cover. Your blog is marvelous.

    ReplyDelete

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