A suggested means of Binding Mail Art Books

[cheryl penn]

Sending chapters of a book through the mail means that recipients have to work out how to keep the jolly things together! Here's a suggestion. It involves adding a hinge to received pages that will enable you to glue the hinges together, thereby binding the pages together - let me show you what I mean: (Sorry De Villo - but yours is the one I'm busy with - hope you dont mind!

: Cut a hinge the same length as the gutter of the book
: Fold and nest into pages

Cut a length of binding thread - a strong piece of cotton/linen about three times the length of the hinge.
Make a marker with three equidistant holes - middle (sewing station 1), one end (sewing station 2) the other end (sewing station 3). Make a hole with an awl all the way through the pages (section) and the hinge at these points.

Start sewing on the outside in the middle (station1). From the inside go to station 2.

On the outside insert the needle into sewing station 3.

From the inside go through station 1 and come out on the other side of the beginning of your long stitch.

Tie a knot. The hinge is glued onto the hinge on the previous page.

If the page before/after does not have a hinge, glue directly onto the new section. For example, Jen Stagg's section came bound. The hinge I attached to De Villo's pages would be glued straight onto her page - but not yet!! I am uncertain as to the progression of this work!! The hinge will also allow you to add a page of your own if you feel the book needs a hint/pointer/suggested reading activity for the viewer.
I hope these instructions are clear and haven't confused everyone even further!! Any tips/suggestions by anyone else, please leave comments.

[Marie Wintzer]

That looks great, it's quite hard to suggest something else. I can see why you are a book binding sensei :-)
Are you back?
Have a good weekend!