Finished child's drawing book

Done: slightly different from the pink one, though that is the same amount of canvas being used. Tragically I was a bit off the ball today, and missed a sewing hole (because I changed my mind about the pattern after I'd started), and the canvas was a little grubby :(

Maybe I'll like it more tomorrow...

Sketch books 3 and 4

Hopefully the black and grey one will look less lumpy around the binding once I've pressed it for a while. Otherwise, that's all my sketch-book blocks used up (and my patience with the 'strings' for closing them - I have no faith that any of them will last, but sshh!)

2 finished Sketch Books

Sketch-books 1 and 2, finished.

The wider spacing for the sewing on the orange book on the left helps stop the different layers from getting out of line, but I like the closer spacing too - I'll see if I can find another way to make it work. Also, the orange thread is actually multi-coloured, it goes through shades of orange from red to almost white, but it's hard to appreciate it when there is less thread being used.

The bands at the ends close the books, and I think they look well - but are actually a curse to glue in and get right, I mean taut enough to look good but loose enough to be able to slip on and off!

Sketch Book - uh oh!

Getting dark, but it was worth it - canvas cover, book block, and back board are now one! Yay!

Overnight I weighted it down under a mountain of books, which is a good idea in theory to iron out any lumps or bumps....

...But a bad idea if you accidentally turn up a corner as you are putting it away, and it comes out the next morning with a definite crease :(

Also, the binding doesn't look as well at the back, over the board - getting the awl through the 3 different layers may have skewed it slightly and put out the symmetry...I will see if I like it better later!

Child's drawing book Finished :)

One kiddies drawing book, with handle!

The white bit is the secret ingredient - scraps of canvas a friend gave me to find something to do with them. So my idea had been to have canvas covers on front and back, for both the kid's and the sketch books, so people could design their own covers. But in this case the canvas I had just wasn't big enough - as a plan B I did a half 'n half job on it, on both sides...it would probably appeal more to kids this way anyway as it is more colourful, right???

Oh, for those more observant - no these are not hard-back books! It is called Japanese Stab Binding, and is quicker and less messy, as there's literally a single drop of glue involved, than the 'real deal'.

I may try a few hard-back versions...sometime...maybe!

Should I trim the little extra flap from the handle I wonder?