between the covers

the weather is so beautiful it is difficult to stay inside

the azalea, “Mt. Saint Helens’ has erupted

but work must go on

making a travel journal

using a commercial envelope as a pattern I make small envelopes and stitch them into center pages of 2 or 3 signatures.  They keep those odd scraps of paper safe until you can do something creative with them. I include graph paper and velum pages and sometimes city maps.

a good paper-cutter speeds the process, a gift from a thoughtful son

the covers are bookboard covered with fabric – woven, stitched and dyed with kakishibu

signature covers are  old marine charts alternating with cotton dye samples

I apply a very light, paper-backed double-sided adhesive to the fabric, a light mulberry paper to the other side and then use the fabric just like paper.

evenings, when I’m too tired to do anything else, I spin – silk/cashmere blend spun on the Turkish spindle and plied on the wheel with a gossamer fine reeled silk. You can almost hear the angels singing!