Sollas Bookbinding

Hebridean Tweed Coptic Journals with Handsewn Headbands

Having found the stunning Adabrock Weaving Company Tweeds evocative of Hebridean colours and natural surroundings, I designed a tweed book collection with three book structures which work elegantly with this fabulous fabric. These books are tactile coptic journals with traditional handsewn handbands. The book blocks are made from 170gsm acid-free paper and are interleaved with a sand coloured, beautifully textured Hahnemühle Ingress paper and feature deckled edges throughout which adds to the organic feel of these journals. This style is a firm favourite in my collection of Hebridean inspired books which combine traditional techniques with new design and binding approaches.

Hebridean Tweed and Leather Cross-Structure Journals

For the second book style in my tweed collection, I have adapted the cross structure, a modern binding invented by Spanish bookbinder and conservator Carmencho Arregui, to the materials of leather and tweed. The term ‘cross structure’ refers to the front and back cover material crossing over at the spine resulting in an intriguing yin and yang effect. The 170gsm acid free paper inside is deckled and interleaved with a beautifully textured very light grey Hahnemuehle Ingres pastel paper and has a lovely surface texture that makes it a joy to draw and write on.

Hebridean Tweed Long Stitch Journals

The third tweed book structure is the long stitch which I have adapted from traditional long stitch techniques to the material of tweed. With this style the thread lies around the top and bottom end of the spine gripping into the malleable fabric which adds to the organic feel of the book. The wrap around style gives this book an elegant touch. These journals feature the Hebridean inspired tweed by Adabrock Weaving Company and a 170gsm acid free deckled paper and play an important part in my work which seeks harmony between traditional binding techniques and new approaches and materials.

Rock and Sand Coptic Journals

This is a series of very tactile coptic journals which feature sand from North Uist Beaches and my own rock inspired artist papers. Showing these books side by side reveals the varying shades of sand colour and grain sizes even just within this relatively small islands. The inspiration of these books was to re-create the feel of a beach in the shape of a book. The book blocks are made from 170gsm acid-free paper and are interleaved with a sand coloured, beautifully textured Hahnemühle Ingress paper and feature deckled edges throughout which emphasises the organic feel of these journals.

Barefoot at Clachan Sands - Sand and Rock Buttonhole Book

Buttonhole bindings feature openings in the covers and spine inviting the inside of the book to become part of telling the story of the book. This book features sand from a local beach and my rock inspired artist papers. When I see this book, I see my kids running barefoot over the rocks at Clachan Sands. The sewing that holds the book together shows in parallel lines of sand coloured thread on the spine. The deckled interleaving in pastel blue and sand colour along with the deckled book block adds to its organic and substantial feel.

Orange Rubber Glove - Buttonhole Binding

This is another buttonhole binding which allows for the inside of the book to play a part in the outside design. I am interleaving the book block here with black and orange Hahnenmuehle Ingress paper to echo the vibrant and contrasting colours of the cover. The cover itself features a beach find rubber glove with a rippled texture which adds to the maritime story told by this book as well as a robust recycled leather cloth which emphasises the organic and substantial nature of this binding.

View from Malacleit Beach and Malacleit Beach Beak Marks - Buttonhole Bindings

<br>These two books belong together because they are both inspired by natural phenomena I observed on Malacleit Beach - the blue-silvery morning sky highlighting the black outline of the hills on the horizon and the stunning sight of thousands of beak marks and bird foot prints on the higher beach towards the dunes. I am drawing with book cloth, with the opening in the covers and with the colours of the interleaving of the inner book and with darker shade book cloth inlays. I am also literally drawing bird foot prints with an embossing hot pen.<br>

Plasticos de Galicia - Buttonhole Binding

This buttonhole binding features openings in the front and back covers which are underlaid with an iridescent material which mirrors the colour of the bouy I used for this book cloth frottage technique. I transposed the raised lettering of the bouy onto my white book cloth through rubbing over it with a coloured pencil. There is also an opening at the spine that brings out the coloured interleaving of the book block. This book was inspired by an early morning walk at Grenitote beach where I found this lovely bouy which tells a story of far away places and 'plasticos'.

Fish Net Twin Books

<br>These chunky yet elegant twin books are covered in beautifully tactile light and dark charcoal book cloth with flotsam & handmade hemp fishing net on both front and back cover and a charcoal, black and light grey patterned artist paper from my rock-series. The end papers are a textured sand coloured Hahnemuehle Ingres paper. The book blocks are made from an acid free paper, 170gsm. These books tell the story of the fragments of human activity we leave behind on the beach.<br>