by Susan Green April 28, 2020
I love cotton rag paper - aka khadi paper - don't you? It's so tactile, a real pleasure to handle and so pleasing to look at. Plus, it really makes your artwork look amazing! Cotton rag paper is handmade, so no two pages are exactly the same, and it has attractive deckle edges because it's made in a mould.
And the icing on the cake, for me, is that it's environmentally sustainable - it's made from recycled textile manufacturing waste (e.g. t-shirt offcuts) that would otherwise end up in landfill. But that's not all - it's also fairtrade so you know the people who made it are fairly treated and given a decent wage. Win, win, win!
The cotton rag paper in my sketchbooks is strong and sized for extra wet strength. So you can use it for watercolour and ink, as well as dry mediums like the Graphitint pencils I used in the image at the top of this blog post. Oh, and have you tried stitching into paper? Scroll down for inspiration!
These cotton rag sketchbooks are stitched in the traditional Japanese Hemp Leaf pattern
These sketchbooks are held closed with a linen ribbon. Like cotton rag paper, linen is an eco-friendly material.
I recently began experimenting with stitching into my cotton rag sketchbook. It works really well!
These concertinas are stitched at their centre page, each 'arm' extends outwards and folds in when you've finished using it.
From watercolour to ink and pencil, collage to stitching, cotton rag paper is great artist's medium. I'm almost always thinking of new ways I can put it to use, so why not sign up to my newsletter so you know when new styles are released?
You can find my full range of Artist's Sketchbooks here, from paperback cotton rag paperbacks, to watercolour sketchbooks with leather covers and vegan sketchbooks bound in cork.
Happy making, drawing, painting and stitching, everyone!
Susan x
info@boundbyhand.co.uk
+44 (0)77548 759371
P.S. You might also enjoy reading Eco-Friendly Handmade Books
by Susan Green November 06, 2020
by Susan Green October 30, 2020
If you live near Wimborne, Dorset you can now collect your handmade book and save on delivery charges.
by Susan Green September 30, 2020
Mini Leather Journals are back in old favourite colourways! Here are 10 Mini Journal gift ideas for national holidays and personal celebrations, all inspired by the feedback the Minis have received over the years.
Use this Size Guide to check the dimensions of the books you're considering purchasing (dimensions are external and refer to the closed book unless otherwise indicated). If you'd like some guidance with selecting the correct size, feel free to contact Susan the bookbinder: email info@boundbyhand.co.uk or call +44 (0)7748 759371
SIZE | HEIGHT | WIDTH | DEPTH |
A4 Large Portrait | 12 inches or 305 mm | 8.5 inches or 215 mm | 1.5 inches or 38 mm |
A4 Large Landscape | 8.5 inches or 215 mm | 12 inches or 305 mm | 1.5 inches or 38 mm |
A5 Medium Landscape | 6 inches or 155 mm | 8.5 inches or 215 mm | 1.5 inches or 38 mm |
A5 Medium Portrait | 8.5 inches or 215 mm | 6 inches or 155 mm | 1.5 inches or 35 mm |
A6 Small Landscape | 4.5 inches or 114 mm | 6 inches or 155 mm | 1 inch or 25 mm |
A6 Small Portrait | 6 inches or 155 mm | 4.5 inches or 114 mm | 1 inch or 25 mm |
One Size | 3 inches or 76 mm | 2.25 inches or 60 mm | 20 mm or 0.75 inches |
A4 Large | 297 mm or 11.5 inches approx. | 205 mm or 8 inches approx. | 64 pages |
A5 Medium | 210 mm or 8.25 inches approx. | 145 mm or 5.75 inches approx. | 56 pages |
A6 Small | 150 mm or 6 inches approx. | 100 mm or 4 inches approx. | 48 pages |
A7 Pocket | 106 mm or 4.25 inches approx. | 72 mm or 2.75 inches approx. | 40 pages |
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Susan Green
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