When I uploaded images of my own sketchbook to the Wabi Sabi page of my online shop as an example of what could be done with the versatile 210gsm handmade paper, I hoped they'd reassure and inspire creatives that this sketchbook would meet their needs. Gouache and graphite pencil swatches, ink, embroidery - look, how versatile this sketchbook is!
I'm a maker, a craftswoman, a bookbinder. But I am no artist, I simply enjoy using my sketchbook for fun. I never plan. I explore as I go. So, you can imagine that I never anticipated I'd be asked to create something similar for a customer! But an insightful lady called Karen saw those examples and thought a sketchbook with a few similarly treated pages would make a refreshing gift for her artist friend. She requested some pages with embroidery stitching, and others with colour swatches. I had to double check I'd understood her request, that's how little I believed someone would want a recreation of my own creative play. Once we'd established we were both on the same page, how could I say no?
Planning design of embroidered double page spread with my ReMarkable.
This time, I did plan. I sketched out ideas using my digital pen and paper then set to work with three colours of cotton floss - ochre, russet and green - chosen to go well with the natural colour of the paper, and also the Forest Green velvet ribbon this lady had chosen for her Sketchbook. I combined colonial knots, couching, feather, herringbone, smyrna and running stitches over a double page spread, with ideas of way-finding and ancient landscape boundary markers on my mind.
The stitches serve as visual and tactile prompts, with space between for the artist to make a response, if they wish. I'll be honest, it was a bit nerve-wracking. But I'm pleased to say the work was well received:
"A surprise of colour and texture among the plain. The book was a perfect gift." - Karen.
You can see that I added discreet back stitches at the centre of the right and left leaves to attach them to the ones facing them. This was to protect the back of the work from being snagged during future use, and also to provide a seamless transition from blank pages to sewn pages.
I had toyed with the idea of glueing, stitching or using knots to attach the four corners of the leaves. However, I wanted the recipient of this gift to be able to lift the corner of each page to see the back of the stitching. I chose this method not only because I dislike using glue in any of my work - it's why I specialise in limp, sewn bindings - but also because I wanted the artist to be able to peek at the back of the work if they so chose.
The Arts and Crafts maker, designer and writer William Morris - a great hero of mine - learned to make tapestries by unpicking stitches to see how they were made. Whilst I hope my stitches won't be unpicked, I had Morris' methods in mind when I decided to make the back of the stitching partly visible to the curious viewer.
And making visible what is usually hidden, and partly hiding what could be visible, are themes I enjoy exploring in my work. That's why the Wabi Sabi Sketchbooks are designed as they are; they take a binding method usually reserved for cased-in (covered) books and make it a feature of an exposed spine style - you can see what I mean in this image:
Are you now feeling encouraged to try embroidery stitching on paper, perhaps in your own Wabi Sabi Sketchbook? Although I stitched the pages for this bespoke commission before binding the book, it is possible and practical to stitch through pages in an already bound book - and that's how I do it in my own sketchbook. Here are some tips to help you get started:
1. For the neatest finish, I recommend piercing a hole for each stitch from the top surface of the page, rather than pushing up from the underside. You only need to pierce one stitch ahead, don't feel you need to make an elaborate plan for the entire page.
2. Get comfortable! To begin, I simply used the needle I was stitching with to pierce holes, but after a while my finger got very sore, so I embedded another needle of the same size into a champagne cork I'd saved from my 15 year anniversary studio celebrations and used that, instead. I'm sure a rubber (eraser) would work equally well.
3. Leave a few millimetres between each stitch, and choose your stitches accordingly, as the last thing you want is for your stitches to tear through the paper. For this reason, seed stitch and other tiny stitches may not be suitable.
4. Consider the weight and type of paper; the 210gsm paper in my sketchbooks takes stitching well because it's handmade and so the fibres overlay each other to create a very robust surface. I believe this makes tearing less likely.
If your imagination is fired and you or a creative you know would thrive on responding to an art journal with prompts, you can commission me to create something similar, yet uniquely yours. Embroidery adds a wonderfully tactile, 3D element, as would paper / textile collage. You can find out how to order enhanced pages here, or just get in touch with me for a no-obligation discussion.
Let me know what you think of this project in the comments below. And have you tried stitching on cotton rag paper - would you like to share your tips?
Susan Green
contact form | info@boundbyhand.co.uk | +44 (0)7748 759371
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