Bookbinding Portfolio
I am honored to engage in binding works of art for others: taking their written words and music, their pieces of art on paper, or even an empty page for their imaginings, and crafting them into a physical, beautiful reflection of their intentions.
Here are examples of some of my previous creations.
The Rook Book
Originally titled Wishing. This book arose from a mistake, actually—or as Antonio Machado might call it, a “marvelous error.” It started with a piece of leather that I accidentally got some spots of leather conditioner on (they became the areas traced by the brown and yellow lines), and then after that, a corvid decided it wanted to land on the cover.
Embroidered. Goat leather for onlays and cover. Bookcloth covered custom box.
a sabbatical journal
A friend of mine was going on sabbatical, and I offered to make her a blank journal. Transitional periods like these in our lives deserve beautiful bindings to house our thoughts, whatever may arise. Hours of detailed sewing, infused with well-wishes for the intended recipient.
Embroidered linen book cloth with a purple to magenta gradient. Suede-style endsheets. Springback, lay flat style binding.
Atlas of Remote Islands:
an opera libretto and score
A two-book set of an opera libretto and the full score for Atlas of Remote Islands, an opera based on the book of the same title. Commissioned as a gift for his husband (the opera librettist). The libretto book features maps of each island created with open-source software and fold out maps of each ocean.
Embroidered goat leather for onlays and cover. Double clamshell bookcloth covered custom box.
a sacred rattle box
Custom box covered in handmade paper from Mexico. Undyed wool base lining for protection.
Frequencies
I made this book on the chakras for myself in a tall format, a design I’ve recently found to be quite satisfying to create. The design evolved as it was being created, with additional circles embroidered until a “finished” look was achieved.
Embroidery and metallic paint on goat leather. Blue paper pages.
Positive Interference
A book describing the way in which the electromagnetic field of the heart can interact with plants to gain greater understanding of them, represented by the meeting of the veins and the roots on the spine of the book. Custom endbands stitched to align with the two main sections of the book, in red and blue.
Hand embroidery on goat leather. Green painted page edges.
Moo!
So many stitches… grass might actually grow faster than it took to embroider all the details for this book. A fun mystery text involving a bull, with a fun cover to match. Springback lay flat binding, to allow for an easier reading experience.
Hand embroidered Asian water buffalo leather for onlays and cover.
Japanese pine motif book
Modeled after a traditional Japanese woodblock print used on paper walls. (Does the pine motif with the lines remind you of the moon with clouds, like it does me?).
Embroidered light green Asian water buffalo leather. White sayagata motif - mostly visible on the back cover, printed with a linoleum carved block using gouache paint mixed with silver metallic powder, to mimic the mica that was used in the original print.
Elements of Control
In my work in sustainability, I was contemplating the ways in which humans attempt to control nature (with varying outcomes). With this book, I explored the idea of letting a natural feature of the material—in this case, the grain of the leather—influence the design, rather than completely controlling it myself.
Hand stitched embroidery in two colors on green goatskin, following the grain lines of the leather. Custom box to house both books.
Mermaids
This is a journal I designed for myself based on a dream with watery depths, the invisible presence of mermaids, and waxy glowing orbs with objects inside… in a room of a new house. A very magical dream.
Embroidery and acrylic paint on linen bookcloth.
The books I create are made over hours, not minutes. I craft books with my intentions for the future owner in mind each step of the way, and with a reverence to all the natural places and people in the world who contributed to creating the materials that will be incorporated into the book.
Whether you have a piece of written work or art that deserves a special one-of-a-kind binding, or are ready to embark on a life change and could use a special journal to support your path, I am here for you.
