Mixed Media Assignments/Lisa Rogers: January 2011

Creating Pages

Step 1

Begin by cutting 5 pages (at a time) out of the blue dictionaries.

Step 2

Line your book cover up with the top left edge of your pages.

Line your ruler up with the bottom edge of your book cover to rip the bottom edge of your 5 pages.

Step 3

Placing your front and back covers side by side measure the outside edge of your pages.

After lining your ruler up with the outside edge of your pages tear along your ruler's edge creating the first choir for your book.

Step 4

After tearing your 5 pages fold each page individually down the center creasing nicely with the outside edge of your ruler.

Step 5

Combine all 5 pages together completing your first of 7 choirs.

Step 6

Repeat steps 2 through 5 six more times to complete all 7 choirs.

Step 7

Cover choirs using folded magazine pages torn to the same size as the pages of your choir.

Be sure to cover all 7 choirs.

Step 8

Prepare to use a jig by identifying the top of each choir with a dot drawn on the center page of all 7 choirs.

Step 9

Place a choir along the center seem of a phone book. Align the top of the jig with the top of your choir. Tops are identified by the dots marked at the top of the jig and the top of each choir.

Step 10

Using a tool, called an all, poke holes along the seem of each choir. The jig has arrows where each hole should be punched. The seem of a phonebook allows for easy punching down the center of each choir and protects the table top.

Step 11

The same jig used as a guide to poke holes along the seem of all 7 choirs is used as a guide for drilling holes in the cover of your book.

Step 12

Use a clip to hold both sides of your cover together. Using the jig, as a guide, mark where the holes will be drilled along the left edge of the front cover of your book.

Step 13

With both sides of your cover clipped together use a dremal tool to drill the holes along the left edge of the front cover of your book.

Be sure to drill on top of a phone book to protect the table.

Step 14

After the holes are drilled wrap the cover of your book 10 times with your desired color binding thread. Wrapping the cover of your 10 times accounts for the proper length of thread needed to bind 2 covers and 7 choirs together.

Step 15

Cut the tip of your thread at an angle and thread your needle without tying the thread off.

Step 16

Begin binding by sewing through the bottom hole of your first choir.

Step 17

Then wrap the thread through the bottom hole of your back cover twice. The thread will then be directed back through the bottom hole of your choir before moving on to the next corresponding hole along the seem of your first choir.

Coptic stitch binding involves sewing to combine all choirs and front and back covers together. There are many more steps involved with binding your book, but these steps serve as a guide to getting started.