The Travelling Bookbinder 2018 Review

Happy New Year! Here’s a month-by-month review of 2018. It can be enlightening to realise how much got done, don’t you find?

January – An invigorating swim in the clear Hebridean waters of Iona to start afresh.

After chilly swim on January 1st, Iona, Hebrides, Scotland

February – Creating paper hearts for a Valentine’s garland, using repurposed book pages. A special workshop at Golden Hare bookshop.

March – A stunning variety of books from the 2018 Iona Driftwood Binding Retreat.

April – The last Shetland Lighthouse Workshop. Stitching books and their own slipcase.

May – A walking holiday, admiring letter boxes.

June BookLove – Sharing the delights of writing, designing and producing handbound books of your own.

July – Working ‘behind the scenes’ on The Travelling Bookbinder website, inbetween cowrie-collecting walks on the beach.

August – The pleasure of learning how to fold origami envelopes! Such a treat to learn new book structures from Cristina Balbiano D’Aramengo. Followed by the utter joy of a Bound pre-publication event at The Edinburgh International Book Festival.

Origami envelopes, a bone folder and brass-handled scissors

SeptemberBound:15 Beautiful Bookbinding Projects is published by Kyle Books, with glorious photographs by Susan Bell. Here’s a selection of launch celebrations, from Penzance to Iona via London…. The Word Landscapes bookart workshop at Arvon with dear Nancy Campbell (with our midweek guest Richard Long) was wonderful.

October – Exploring Personal Geographies in Venice, documenting bridges and details, meeting inspiring artists, powered by gelato.

November – A rainbow selection of book cloth rolls, seen on a Paris Love Letters jaunt, at one of the many specialist paper and book emporium that we visit.

December – Making personalised wrapping paper of course! And a book review of The Art of The Fold, features in Project Calm issue 12 and Mollie Makes 101.

What did you make/learn/read in 2018? I hope you achieved all you wanted, and took time to reflect on the lessons and the triumphs…. Building in preparation and recovery, and being sure to celebrate the wins are my takeaways for the year.

Looking forward to meeting and making with you in 2019!

3 thoughts on “The Travelling Bookbinder 2018 Review

  1. What a fantastic year you had, Rachel… here’s hoping for another one filled with love and inspiration !

  2. Oh dear Rachel. I would so love to do one of your ebook binding courses but just too expensive for a hobbyist! Can you consider creating a less expensive version for the keen but more amateur!?

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