Welcomes to the 2021 Fashion Library – Architecture Library Earth Day virtual celebration. This year we will focus on projects to fashionably extend the life of clothing through visible mending and upcycling materials into sketchbooks.
To learn more about visible mending, explore these resources curated by Edith Serkownek, Fashion Librarian.
Finally, respect the earth by incorporating sustainable materials and textiles into designs. Learn more about innovative materials through Material Connexion resources.
Creating a Simple Scrap Sketchbook.
Junk mail envelopes, old file folders, paper with just a few printed lines, the last couple empty pages of a notebook -- Upcycle these materials into a sketchbook through this tutorial. Learn a simple pamphlet stitch that serves as a building block for more complex creations. While the tutorial will focus on sketchbooks / notebooks, these techniques can also be applied to zine making.
Supply List
- Thicker cover material (Postcards, cereal boxes, greeting cards, fabric, vinyl, etc.)
- Interior sheets (Papers, envelopes, scraps, calendar pages, etc.)
- Embroidery floss
Tool List
- Large needle
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Protective work surface
- Bone folder (Recommended)
- Awl (Recommended)
Additional Optional Tools
- Needle nose pliers
- Thimble
2. Preparing the book.
Make the Cover
1) Use bone folder to score down the centerline of the cover material. The score will become the outside spine of the book.
2) Fold towards the opposite side of the score.
3) Use the edge of the bone folder to further crease the material.
Assemble the Signature
1) Fold sheets of paper in half using the bone folder.
2) Lay each sheet in one another to make the book signature.
Signature Sizes
- Four sheets of paper will create a 16 page signature.
- Eight sheets of paper will create a 32 page signature.
3. Putting it together.
Prepare the book to be stitched.
1) Measure out a length of embroidery floss a little more than 3 times the book's height and thread the needle.
2) Using the awl, punch holes about a half inch from the top of the signature pages, in the middle of the signature, and about a half inch from the bottom of the page.
Pamphlet Stitch
1) Thread the needle through the middle hole of the book. Pull most of the embroidery floss through the hole.
2) Thread the needle through the top hole of the book.
3) Go across the book and thread the needle through the bottom hole.
4) Thread the needle through the initial middle hole. Arrange the two ends on either side of the middle embroidery floss.
5) Pull the stitch tight and tie a square knot or bow.
Creating a Multiple Signature Book
Additional Ideas
Interested in learning more about creating your own pamphlets and booklets? Check out the following resources from the Kent State University Libraries. Additional items can be found by exploring the bookbinding subject headings and particularly bookbinding handbooks, manuals, etc.
How to Fold by
Packaging is an important factor in any retail environment and a key element in most marketing strategies. Consumers react immediately to package shapes, and are influenced by them when making buying decisions. Different product categories are often easy to recognize by their characteristic form, for example chocolate boxes or milk cartons. On the other hand, a manufacturer of an exclusive product, such as jewellery or perfume, may deliberately choose an unusual, eye-catching form. HOW TO FOLD is a unique step-by-step manual, containing hundreds of great folding ideas and ready-to-use designs. This book is an essential tool for anyone involved in the fields of graphic and industrial design, advertising, and printing. All patterns are stored in eps vector format on the enclosed CD-ROMs. They may be used freely to create new designs, and can be scaled and modified to suit any conceivable purpose.
Whatcha Mean, What's a Zine? by
A zine is a handmade magazine or mini-comic about anything you can imagine: favorite bands, personal stories, subcultures, or collections. They contain diary entries, rants, interviews, and stories. They can be by one person or many, found in stores, traded at comic conventions, exchanged with friends, or given away for free. Zines are not a new idea: they've been around for years under various names (chapbooks, flyers, pamphlets). People with independent ideas have been getting theirword out since before there were printing presses. This book is for anyone who wants to create their own zine. It's for learning tips and tricks from contributors who have been at the fore front of the zine movement. It's for getting inspired to put thoughts and ideas down on paper. It's for learning how to design and print your own zine so you can put it in others' hands. Whatcha Mean, What's a Zine? is for anyone who has something to say.
Making Books by Hand by
Describes the techniques and equipment used in making books, provides instructions for making accordion books, journals, scrapbooks, and other projects, and offers a selection of artists' books.
Japanese Bookbinding by
A third-generation traditional bookbinder gives easy-to-follow instructions for making all the major, historically important styles of Japanese bindings as well as traditional book cases--the custom-made folding boxes that afford handsome protection for Japan's exquisite books. The authoritative text, written by one of Japan's leading professional bookbinders, has been fully adapted for Western readers. Both American and Japanese suppliers of traditional tools and materials are provided and substitutes are recommended for items not readily available. For centuries the West has admired Japanese books, but only now can we make them ourselves and take full advantage of their creative possibilities. Stunning and practical, these bindings are ideal for preserving calligraphy, letters, artwork, and poems, for adding a distinctive touch to limited-edition books, and for use as diaries or gifts.
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