Book Binding - Day Two

Dear Diary,

Yesterday was intense!  I made a sewn case bound book.  I had never made one before.  It required a lot of concentration and precision as even the tiniest bit off and the book won't fit together properly.  Phew!  Needless to say, my first effort was far from perfect but it looks fairly good and will make a nice journal.  Unlike the book from yesterday, I won't take this one to Scotland in September.  I don't need such a big journal for my 10 day trip.

The bad weather held off until evening so I was able to get back and forth to the workshop with no problem and the museum was able to hold their annual ice harvest event on the little mill pond. (extra)  Since the day warmed up a bit it wasn't too bad for those who tried their hand at this old New England tradition.  My great-great-great grandfather use to sail to Barbados with a hold filled with ice packed in sawdust.  Amazingly, it lasted quite a long time that way.  Ice stored in ice houses here, carefully insulated with sawdust, will last through the summer months and into the fall.

So, today is a day of recuperation for me.  I think I will be signing up for a letterpress class at the end of the month.  I haven't done that since art school some 40 years ago!  Got to keep learning new things or, in this case, re-learning old things!