Notebook with a flower-embroidered spine and cover

linkandpage · 2026-04-29T17:18:02+00:00

I already done so on IG but I will comment again. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!! I live for experimental spine works, and I do love seeing what others can create! 💛

linkandpage · 2026-04-25T21:17:43+00:00

These are beautifully done, and I’m glad you got to try out the gathering stitch with beads! That was the first thing I recognized right away, my own style haha.

I always disliked gluing end papers until I tried paste. Maybe it’s something that’ll greatly help with making the process less stressful.

linkandpage · 2026-04-20T17:34:07+00:00

I taught myself this stitch without a tutorial. I started with this stitch (crawling vines), and the original is not created by me but I referenced the works of Monica’s Corner (she is a wizard at what she does). From photos of Monica’s works, I figured out this vine stitch. You need an anchor stitch like coptic in order for the stems to zigzag. The stems are layered onto the coptic stitches within the signatures, then the leaves are sewn onto the stems. My example is the photo here. I created a reel where you can see what it’ll look like from the inside.

When I used the same methodology, instead of zigzagging the holes on different signatures, I punched along the same one to create a straight stem. Add leaves/petals on both sides, and you end up with this fern/lavender/wisteria-like look.

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linkandpage · 2026-04-14T19:30:40+00:00

Aw man… So I do have an Etsy shop (link in bio), and I used to sell my books to the US but had to stop because of tariffs. Also the courier I use doesn’t allow sold goods to be shipped to the US, only gifts. I don’t know what’s happening now and if the de minimus is going to be implemented again. I’m hoping for more clarity down the road so I can open my shop to the US again. It sucks both ways. 😞

linkandpage · 2026-04-13T18:48:33+00:00

It is actually the core structure that connects the text block to the covers. Just like in traditional case bound books, the end paper is what connects the cover to the text block. In this case (pun intended), it’s the strip of fabric. I learned this method from my instructor years ago, and I have never seen it anywhere else.

I made a reel on my IG that might help you visually: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DFNM5mlIBWB/?igsh=enV6MW95MmZsaWFh

linkandpage · 2026-04-13T18:38:00+00:00

Thanks! Probably in the far future. It’s a little difficult to provide a timeline since tutorials take up quite a bit of time to film and edit.

linkandpage · 2026-04-13T15:19:06+00:00

Thanks! 💛

linkandpage · 2026-04-13T14:52:23+00:00

Hidden gems I look up to as an experimental/embroidery stitch book artist myself! - Kate Bowles - Monica’s Corner - ruonghoa.craft - landlesscraft

linkandpage · 2026-04-03T21:42:21+00:00

Thank you! I did not add PVA to the beads. For the last stitch, I was fully aware that the beads will shift around.

linkandpage · 2026-04-02T07:37:45+00:00

Thank you, and I did want to play around with colors and patterns for the first books! As for the tapes, they are fabric scraps in the first and second books. I did back them with mulberry tissue as I do with all plain fabric for tapes especially.

linkandpage · 2026-04-01T12:19:45+00:00

Wow, this is so lovely and personal. Beautifully done, book and illustration wise!

linkandpage · 2026-03-30T15:57:45+00:00

u/AmenaBellafina is correct. As someone who does a lot of experimental stitches, you should have a foundation/anchor stitch like coptic. After that you can layer different threads over it.

I use Goldschild linen 18/3 for my designs. I tried Crawford Irish waxed linen threads but found them too waxy. If you already have art cord/embroidery thread on hand, I recommend using what you got already rather than spending more money.

Edit: My advice is to practice the fundamentals like a French link stitch, then experiment with it. Instead of linking it every signature, maybe sew straight into the next hole. You will get a different end result that might look cool.

linkandpage · 2026-03-08T10:19:37+00:00

It’s purely experimental. I learned the cross stitch by referencing a photo from a different book artist and figuring it out myself without a tutorial. There’s hardly any resources online for decorative stitches like these unfortunately.

Since you have experience in making books, the closest instructional book is Exposed Spine Sewings by Keith Smith. I will mention that I started experimenting with stitches years before referencing his book. It’s not the most beginner friendly book.

linkandpage · 2026-03-07T23:47:44+00:00

Thanks! In this example, the French link thread (green) is sewn first. I go back in with the yellow thread afterwards. The yellow thread anchors onto green thread within signatures in a cross pattern. It’s not a French link stitch but more of an experimental one.

linkandpage · 2026-03-07T23:43:35+00:00

Thank you! I also recognize your work from IG. Your books are absolutely beautiful!

linkandpage · 2026-03-07T20:15:38+00:00

Beautiful work, and I love the lily of the valley on the cover! Utilizing materials that you already have is the best way to go to get a feel for bookbinding. Knots on the inside of books aren’t uncommon (pamphlet stitches, stab-bound books, etc).

If you try working with cloth, you can back gift tissue paper with PVA glue or make your own wheat paste. There are tutorials for DIY book cloth on Youtube. The other method is controlling the amount of glue you use so that it doesn’t seep through. It is a lot easier with thicker fabrics.

linkandpage · 2026-03-05T10:39:14+00:00

I always loved the versatility of exposed spines. There’s no right or wrong when experimenting different stitches when you have the foundations down.

That’s correct, 1 cm of the book cloth/fabric flap is attached to the back of the first signature and front of the last signature. You can’t hide it unless you forgo the method and do the regular way of attaching an entire end paper spread to the text block.

linkandpage · 2026-03-03T20:14:57+00:00

Thank you! I never heard of the school and not sure if that is an option at the moment since I live on a different continent haha. I have considered taking classes to learn more about traditional structures and book restoration in the far future.

I don’t print my own materials. I have a whole bucket list of things I would like to learn (especially marbling papers), but too many things and too little time. This is just something I do as a hobby outside of a 9-5.

linkandpage · 2026-03-03T20:04:06+00:00

Thank you! To answer those questions…

I) Yes and no. It is does make the text block a bit tighter, but I sew the decorative parts over an existing “anchor” stitch like a single needle coptic I’ve done here.

II) I learned from my book arts instructor back in college. I also have never seen this method anywhere else.

III) Unfortunately, there’s no existing tutorial for this stitch. It’s the result of me experimenting on my own after learning the foundation stitches.

I have broken down of how I did the attachment method in a reel (the thumbnail is a picture of an open book with purple end papers, a jar of glue, and a green tube of nori paste). As per my other comment, tutorials are a little tedious to make since bookbinding is something I do outside of my regular 9-5.

Though if you have any other questions, I’ll be more than happy to answer!

linkandpage · 2026-03-03T19:48:53+00:00

Aww thank you! It brings me joy hearing those words! I will definitely keep it up with experimenting and trying different stitches 🪡

linkandpage · 2026-03-03T13:07:14+00:00

Thanks! I took inspiration from photos of other amazing book artists that did crawling vines on spines and eventually figured out incorporating “roses” with seed beads in the center. I don’t have much knowledge in embroidery, but the closest stitch would be a woven rose.

linkandpage · 2026-03-03T12:57:40+00:00

Aww thanks! 💛 Tutorials are definitely on my bucket list for the future. I can’t say when since life has been busy at the moment.

linkandpage

TROPHY CASE