Weekly Bookbinding Report: 50s ephemera, abnormal situations & type
Week nine as an apprentice bookbinder at York Bookbinding
This week at York Bookbinding entailed more sewing of vintage football programs, getting used to the foiling space, and coming up with solutions for abnormal sewing situations.
This weeks accomplishments:
- Sewing and repairs for two more books of 50s football programs.
- Put away type left from covers that have been foiled.
- Set type for the next foiling.
- Problem solving - tipping in a rogue printed copy of a scan of a program, which I did by folding a guard for another programs to be sewn into. This ensures reinforced structure, keeping things neat.
New skills acquired during this week:
This week I was able to learn how to sew in a shorter signature. This is by lowering the hole for sewing then being careful in leaving the appropriate amount of thread for it to sit comfortably in the sewing. The kettle stitch goes into the book below it as usual and after this book, I take the kettle back into that same book, in order to avoid causing problems with addition of the abnormal signature.
What I need to improve on:
A part of the work I feel I need more practice in is understanding the type foiling. It took me a while to put all the type away as I needed to identify the pt size and the typeface, as well as the other elements involved. I can do this by continuing to put away type and paying extra attention to what they have set. The more I get used to the space and the inventory, the better I will understand the process and how the space operates.
