Handmade Books at Home: A Beginner's Guide to Binding Journals, Sketchbooks, Photo Albums and More

Che meraviglia questo libro. Una vera e propria guida passo a passo

As a keen paper lover and bookbinding newbie, Chanel Ly's handbook is simply the best book I've come across. Its clear instructions and numerous photographs have helped me progress in my bookbinding learning and encouraged me to move onward. Possibly the only thing to make it "better" would be to have it hand-bound by Miss Ly herself, but that is not its purpose. And one can easily purchase her handmade works of art online and view her many beautifully done videos. Projects are described in detail, step-by-step, assuming no previous depth of knowledge. Softcover and hardcover books, flat-back, round-back books and case bindings, well-known and loved stitches are all described in easily understood instructions. There is also a good section about designing your own book which includes up cycling a paperback book, how to make closures, adding pockets to books, and how to make your own book press. In addition to the usual sections on tools and papers, it covers paper types and sizes, spine swell, gluing techniques, and troubleshooting common errors. The resources and references section includes full URLs for avid readers.

Excellent book, very friendly and easy to follow, even more if you follow the author on Youtube.

I really enjoyed this book and followed the instructions for the pamphlets, perfect binding and a basic hard cover binding. I would say you will still benefit from watching some YouTube videos to get an idea of what's taking place, but it's a great reference with wonderful photos and instructions. For me the one negative which doesn't affect the utility of the book is the quality of the book itself. The margins feel. It feels like the there is not enough top margin and the content feels squished at the top of the book. Also, the manufacturing, glue and printing smell was quite strong and it took some time for it to go away. That said, it is a lovely book and hopefully the second edition will be nicer quality print!

It’s a lovely book and covers a number of styles. A lot of effort has gone into the presentation, but I do find it easier to use it in conjunction with the author’s youtube videos. My preferred learning style is to see something done, the book is useful to refer back to details.