13/06/2026
A new commission is taking shape on the bench today — a thistle purple A5 cased journal, made by hand from the very first fold.
The folios have been folded, gathered into signatures, pierced, and hand stitched with purple thread. Now the spine is being glued rather than pasted, allowing it to settle and bed in beautifully before the case is made and the cover comes together.
This is the quiet stage of bookbinding — not quite finished, not yet dressed in its final cover, but already very much becoming a book. Every stitch, fold and tiny adjustment is part of what makes a handmade journal feel different in the hands.
Soon this will be ready for its thistle purple casing, and eventually for someone else’s words, sketches, plans, lists, or half-finished thoughts.
Handmade books: slow, slightly messy, deeply satisfying.
