It is with some regret that I have completed the very last binding of Pike Stories. The pamphlet bindings were fun. I used a combination of coordinated batik printed fabrics that I purchased. Yellow food coloring dyed the thread well enough to use it to sew the five signatures. Each one is sewn with a different pattern.
When it came time to make the box, first I created a clam shell box, but I soon realized that there wasn't enough of the fabric to cover it the way I preferred. Therefore I made a simple slipcase book box covered in some of the same cloth as the pamphlets. I will use the clam shell box for another project.
There is a waiting list for the papermaking class I wanted to take; thus I doubt that I will be able to attend. Perhaps I can manage to learn the art of making and dyeing paper the Japanese way on my own if I can locate the proper supplies.
Luckily I have found some new information to add to the Magnusson family history so I am hopeful that there will be enough to make an interesting story.

Bookbox

Although I have made boxes before, this is the first time I have made one of a size that would hold more than one small book. As part of a donated book basket for the Florida Library Association scholarship fundraiser, I decided to make three small books, about four by five inches, with coordinated marbled covers, plus a box to hold them. The box is covered with paste-decorated paper in a purple color that ties the items together. The book-bindings were sewn on tapes, even though they are fairly thin, at less than half an inch. (I decorated both the marbled and paste papers.)
I was pleased with the result overall. The next two projects I would like to undertake are more complex. One, I need to take a binding class that gives me additional grounding in basic and advanced techniques and teaches how to make leather covers. Two, I want to print copies of family biographies and then bind them as gifts. My next reports will address my progress in these areas.