Coptic Headband Class

Well, life has been busy as my partner and I prepare to leave St. Louis and start our new life out east. Today, we disposed of two old desks, shredded old documents, and purged more things that won't make the journey with us. Despite these preparations, I am trying to squeeze in as much bookbinding as possible and have continued to fill my Etsy shop. I am wondering how quickly I will be able to being the creative process again once we get settled.

Last weekend, I took a class on sewing Coptic Headbands. It was great fun! I will miss my bookbinding teacher, Joanne. For anyone interested in bookbinding near St. Louis, I highly recommend you getting in touch with her. She is an excellent mentor and has been quite an inspiration. I have learned so much and am always motivated to learn as much as possible when in her creative studio space. Before working with her in 2006, I tried to make a couple of books, but didn't even know about grain direction or proper glues. It is fun to look back at those books now. Her instruction has been monumental for me; the knowledge I have gained about bookbinding has forever changed my life - it is like a rewiring of the brain.

Once I got the hang of this sewing technique, it was quite rewarding and didn't seem too difficult. Starting the process was the most challenging. It is very neat to see the finished product; I love the idea of using contrasting colors to really make the headband "pop." After the class, I replicated what I learned on another book I had recently sewn and was happy with the end result, even though the measurements were a bit off. The next one will be even better! I look forward to incorporating this technique on more structures soon. The details of this sewing are in the book, Headbands How to Work Them by Jane Greenfield and Jenny Hille. But, taking a class and learning from a professional is so much better (at least for me). It gives me the confidence that I am learning correctly.