A Bibliophile Bookbinder’s Bookshop
Books and stationery and bookbinding tools. It’s even better than an espresso martini and a choux bun… which is saying something.
When I first started hoarding books, (something which I unfortunately had to give up as I moved around from one apartment to another over the last few years and my shelving space somehow got smaller as I embraced the idea of minimalism to keep my cardboard box count down) I dreamed that one day I would set up a bookstore. Second hand bookstores weren’t popular back then - in fact they were practically unheard of on the high street unless you were looking in charity shops or National Trust upholstered stables.
Fortunately the tone is changing; perhaps that is due to libraries closing down or becoming as good as useless as their funding reduces evermore. However the result is more second hand bookshops dotted around the place. My local one in West Moors is fantastic and stocked full to the ceilings with volumes that I can get for a few pounds at their most expensive and a few pennies at their least.
Unfortunately a lot of people still want the glamour of a snazzy new cover - even those of us who don’t need pristine spines can appreciate that buying a book which is basically falling apart only has a certain charm to it when you’re not reading it. And so I have decided to put my bookbinding skills to good use and rejuvenate any volumes that need a bit of TLC which I believe you will all love.
Not everyone can afford The Bibliophile’s Bindery which I completely appreciate. However I still want to be able to bring you books and the joy of new volumes done in a bit of an artistic way completely true to the book’s aesthetic and storyline.
BRIDGERTON
Bound in cloth I got second hand - I wanted the design to reflect the romance in this series. Of course made popular by the hit Netflix show, the books are delightful in their own way filled of course with historical drama, a little bit of intrigue and enough romance to keep you swooning for the next year.
I wanted the actual design of the covers to be uniform with the spines looking the same and the titles but of course in cloth to match the heroine of each book. I so enjoyed giving these books a fresh set of muslins and hope you, dearest gentle reader, enjoy the stories inside x
HARRY POTTER
Is there a series more loved through all ages than Harry Potter? I’m lucky that I was one of the generations raised by the books, the movies were only just coming out as I finished the last book so I never really had my idea of the characters pre-formed before I found the escapism of Hogwarts and all of the characters who joined Harry, Ron and Hermione on their daring adventures.
I used second hand leather and end-of-roll bookbinding linen for this series to give it a uniform look and the look of something a little bit older than it actually is. These books are so loved it felt a crime to make them look ordinary. I didn’t have enough leather to fully cover each book, but I did have enough of the off-white to cover the spines. And then it was just a case of pulling out the last of my Griffindor-red linen.
The illustrations were an addition I wanted to make to create something totally different to what is already out there. At first I placed them on the front cover, but after careful consideration I decided to stick them to the front endpaper as a surprise when you open the books.
Art and bookbinding combine in this series to give you something a little bit out of the ordinary and perhaps a tad magical? x
COMPLETE WORKS of NANCY MITFORD
I came across the Complete Collection after considering purchasing it for several years but never being able to justify spending so much on one book which was actually far too heavy and cumbersome to enjoy all books should be.
So when I came across it in my local second hand bookstore I knew EXACTLY what I wanted to do. This series was my first re-covering bookbinding project. I used end-of-roll white bookbinders linen and then sketched titles and designs on in pencil before going over them with my pyrography pen. To say it was a lot of fun is an understatement…
I came to Nancy Mitford through a birthday present years ago, I was given The Pursuit of Love which I think I must have been too young for at the time because it sat dormant on my shelves for years. For some reason I never threw it out in my usual culls of books which I do not enjoy - and just as well too. When I finally was ready I wished I’d started reading it so much sooner. It is still my favourite book and I read it - unapologetically - several times a year.
So I hope that the books in the collection bring you the same amount of joy that edition has brought me x
My Summer reading list:
An English Patient
The Little Bookshop of Happy Ever After
Bridget Jones’ Diary