ABCD March 2023

Due to the after-effects of eye surgery (exhaustion and double vision), I did not go to the March 3rd meeting. The Dove-droppings were supplied by Clare, and photos were sent to me for this post.

On this occasion, Pauline was teaching “Limp binding” – a mediaeval structure that is much more interesting than it sounds. Here is a photo of Judy’s limp binding, tabbed binding, and another buttonhole binding. I have a particular fondness for books made with obsolete hydrographic charts.

Here are some photos of Judith’s limp binding, finished the next day.

Judith writes, of Fil Rouge: “finished just in time for my artist papermaking submission on theme of PAPER ALIVE! Fil rouge journey continues, this time even bigger and madder. It’s 30cm high x 39w X 4d. So a bit bigger than Keith Smith recommended max I now realise. Had to be quite wide to house the bamboo offshoots I sewed into pages. Actual pages more or less square.”

The two photo sbelow are of Clare’s delicious book of leaf and flower prints, made using the structure traught by Bron. Ecoprints of a local hedge, done in the first lockdown. It is roughly 9cm x 34 cm.  Watercolour paper, linen thread, raffia. 

Janine has completed two Dream-books, both incorporating beads and various shapes of windows.

Next meeting: Saturday 1st April, when Jane will be teaching a version of the Tunnel Book. Here’s one she made earlier. Again I won’t be there as I’ll be at the Teignmouth Poetry Festival. I have a lot of catching up to do.

Finally, the Dove-droppings, collected and edited this time by Clare.

March Dove droppings

hawthorn rollers
speaking from the sea
a treat for myself

we nearly had a riot
the Bay of Anarchists
order and chaos

burrow under here
this is quite a tight book
dark inside

a torn-up invitation
in a great big campervan
buckled in a couple of places

I wouldn’t make another
it’s a Dove-y thing
getting it wrong

you could
if you had a very very long thread
no you couldn’t

the piano hinge
at ten o’clock at night
that’s radical

determined to have another go
I’m embarked with her
flying by the seat of our pants

there aren’t any green leaves
people eating gluten
a bit weird down there

Two Rivers Turner
a brilliant cut
to the silver sea