Book binding - Concertina album

When I started my MA, I had a clear idea that the final work would be presented in some type of structural binding, something which stood as a 3D object as well as a 'book'. I also wanted it to be non-adhesive. I'm not struck on using glues and chemicals in my work and I enjoy the elegance of stitched or folded paper structures. With this in mind I began a series of binding experiments, the first of which was a variation of an album binding. 

For this version, I stitched the signatures to the peak of the mountain, rather than the valley. (I have seen this done both ways). This structure is really versatile; its perfect if you want your pages to lie flat when the book is open and its an excellent way to include lots of different types of papers and signature sizes in your final binding. My process is detailed below; 

I began by calculating how many folds I needed for my spine based on how many signatures I wanted to include, plus covers. Each signature required a fold to be stitched onto. I had fifteen signatures, so I needed fifteen peaks. The spine was made from 130gsm grey construction paper.

Before stitching, I clamped each section in turn to avoid it slipping as I worked. The signatures are attached to the spine using a three station pamphlet stitch and waxed thread. 

Below, you can see the signatures stitched to the peaks of the concertina spine as I mentioned earlier. I included different types of paper (cartridge, tracing and kraft) in this prototype, in differing sizes. 

After stitching the signatures, I attached covers (textured Canson multimedia paper) to finish the book and give the binding stability. 

The finished binding can be read as a book or displayed as a sculptural object in 360 degrees

I have to say, this is one of my favourite bindings so far. There are so many possibilities in terms of sie and paper types. I think its a strong contender for my MA outcome. I hope you like it!