I decided that I need to keep track of my orders like we do at work, with an order form. I thought I could also keep the forms in one place so that i could refer to them easily. It also seemed like a great opportunity to work on my smaller book size skills.

I decided to make a 2 signature book- 40 pages of order forms and in a sewing pattern that I hadn’t made yet.

I made the cover from Wasseau confetti cardstock. I reinforced the spine with tyvek from a priority mail envelope(used). I laid out a quarter inch spine and punched stations for keith smith’s sewomg called Descending X’s. It’s a sewing style that I have never really been attracted to, in fact the page hasn’t been marked in anyway, which in 1,2&3 section sewings is an oddity. Most pages in the book are quite abused, post-its, coffee splashes and tabs mark all the pages I’ve read and refered to often. (I tend to refer tot he books while drinking coffe- it sets that tone for my day and helps me to think in terms of binding. I refer to it as some may refer to their bible. Sad but true. I find it gives me a lot of guidance and direction in my binding. Refering to a style every moreing helps me to design my own styles. This is a whole other entry from what i was getting at!)

I printed and trimmed 10 seets to size, folded and gathered them. I then punched the stations. Wrong. Completely freaking wrong!- not just upside down but also backwards. So I had to retrim the back cover, which I had designed to be a matchbook style closure. Thats gone in the finished book. I have the idea in my head so maybe next time.

I like how some of the descneidng Xs came out, but not many. I think it’s an attractive if overly fussy binding. It requires a lot of attention to detail, which i was,CLEARLY, lacking when I bound this book. Luckily it’s just for me and for reference.

I did learn something from this book. One is that I don’t like when the upper part of the X is as long as the tail. Two is that I do like it when the upper partof the X is half the length of the tail. It’s compact and functions on the spine. the fussy detail of the sewing is visible and quite nice. IN the first instance the X is long and drawn out. It’s quite unattractive.

So I’ll be making one of these for every 2 months and then make and slip cover forthe assortment.
Without further Adu here’s the spine:

The first pic is the whole thing. the second is a picture of what I like and don’t like. I like the first finished set and don’t like the second set.