I just finished making this journal it has a few finishin touches and it will be good to go. The stats:
150 pages of 80lb Strathmore drawing paper- hand torn on one edge
Dark Distressed Sheep hide
Backed with street map and map of US
Pocket in back for loose odds and ends
Raw edge flap with strap- extra thick
Natural linen thread to sew
Linked long stitch in a diamond pattern- I call it a spider webbed diamond.
Eyelets to reinforce the stations on the spine

The one thing that it needs is the artists collage which will be attached to either the front or back cover.

Here are the pictures:

One of the thigs that I really like about this sewing style is that it is not difficult to do per se- it’s is after allat it’s heart JUST a long stitch. It’s the linking that causes the issues. If the sewing tension isn’t kept just right through out the sewing you get lopsided diamonding, which can look like hell. You have 2 choices when you screw up- either go back and fix it OR suffer with it. I can’t suffer with it. I screwed up the tension on a signature and pulled it way too tight. So the next section I couldn’t pull the thread tight enough to make the diamond the same size as the last. Of course i didn’t realize it until I had finished and TIED off the book. So I went back in and cut the thread and reworked it. i’m happy to say that all is well and the fix isn’t noticable. And the spine is 100% better with it fixed than without. I’m very happy with the patternign and the way that the book shaped up!