graph paper

Textiles

I love weaving. If I had all the time and all the space in the world. I would have a loom. I actually learned to weave years ago when I was in college, before I even knew what letterpress was.

:: Gunta Stolzl ::

A couple years ago, I got to take a weaving class again at Penland, and made this graph paper scarf out of linen.

:: me! ::

I think there's a lot of similarities in process and final appearance between hand-weaving and letterpress.

Both are labor intensive to set up, the hours of feeding each thread through the heddles and reed or the hours of setting type and spacing material, but quick to execute. Both are set up traditionally to work on a x and y axis, making design very linear and geometrical.

This is a constraint I actually really enjoy.

:: Impossible Objects by Huldra Press ::

And I just discovered the needlework of At Swim-Two-Birds. Love.

:: At Swim-Two-Birds ::
Maybe weaving will be my retirement.

New Books

Some of the things I've been working on.

:: one of a kind notebooks ::


I finished binding a set notebooks which are going to New York. They are a new kind of book I've started making. I decided to add inset vintage encyclopedias to their covers because they are really neat... and to make front and back more easily identifiable.

:: bees! ::

Also working on some new leather pocket notebooks.

:: this one is on etsy ::
:: letterpress printed page and vintage book page with drawing ::

Field Books

I made a small series of one of a kind, letterpress printed "field books" this month. I've wanted to do this for a long time, ever since I bought an old copper printing block of graph paper.

This allowed me to print my own graph paper in whatever color I choose.

I made softcover and hardcover versions. The softcover has a pocket in the back for storing notes, feathers, postcards, and whatever else you might find while out in the field.

Many pages also have random ornaments like the one below, also letterpress printed.


If you're interested in purchasing one, I have a couple of the hardcovers left. They are 60.00 a piece. Contact me and I can send you images. I'll be making two, one softcover and hardcover, with pink graph paper soon too.

Goats and Graph Paper

And Goats :: Huldra Press

My friend Erika asked me to make a book with "goats and graph paper." I thought, yes, this is where it's at. This is a great commission. If anyone else would like any combination of paper types and animals, I will make it, because I had a lot of fun making this book. Thanks Erika!


:: the text block is entirely graph paper ::

:: handmade paper covers with vintage paper bits and letterpress ::

Looking Back and Forward. One More Week...


Eileen Wallace :: Mile Wide Press


Bryan Baker :: Letterpress Poster

That's right, there is just one more week of summer classes here at Penland. There are many things to look forward to this fall. Less hustle and bustle, sweater weather, scarves, and an eight-week letterpress class with Bryan Baker,formerly of Yee-Haw Industries, continuously amazing. Speaking of amazing, I just finished a two week class with Eileen Wallace of Mile Wide Press. Eileen is a letterpress printer, book artist, paper maker and painter. Also, an incredibly talented teacher who's taught me a great deal of what I know. I can't thank her enough. I'll be posting images shortly of some new books.

I woke up last night having dreamed about being in a japanese paper store. It was a wonderful dream, directly linked to the following. I was looking at a Shinwa cutting ruler online right before going to bed. I covet this tool. I swear, good quality cutting edge rulers must be illegal in this country or something because I can only find them for sale in Europe and Japan. Secondly, I was talking to my boyfriend about how I am searching for graph and ledger papers, a topic I find breathlessly fascinating. Now it is time to clean my studio space. I have some books and drawings to make for friends...
I want this.



The Engineer's Handbook


Yesterday was my birthday, and my boyfriend and I went to the used book store. What can I say, we're nerds. But I found this book, the Bureau of Public Works Engineer's Handbook 1913, for three dollars.

The numbers, the aged lined paper, the errors and corrections, are all things I find so exciting about books as objects we use. This book was meant to be a pocket reference for an engineer. All this information, all this labor to make a book! And now I have it and like it because it is tall and narrow, has neat diagrams and "erratums." How odd.

I have been really into these little erratum notes, and used one in a journal I made recently.

Some day, I dream of finding a warehouse full of yellowed graph paper. Do you have such a warehouse?