Papermaking: Final Preparations

For my final piece I am hoping to make an artists book using a variety of handmade papers and using handprints, different stitching techniques and an enlarged linocut of my thumbprint.

I have printed some sheets with the thumb- and hand-prints and I am really pleased with how they turned out. I really like the personal connection created by using my fingerprint.

close up of handprint

I have also tried some different stitches (both by hand and with a sewing machine) to see what effects I could achieve. However the handmade paper didn't like very many of the machine stitches I wanted to use and it even tore when I did plain hand stitching.



I had to use tape on the back to keep the "wave" stitch in the paper  because it had completely torn the paper around it.

 

I tried to stitch a bee onto the paper but the thread was very fine and the needle just tore the paper.

 

back of stitched "bee" showing torn paper

I decided to do a linocut  to add the bees, instead of trying to stitch them and I think they worked really well.

I also tried hand stitching a chain and anchor onto a piece of paper with words from the "Mermaid" story we illustrated. I think it turned out really well and it didn't tear even though I used wool so I am very pleased with it. (There is a slight tear which occurred when I separated the damp sheets of paper so that they would dry quicker).

I am really pleased with these pages and hope to be able to use most of them in my final piece. I still need to figure out how I am going to bind the pages together though - any ideas?