Gothic(ish) Journal I
14 cm. x 19 cm. x 3 cm., 96 p.
Cover: red kidskin leather
Endpapers: Nepalese marbled paper, red and gold, geode pattern
Block: rice paper, quarto
Stitching: packed herringbone stitch, double cord
This was my first attempt at a medieval codex binding. I was aiming for Gothic I landed somewhere closer to Carolignian, although in truth it’s pretty much “mishmash of medieval elements that would never quite have actually been seen in period,” so, basically, your standard SCA first attempt. Very basic, pressboard covers, the bulk rice paper that I’ve been using for blocks on a lot of my early attempts. I learned a lot about the components of the style but the materials aren’t a great match for what I was trying to do. It’s quite difficult to stitch a headband onto the very soft rice paper; I used heavy linen cord for the raised band but there wasn’t really enough block to get a good tight pack on it; and I had no idea what I was doing with affixing endpapers really. All the pieces are there, it just lacks a lot of polish and craft and understanding of how the pieces fit together and function. Nevertheless it’s a perfectly functional little book and great practice, and it’s a pleasant size to hold in the hand as a writing journal.