Hand Stitched Art Journal

 I've been wanting to see if I could do this....no instructions but a workshop about 15 years ago with the long stitch that was leather bound.  So had to keep a show and tell going with  my oldest daughter because I knew she did books like this in High School.  

 Thin leather for the spin and so it would give as more gets added to the papers. 

  Poking the holes for the signatures, using a book binding cradle the husband made for me. (he gets me for sure)

 All surface are coated with polymer medium so I can being in the big gun..."the tack iron" or what it's real name is "Heat Seal Iron."

  For each signature that goes on a separate process which is not like the coptic stitch journals I do.

 I had a piece of Kraft paper that I lay on my work table and while I create my papers and collages I use that paper for many months until it gets built up...This paper was getting cutting up so I took it off. And decided to do it for this journal today...being I didn't know what I was doing...

 The outside of the journal...Long stitch and leather spin so that it will give and the fused leather works great.

The paper I use was this kind...felt it would give me a good sturdy substrate. 90lbs. 

In totally I took me about 4 hours...from start to finish...