Sketchbook: Complete! (with Frustration)

Last night, I finished my sketchbook. Parts of it (namely, the covers and the idea behind it) I was really proud of, but overall, it was kind of a fail. A mash-up:

I think this was a great rough draft of a book. If I had actually come up with the idea ahead of time, and thoughtfully planned out pages, it would have been much more successful. Unfortunately, last night I was at the stage where anything went; I was making stuff up on the fly and putting in whatever I made with no editing just because I wanted to submit something, anything.

I was really frustrated with the whole Sketchbook experience. Part of that was definitely me procrastinating on finishing (actually, starting) the project. Totally my fault. But I was also frustrated with the project itself. The sketchbook was poor quality and I spent so much time trying to conceptualize how I could improve and build upon those cheap blank pages that I was boxing myself in. I didn't really feel excited about the project until I denounced the book and just remade everything from scratch in the same dimensions. My ideas improved drastically when I started thinking of it as a book arts challenge - unfortunately, that was late in the game. I understand that it's easier when you have someplace to start. I actually wouldn't have signed on for this project if the rules/directions were more vague, such as 'create a book less than 5"x7" in size' - it's good to have someplace explicit to begin. But still, it frustrates me.

Another thing I disliked is how I signed up for this project with the idea that my book would tour the US with a group of others; and not long after I joined, they unveiled this "limited edition" sketchbook project, where they limited the number of entrants. I don't know how this will work; I don't know who or how people will check out my book. But if I had known that there would be a chance for it to tour with a smaller company of books, I wouldn't have rushed to join this one. Still though, maybe it's for the best since I didn't submit my best work.

I don't know. Overall, not too excited about this project in the end, and it's not something I would do again. I'm left feeling unsatisfied and uninspired.

More Failed Stitches and Folds Covers

With the deadline fast approaching, I still have little done with my sketchbook. Ahhh. Basically, I have to make this work tomorrow evening.

Last week, after making the cloth Mette Ring (and digging into my fabric stash) I decided to try piecing together fabric covers for my book. My idea at the time was to find any and all random (flat) craft projects I made in the past that didn't have a place, and incorporate them into my book. Kind of a hodgepodge assortment of Things I Make. I took my yet unfinished quilt as an inspiration and pieced together blue/red scraps around a cross stitched QR code and my MMM embroidery. The result was two pieces I was not entirely satisfied with.

front cover

back cover

The plan was to crop these to fit the 5"x7" dimensions of the sketchbook. The front cover would look basically as is; the bottom would be skewed so the MMM was on the diagonal.

That's where I was -- completely stuck -- until, as I was falling asleep a few nights ago, I remembered my book arts workshops in college. My school had a hidden Book Arts program that would meet a few times a term in the conservation/preservation department in the basement of the library. I discovered it by chance my freshman fall and basically went to it all four years I was in college. At first, I was the only student in the midst a group of middle aged women (with the exception of the friend I dragged along with me). During my time a Dartmouth, things changed a ton: a new conservation/preservation director arrived, and the book arts program got a dedicated space in a higher level basement. More students attended. It really blossomed. I have to say, it is one of the things I miss most from college.

Anyway, I made so many books while I was there and I still have them, stored in a shoebox on my craft shelves. I brought it out with me to California and occasionally would open it up and nostalgically sift though my books. There was this one book with an accordion spine and some really interesting movement when you open the book and lay it flat. [This makes no sense! But I'll add pictures of it when I finish my book.] I thought of it while I was falling asleep that night, and knew that's what I wanted to do.

Unfortunately, those cloth covers do not jive with such a dynamic inside. They seem dowdy in comparison. Seeing those covers, I would never expect to find that inside. And I mean that in a bad way, not a surprisingly interesting way. So, those covers were scrapped.

It's always frustrating when you spend time on something and then, ultimately, it doesn't work. You want to salvage it in some way. You fixate on your original idea. Sometimes, you just have to scrap it, start over, and hope for the best.

Tonight, I made the new covers. Much simpler but more fitting with the inside. The bulk of the project is the inside which I have a vague idea of how I want to finish... it requires a ton of stitching on paper and hidden images. I think it's really too ambitious to finish in (!!) one evening, but I'll see how much I can get done. It's going to be a true Project Runway Make It Work moment, and I'll stay up tomorrow night as late as I need to in order to finish it.

Cloth Mette Ring

I have a new webpage! This post has moved here: http://www.allykraus.com/wp/2012/01/18/cloth-mette-ring/

Stitches and Folds: Failed Cover

Oh my. I can't believe it's January already, and my Stitches and Folds journal from the Sketchbook Project needs to be completed and postmarked by January 31st.

I haven't really thought much about this project. I have a vague idea of at least a few things I want to include, but haven't worked out the details. The one idea I actually started on was a cross stitched QR code for the cover. I wanted to do some stitching on paper, because I like the look of it, so I decided to stitch it directly on the cover. Current state:

One thing I've learned about stitching on paper is that it's good to puncture the holes first. As you can see on the left, it was a bit of a challenge keeping them in a grid... the first attempt failed. The second grid, on the left, was also not ideal. The cover is made out of a really soft recycled cardboard which is incredibly flexible, especially in the horizontal direction (that's the grain line of the paper). Each hole was very messy because the cardboard was so soft - making holes so close together almost ripped the cover in a few places.

To top it all off, the QR code doesn't reliably scan, which is a necessity. Not sure exactly why, and it's probably multiple things, including the thread not being thick enough and the cover being floppy and messy.

The Sketchbook Project allows you to re-bind and totally re-make your book as long as it falls within certain dimensions. I think that's the route I'll have to take. I really would love to stitch on paper, but I might have to stick with cloth or maybe a combination of the two.

Sketchbook Project: Stitches and Folds

Learning how to draw and sketch has been on my to-do list for quite some time. So, when I heard about the Sketchbook Project, I decided that was the perfect new challenge for myself. Basically, you commit to completing a 32-page sketchbook. You pick a theme as a starting point from 40 or so topics. Once you complete the sketchbook, you return it to the Brooklyn Art Library, and those sketchbooks go on tour to various art centers throughout the country (and world?) and can be checked out like normal library books. You can even have your book digitized and uploaded online. After the tour, the book will be cataloged at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. If anyone looks at or checks out your sketchbook, you can be notified. Fun!

My theme: Stitches and Folds, which goes perfectly with my love of embroidery and origami. I'm interested in exploring embroidery on paper, something I did a little with my art journal challenge, and incorporating it with other forms of art (like drawing).