Coptic Stitch Bookbinding 古老式手缝书

I have learned Kettle stitch and French stitch bookbinding techniques. Both stitches are beautiful. This time I'm learning another bookbinding technique, Coptic binding, a very old bookbinding technique which was used from as early as 2nd century AD by the early Christians in ancient Egypt. The stitches look like connected chain. Hence, some called it Chain stitch binding. 

The original method of Coptic stitch binds all the signatures and the book cover together with a connected stitch. Hence, Coptic binding can hold the signatures and the cover together tightly compare to Kettle stitch and French stitch binding which only bind the signatures together but not the cover. 

At the recent bookbinding workshop that I attended, I learned two methods of Coptic stitch binding; one is the original method, the other one is the modified method which only binds the signatures together but not the cover. I find the modified method is more convenient to prepare as I can bind the signatures first and then decide on the design of the book cover later on.

Original method of Coptic binding

Binding all signatures and book cover together with a connected stitch

Modified Coptic binding method

Beautiful Coptic stitch

Bookmark

Apple Farm 苹果园

I haven't been doing clay craft for a long while. Afraid that my resin clay stock might turn dry and harden (since I have bought them some time ago), I took them out to make decoration for a photo frame. Sad to find out that a few blocks of my clay stock have dried up a little bit. It makes molding rather difficult when the clay is dry. I have to soften it by adding some mineral oil and knead it for a few times. 

After an afternoon of hard work, here is my latest piece of clay craft ~ Apple Farm. I used checked fabric from my stash to make the hair scarf and apron for the young lady. The rest of the piece are made using resin clay.

When I finished the piece, I felt like having an apple for tea. Haha..

Have a great day and do have an apple, which might keep the doctor away :)

Young lady with a bucket of apples

A wooden cart filled with apples

Apple farm

Young lady with apples from a different angle

I just love the smile on her face

Strawberries Skirt 草莓裙子

After the success of my first pair of summer pants for my boy. I tried making a skirt for my girl. Well, I thought sewing a skirt should be much easier than a pair of pants. Well, I was not entirely right.

Following the same steps for making the summer pants, I took my girl's existing skirt, traced and cut out the fabric. Big mistake! I forgot to make extra measurement for the skirt to flare. Too tight at the hip. So I removed the stitches and patched it with extra fabric. I also patched it with a different fabric to add a new dimension to the skirt.
Thank goodness that the skirt out turned out fine after the "restoration". 

I am so happy that I have learned another skill, to make a skirt. Looking forward to making more skirts!

Strawberries skirt

A little velvet ribbon to add style

Strawberries prints with tiny polka dot

Yey, a new skirt!