Codex Style Bookbinding

Background:
This was my second experiment with bookbinding. This style of binding is similar to the codex bindings.

Materials:
I started out by folding 4 pieces of paper into folios, then nesting them to make a signature. I repeated this process to make 6 signatures and then placed 4 holes in each of the signatures. I then sewed the signatures together with linen thread to form the bookblock and coated the spine with glue.

I then made the bookcover. I started with a piece of bookcloth and added a heavy piece of paper to form the spine. I then glued the bookboards onto the bookcloth and added the decorative paper. I finished by wrapping the decorative paper around the ends of the bookboards.

I then assembled the book. First I glued the headbands on (the white pieces you can see at the top and bottom of the spine) and tested the bookblock inside the cover. I then glued the front and rear pages in, smoothing them down as I went. I finished by creasing the spine.

Notes:
I can see where I didn't quite get the interior smooth by the spine - this has to do with where the bookblock is placed inside the book and is a practice thing. Also, on the spine I didn't quite get the crease correctly.