I made this book in winter 2007, while living in a Native Skills community in the Wisconsin northwoods. I've been using it everyday, since. I wake up and write my dreams into this book. I reference the book for my daily schedule, to check my moon cycle, and to record my daily activities and musings. When I finish all of the pages, I just make a new little book of pages, remove the existing pages from the leather cover, then attach the new book into the leather cover. This book has traveled with me all over the USA and Asia. It probably knows the nature of my thoughts and emotions of the past 8 years more intimately than anyone else. I'm so grateful to have this book in my life, and have now created off-spring from its original design. If you would like to buy such an off-spring journal, then please message me through email or Facebook. They are for sale! I'll make you one (or more), if you so wish.
The leather cover changes cover over time, darkening with age, through continued handling. It turns a beautiful dark brown, like wood that is continually touched: there is a dark glossy sheen, and the feel of old memories worn in place. The new books are more lightly colored than my book (pictured above). You will get to create your own memories and establish your own relationship with that book, and watch it grow and change over time.
I include a little note in the book that welcomes you to your new journal friend, and has instructions for how to make refill pages. For those of you who don't know how to make books, or who are interested in my (super simple) book-making techniques, I included those instructions, below. Have fun!
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How to Make a 120-page Refill Book
1. Make 3 piles of 8.5 x 11 size paper, with 10 sheets in each pile.
2. Cut each pile in half, length-wise (You now have 6 piles of 8.5 x 5.5 size paper.)
3. Fold each pile of paper in half, width-wise. (You now have 6 little booklets of 4.25 x 5.5 size paper.)
4. Place the 6 booklets on top of each other, with the folded edges aligned. The combined folded edges is the book spine. Draw a line down the center of the book spine, and
a line on either side of the center line, about one inch from the edge. This line delineates where you’ll bind the booklets together, into the book.
5. Cut a triangle, drill a hole, or directly poke a hole into the three points on each booklet.
6. Sew the books together. Using about a 1 foot length of strong string, start by inserting it through the central and top holes of your first booklet. Tie a knot outside
of the booklet, leaving one end of the string about 3 inches long, and the rest as the long end.
7. Taking the long end of the string, thread it into the central hole of the next booklet. After pulling it all the way through the booklet, pass the string back out.
8. Pass the string through the corresponding hole in the next booklet, which should be the top hole. (Optional: loop it under the loop of the first booklet before entering
the next hole, to pull it tighter first.)
9. Continue threading in and out of the booklet along the top and central holes of the booklets. When you get to the last booklet, continue this pattern along the bottom and
central holes. (Make sure that you tighten the string after each booklet, and keep the string taut.)
10. Tie a knot when you eventually thread your way back to the beginning string.
11. Attach a different 5 inch piece of string to the top and bottom holes of your book. Your book is now ready to go into the book-cover.
12. Pass the three pieces of string attached to the book through your book-cover’s spine holes, then tie knots to bind them to the book.
13. Enjoy your new book! You can use this technique to make a new refill book each time you finish a book. Thus, this leather book-cover can last you a lifetime.
