Practice makes practice

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A good friend of mine has a mantra, Practice makes Practice. To me that means that the more I do something, the easier it becomes, the more I can do something easily, the quicker I am, the more I can get done, the more I can polish the skill and so on. 

The text block is sewn together. 


But wouldn't you know I had to do that twice. I decided after the first go around I didn't like the thread thickness. Now it is pasted up and waiting for rounding and backing. 

Thread has also been ordered from Colophon Book Arts Supply and has arrived! 
In hindsight I should have finished my design first so that I would know what colors to order, but having chosen the rainbow, I think I'm covered. 

I am enjoying the process of designing the spines even if it is slow going. 
I managed to recreate Elizabeth Drinker's poppy and now need to see if I can scale it down enough to fit on the spine. Possibly the poppy will go sideways, not up and down. 

At each step I'm learning I should do something different. First I thought I should just sketch out a design in the correct proportion and space, then I realized I had to do it on a grid. And now I'm thinking I need to go back to the mock up and make a complete text block so that I can see how many more spaces I have on the shoulders of the book. The spine across is 18 stitches, but I think I'm going to get at least 4 more on either side.

Then of course there are other distractions:
I make a mess when I work. For years I've been storing my prisma color pencils rubber banded together in a zip lock bag. Well, who can find the right colors in this mess? 

Inspired by the same friend with the mantra, I organized the colors into jars. This works quite well as long as I remember to put the pencil back in the jar when I'm finished with it. 

And of course, Jacques is always good for an enforced break.
 I mean, what else would I be doing except waiting for him to grace me with his presence to be petted? We came to a compromise a long time ago. As long as the two back paws are still on my lap he is not technically on the table.

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