Manuela
Medugno
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Sketchbooks
I decided I wanted to use fun colors and exciting textures for
the pages - I thought that distancing from what a normal
sketchbook looks like would make them more interesting and fun. There was a lot of thought on the color combinations for
each sketchbook.
The first sketchbook I made was in 2022, as a gift for a friend. I was surprised with how good and sturdy it looked, and I immediately wanted to make more. I made eight more sketchbooks in the following months, to sell at a market. This gave me more experience and knowledge in bookbinding, and I wanted to more, and better sketchbooks. That’s how I created this collection, with 3 different sketchbook sizes, and many color combinations :)
I decided I wanted to use fun colors and exciting textures for
the pages - I thought that distancing from what a normal
sketchbook looks like would make them more interesting and fun. There was a lot of thought on the color combinations for
each sketchbook.
To make the sketchbooks, I start by folding each paper in half, and assembling them in groups of five. Then, I puncture each page using a needle: three holes in the middle. I then sew the group together, doing a saddle stitch. After sewing all the groups, I lay all of them together and try to figure out what colors for each sketchbook - I also put the groups together in five, so each sketchbook has 50 pages. After deciding what colors I like together, I glue the spine using bookbinding glue and a piece of felt on top to keep it all together. After dried, the sketchbook is almost complete. I cut them using a paper cutting machine, which leaves the pages crisp and straight - the best finishing touch. Using the same machine, I measure and cut the covers as well - for these sketchbooks I used colored cardboard. When cut, I will then either screenprint a design on the covers or glue a nice fabric. The final step: glue the covers down!