Short Video of My Bookbinding Project

The process is exacting. The covers have to be cut to the right length as well as the spine. It must be placed in the right place on the cover for glueing. I've used almost 30 ounces of glue to make eight books, a good portion of a roll of waxed dental floss for binding/sewing the pages together and a couple yards of material for the covers. You have to be careful not to glue everything in sight. Waxed paper helps. I still have to put a title on the front and perhaps the spine for the editions. Almost done.

In the Process of Binding My book(s) of My Family History

This will be my last update and final version of my family history. It's all done except for putting the block of text into a handbound cover. Actually, there are two volumes to the history. I've tried to include everything pertinent including complete ancestral lines to over a dozen families in our ancestral background, famous ancestors, photos, various documents, letters and notes from relatives and as much anecdotal history as I could find (as opposed to just dates).

The process for assembling a hardbound book goes something like this (keeping in mind that the print is only on one side of a couple hundred pages of 11x8.5" paper:
1. Put together the block of pages.
2. Glue the spine side of them.
3. Drill holes close to the spine and sew the pages together. I used waxed dental floss for its strength.
4. Attach end pages and glue again.
5. Glue a saddle (also called a mull) to the spine of the block.
6. Glue the 1/8" cardboard covers and spine to a cloth cover.
7. Setting the block properly within the cover, glue each end page to the covers while also glueing the saddle to end page and the cover.

Some photos are shown to the right of the book blocks, with saddle, cardboard sheets from which I cut the covers. It's not all finished yet, but close.

This Season's Work So Far...see Column of images on the right

I've posted five images of the paintings I've finished so far this winter season. I took the pictures on a rainy, dark day inside, so the images do not do the work justice (in my opinion). Three of these will enter the member's exhibit at the Attleboro Arts Museum in the next few days.

Auction Results

I am so pleased. Both of my paintings sold. "Village Shoppes at Night" sold for $308 and was the highest selling painting in the silent auction. The other, 'Chariot Tracks in Ancient Pompeii' sold for $108. The paintings are visible in my earlier post of October 12.

It is interesting to note that both have been shown in Art Shows in Taunton and Attleboro. 'Chariot' won a first place in Taunton. 'Village' didn't win a thing either place, but certainly had more appeal to the public.

Silent Auction

I'd like to know how 'they' chose which items went into the live auction and which were placed into the silent auction. It turns out both of my donations were part of the silent auction. The silent auction went on after a couple weeks of online bidding and continued all night through the live auction. There were three sections of items in the silent auction, i.e. A, B, and C. Mine was the first item in Section A and got a great placement with maximum visibility. Some of the others were tucked around a corner. There were three to four very active bidders which served to generate quickly higher prices. It was fun to check the bidding sheet from time to time and receive one pleasant surprise after another.

That's it for now.

Attleboro Arts Museum Charity Auction (cont'd)

As I have never been to one of these before, I was duly impressed. The event was well-organized and professionally executed. A buffet of hors d-oeuvres downstairs. An open bar. All was covered by the $35 entry fee. My entry was free since I was a donator. The auctioneer was quite good and moved things along.

Although we left before the event concluded, I would not be surprised if the lady shown in my picture to the right was the eventual winner of my painting. Several bidders returned to up their bid, but she always seemed to be there to outbid them, returning perhaps 8-10 times to up her bid.

We did not see any of the silent auction items get anywhere the number of bids as my "Village Shoppes at Night'. It was exciting, amusing and satisfying to actually witness the interest first-hand.

I'll report back, probably early this week, with the final results.

Auction

The auction was very well attended, especially considering the blowing, rainy, raw weather outside.

Attleboro Arts Museum Charity Auction

We just got back from the auction held tonight. We left a little early. I donated two paintings which ended up in the silent auction. They both sold. One of them had the most activity of any other works (that we saw). Silent bidders went through three bidding sheets by the time we left. The opening bid of $98 had risen to $248 by the time we left (with probably 45 minutes to an hour left). I was quite pleased to see how much interest there was. Must have been a dozen or more bidders with several placing many individual ones, coming back every 10 minutes to be the highest. I'll find out soon if the bids went higher.

More tomorrow.