November 2015 Meeting & Results of the Binding Challenge.
I must start with an apology, I omitted to take the camera and record the nights events. So this is a compilation of others photos, we hope it will do some justice to the evenings events.
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| 16 entries laid out for assessment |
The final meeting for the year was an enjoyable evening. The buy swap and sell was interesting with Anne bringing along some goods from Mrs Burston, whose husband a long time member has pass on. David contributed some heavy black and red paper as a freebie, Robert bought along some books and materials, and there was lively discussion as people arrived, lodged their competition entries, and examined the offerings.
Debra, Mary and Kirsty has all attended a workshop with Peter Lewis, conducted at Rutherford Books, and showed us the results. Their springback bindings showed individuality of finish, which displaying the distinctives of account book bindings. Thanks Peter for you hospitality in provision of accommodation, and your wife Carole for her provision of sustenance for the weekend.
The competition entries were laid out, and we were pleased to have 16 entries from 7 entrants, with Kirsty providing 7 entries, Deborah 3, Debra 2, and Mary, Joe, Gail and myself with one each.
This was our first competition, and yours truly wanted an assessment system which would encourage thoughtful assessment. However having done so, discovered that it would take hours to enter all the data from the 20 people present and arrive at a proper conclusion. So having completely messed up on the basement system, I cried mia culpa, and told everyone they would need to wait to find the answer. It would be published on the web, and Tim kindly agreed to do (or have a student do) the hackwork on Excel to add the 20 entries and arrive at the solution. Thanks Tim.
Results
Assessment was divided into 4 categories' each worth 25 points each, these were then added up to give totals, and then talled to give the overall score.
Presentation: Kirsty with item 2
Creativity: Gail with item 7
Workmanship: Kirsty with item 2
Materials used: Mary with Item 3
We had three prizes to award:
Best Overall: Fine Bookbinding by Jen Lindsay - awarded to Mary for Item 3
Best Creativity: Handmade Books: Charlotte Rivers - awarded to Gail for Item 7Best bookbinding techniques, a combination of the best presentation and best workmanship: Craft Bookbing by Linda Orriss - awarded to Kirsty for Item 2
We had three prizes to award:
Best Overall: Fine Bookbinding by Jen Lindsay - awarded to Mary for Item 3Best Creativity: Handmade Books: Charlotte Rivers - awarded to Gail for Item 7
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| Overall Winner: Mary Russell, Item 3, Ancestral Gifts* |
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| Most creative: Gail Stiffe, Item 7 |
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| Best Bookbinding techniques: Kirsty Batchelor, Item 2 |
My design and its faults
I introduced a surprise addition to the competition. I expected that members would be kind in their assessment. But one of the reasons for competition is to develop the ability to properly assess both our own and other works. The points scheme of the competition was aimed at encouraging critical thought, the evaluation of what we see. I wanted to provide an encouragement to be very thorough and critical on one item and see what really could be improved. I wanted to give our group an opportunity to try hard to see the faults, and name improvements. So I offered a prize to anyone who could correctly name the list of faults I had found in my entry. I had found 12 and listed these sealing it in an envelope with the prize, a $50.00 note. I also said I thought I would take it home with me.An interesting piece of collaboration occurred with most of the group contributing to a combined assessment of my entry.
My list of Binding Faults
- Spider web not a single thread
- Some web not in holes
- Cover liner not sanded flat internal
- End papers cracked wrong hinge design
- End paper wrinkled on front cover
- Book block edges not coloured
- Block fore edge not trimmed square
- Squares not even
- Rear cover not flat
- Leather corners rough
- Not a stab binding as block is glued
The collaborative result was 22 things which could be improved. From my point of view, this was all very informative and useful, but no one had the list I had in my hand even in the collaborative list. So I elected not to award the prize. However, I decided to award instead a special prize to Kirsty who provided seven entries, an excellent effort, so she took home the $50.00. So if you are interested in the analysis of the faults follow along...
* Ancestral gifts is a photographic record of an exhibition of the same name held at the
