Nearly there.

The pages are all finished and stacked in the right order and the right way up! I treated each page like a signature and stitched them individually then threaded strips of calico through on the back to go right round in order to hold them all together. I have stuck the strips to the top and bottom pages and when the cover is complete I will stick the insides of the cover to the top and bottom of the stack. I hope that makes sense. This bit is very scary as I don't really know what I'm doing but it seems to be working so far. The book looks enormous in this photograph and is about 18x25cms - 7"x10"for those who still think in feet and inches. It's about 6cms or two and a half inches thick.

I am in the process of decorating the cover and it is going to be quite ornate. I started with pelmet vilene cut to shape and applied gesso to it, adding scraps of torn muslin and scrim here and there with more gesso to hold it down. I found a scrap of crunchy lace to go over the arch shape and applied that at the same time. I then sprayed all over the surface with Medici Walnut colours and Moonshadow Mist. This looked a bit too colourful even though I had used browns and greens, so when it had dried I painted the whole thing with diluted acrylic in burnt umber. It is more bronze than grey, as it appears in this pic. I will add my favourite automatic stitch and raised chain band border, then work on an inner border and corner decorations. Behind the arch I will add a title feature and hope to make a clasp of some sort. Still plenty to do.

I took advantage of the fine weather today and put in some sweet williams which have been patiently waiting for my attention, and replanted all the bulbs I made homeless when the pond was enlarged. The weeds are still growing so there will be quite a few more gardening sessions before I can put it to bed for the winter.

Another busy week ahead as I am stewarding all day at the Bristol Guild on Tuesday as well as Friday. We are getting about 30 or 40 of visitors each day during the week but Saturdays are really busy. It always surprises me how suddenly the time for an exhibition arrives although during the planning and preparation stages it seems to be an age away. I felt very sorry for our hanging committee who have done such a great job. Last week there was a spot check by some Health and Safety or Fire Safety officer who decided that soft hangings on the stairs were a hazard and must be moved into the main gallery and replaced by framed pieces. What a palaver! The stairs seemed to be the ideal place for the soft hangings, some of which were quite long, and it had taken two days to select the best positions for everything and fit the special screws to be slotted into the hanging system and then actually hang it all, but I must say when I went in again last Friday and saw the new layout it still looked really good, and I doubt whether anyone not in the know would realise that half the exhibits had been moved. It all comes down on Monday Nov.1st and then we can start working towards the next one.