Boxes and Bibles

Whew! Today I completed two of the largest Bible boxes I've ever made (above). When loaded with their Bibles--they're heavy! I gave each a special pullout tray with a leather finger loop to make it easier to remove the Bibles.

I've been backed up with work, to the point where I was feeling stressed. I love Bible repair and plan to keep doing it, but must admit those 15-pound Family Bibles seem to get heavier with each passing year.

 

This Bible (below), was only 7" high by 5" wide--not heavy at all! I preserved the original covers and inset them into the new covers. The box has a special folder to hold all the inclusions I found among the pages.

Bible repair is completed

 

I am happy with this repair, and I trust the client will also be happy when they pick it up Monday. Whew…a lot of work! (The white strip in the photo protects the client’s privacy since I imprinted their name on the front cover.)

Rebuilding a text block

 This Bible has been quite a challenge. Paper repair has taken a long time! But the sewn text block is now complete except for endpapers.

It occurs to me that I should add some context. I posted the initial photo January 9. Less than a week later, I was having an emergency surgery for a ruptured appendix. Then a three-week recovery. (I’m fine now.)  Two days after the doctor cleared me for “normal activity” I was wheeling a carry-on through the airport for an emergency trip to visit a sick relative. So….I am not the fastest bookbinder in the world, but this work did not take 3 months of uninterrupted labor!

First repair of 2023

 Well, this will be a challenge.