quilt books

Wat an absolutely brilliant idea!!! Have had the pages fall out of a couple of well-used books and Sandy's solution would solve that problem plus then the books can be laid SO flat. Have just received French Braid Quilts by Jane Hardy Miller and Stained Glass Applique [the fused way] from Amazon and the Stained Glass binding is looking dodgy already.

First post for this little black duck since we left home for Far North Queensland a lifetime ago [and probably the last for a while].........so bleedin' hot and humid up here.......SO glad we had an aircon installed into the caravan before we left.

Wendy in NSW [temporarily in FNQ]

I've done that with a couple of my favorite paper-bound cookbooks, too.

Julia > I've taken a few of my quilt books to the print shop and had comb binders

A good book is bound right the first time. No one should have to pay to re-bind a new $30 book before reading it.

It's not the first time I've heard of book binding glue problems and won't be the last because it is happening at more publishing houses. The last time I was in a book store 4 of the 20 or so books I picked up were already losing pages. It's a problem caused by greed----cheaper glue = more company profit. Unless the book company has to pay for the defective binding in some form or another they won't change to a better glue. I will avoid purchasing poorly bound books whenever possible, and return any I do buy for a full refund. Hopefully others will do the same because a drop in sales and rise in refunding of money to customers is the only way to convince companies to change. Debra in VA See my quilts at

oh oh...this almost sneaked by me!!! Can I anticipate too? :-) I probably won't be at a computer much this coming week, so I might miss the big announcement. In fact, in a way I hope I DO!!! :-) I certainly hope this is THE week!

OK.. I gather from this you are publishing a book? Awesome!! Tell me more ?

Exactly! I'm the same way... and I add too my quilting favorites. I'll cut out pictures from Keepsake Quilting catalog kits for instance, and glue it into a similar pattern/design from one of my quilting books. Mine are used most frequently as inspiration, so I make them mine. Tape, glue -- pictures of other stuff -- it's all there, and it's mine.

I used to (eons ago, back in the dark days when dinosaurs walked the earth) treat books with far more hmmm... not exactly respect, but I would finish every book I started (assuming it had to be good to be published) Now, hahahah.

Mine are mine. I make them so, and if they aren't good for Keeper status, I might take out the pattern I want and offer the remains on Freecycle... craft goodies go quickly there and, well, I just went through about 20 of the older Craft magazines I had on hand, keeping a few ideas, and the rest? Well, the lady who came was happy.

Just in case I jinx the whole process, can I wait until I actually have the books here? I hope you don't mind, Gerda, but the year has been fraught with downs and more downs!! Trying not to be stupid, but it gives me the shakes ... ... >g< . In message , Gerda writes

Of course, surely don't want to jinx anything!! Bet you are so excited you are nearly unable to sleep!!

Just keep 'ho-humming', Jeanne! . In message , nzlstar* writes

"nzlstar* " writes

I don't seem to have a problem with books falling apart (at least not quilting books).

I did have a binding (spiral, I think) put on my DJ book - this was on recommendation from some DJ discussion group. But I did that straight when I got it, so I don't know if it would have fallen apart otherwise.

I agree that respectful use should not make a book fall apart, but if it is one I'm using a lot, then I might consider getting it bound differently - it is easier to do while it is still in one piece, no?

I had one book at work (my own, from my undergrad days) fall apart. It was getting ridiculous, and in the end I just got the new edition. Og course, I still use the old one, even though it no longer travels :-)

Hanne > Don't do anything rash Debra. If it is just me and Elly

On the other hand----there are more fingers. (Sorry, I just like that line.) I have a friend who has the spine cut off of all her paperbound books and then gets them punched and plastic ring binders put on so they lie flat when open like some cookbooks. My experience says to reinforce the covers where they will be punched or the books will come apart again. Also, cut a paper pocket folder & have a page or 2 of it bound in to hold pattern sheets.

Jane in NE Ohio where we are having a clear but chilly day

Howdy!

More feedback: I've never had it happen to any of my quilt books, and I have several, newer & older, from C&T Publishing. IF it happened I'd contact C&Tpub

to report theproblem & ask what they would do/offer to fix it. Not reporting itdoesn't solve the problem, nor does not buying from that particularcompany; they might not notice the difference in sales, & certainlywouldn't know why. In the big, wide world of book publishing there may be a case now & then when the glue didn't hit the binding machine at the right time (happens w/ paper bags & wrappers often enough). Wouldn't tar the entire company w/ the same brush; sh#t happens. ;-)

R/Sandy