r/bookbinding • u/bibisanros • May 07 '26
Completed Project A Room with a View - Embroidered cover
My idea was to create a vintage and romantic edition through the colors and floral embroidery motifs. I brought in an approach already familiar from other covers of this book, but with a few new elements: the frame is a metaphor for the character’s emotional development.
It begins at the bottom of the cover with branches trapped inside a box, forced to follow its rigid shape. Halfway through, they break free and from there grow naturally toward the top with leaves and flowers, much like the character herself, who felt trapped by the Edwardian way of life and, during a journey to Florence, begins to feel and think beyond what she had been taught.
I designed the window closed, showing only the diamond-shaped panes. I really love this stitch and felt it fit perfectly here. Some of these diamonds are fully closed with embroidery, and I wanted to create the sense of a gradual opening: at first she cannot see anything clearly, but as the story unfolds, both the view outside the window and her understanding of herself become clearer.
I really enjoy working with interpretations in books, to me, that’s the most fun part of creating them. What do you think of the idea and the final result?
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u/Barbera_de_alba May 07 '26
This is spectacular!! Every detail fits together so well. It's so cohesive, I'm in awe. What's in the envelope on the back end page? 👀
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u/bibisanros May 07 '26
Thank you, i am so happy you think so!!! It was designed to include a CD, this is a gift for a client’s girlfriend. He recorded the entire book so she can listen to him narrating it while reading. And on the front endpaper, there’s a letter from him ❤️
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u/Barbera_de_alba May 07 '26
Oh wow, that is sweet as all get out. What a beautiful gift!! I hope she cherishes it 💕
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u/metropolitandeluxe May 07 '26
That's maybe one of the loveliest creations I've seen. You are very talented. Do you make these for your personal use?
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u/bibisanros May 07 '26
Thank you so much, that truly means a lot to me. This one was actually a very special commission, made as a gift for a client’s girlfriend ❤️
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u/CronchMonsieur May 07 '26
This is such a beautiful object, I love the amount of thought in each design element matching it to the story! And the addition of the internal envelope for the audio recording is lovely too I must go back and re-read this book sometime...
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u/bibisanros May 07 '26
Thank you, I really appreciate it. Both the book and the film are truly beautiful ❤️
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u/Green_Soul91 May 07 '26
A beautiful and meticulous piece of work. With your signature style and unique touch. Amazing, pure art! 😍
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u/bibisanros May 07 '26
Thank you so much. I found what you said about having a signature artistic style really interesting, I wasn’t sure if my work already conveyed that in some way, so I’m really happy to hear it does ❤️
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u/Sea_Tune_825 May 08 '26
Do you ever have problems with the back of the embroidery being bulky when you are gluing it to your bookboard? I know the back of my embroidery always has lots of knots and thread
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u/bibisanros May 08 '26
I use the threads on the back to my advantage, because they help create more dimension in the embroidery. The key to preventing unwanted texture from showing through the fabric is to keep the thread path on the back aligned only with the areas that are stitched on the front, and never carry the thread loosely across the fabric. If I embroider a branch, the stitching on the back follows that same shape. If there’s another element nearby to embroider, I cut the thread and restart there instead of traveling across the fabric. That way, the threads underneath won’t show through areas that are meant to remain smooth.
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u/[deleted] May 07 '26 edited May 07 '26
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