After I received an email requesting a link to a tutorial for Coptic books with linen spines (of such tutorial I have no knowledge of, but maybe one day I'll make one), I realised it had been years since I last made any. The situation has now been rectified after I finished these two books last night! The loose fabric spine gives the Coptic binding a little more support and protects the sewing on the spine from friction.
The wedding guest book season is pretty much here already, so I decided to go with white linen for the first two of the lot I have in the making. These spines were decorated using gold leaf and brushed to reveal more or less of the white linen underneath. I finished the spine strips with a coat of matte gel medium so they remain supple but don't carry on distressing themselves any further.
On my quick visit to Turku last week I picked up this beautiful white handmade lace paper that has a wonderful silky sheen and a grid pattern. To me it's perfect for lining inside covers as I'm not too keen on using patterned papers (the minimalist I am, apparently) - its grid texture and pattern is neutral but still interesting and luxurious.
See how perfectly the book opens! I'm so glad to have discovered a way to protect the spine without compromising flexibility. Of course the exposed sewing on plain Coptic bindings is super attractive, but it's nice to have some more variety.
Both books are now for sale in my Etsy shop. You can find the tall one here, and the squarer one here.