Images of Tipo Cibo Vino (Legacy of Letters 2019) Part 12—Binding

The one thing we failed to accomplish during Tipo Cibo Vino in Cornuda was binding our printed sheets. In early September Sandro Berra of the Tipoteca shipped them to Peter Kruty Editions in Brooklyn. I then sounded out the Legacy of Letters 2019 participants to find a date when the greatest number of them could come to Brooklyn for a binding bee. We eventually settled on Saturday, October 26.

The day was sunny and cool—perfect autumnal weather. In the early afternoon, ten of us gathered at Peter Kruty Editions in the Sunset Park section of Brooklyn: my Legacy of Letters co-leader Patricia Childers and myself; our hosts Peter Kruty and Sayre Gaydos; and six participants from the summer’s workshop. Lucia McCreery came from the nearby neighborhood of Bay Ridge, Claire Lukacs came from Hoboken, New Jersey, Lucille Tenazas traveled down from Beacon, New York, Janine Wong trained in from the Boston suburbs, Laura Thoms flew in from Texas, and Emmy Yamaguchi (with a new blonde hair style) jetted all the way across the country from Los Angeles. It was a great turnout and a mini-reunion. We missed James Stroud (he was in Manhattan selling prints), Jane Perone, Jason Stadnik, and Shaina Pruden, who all had other obligations. But they were with us in spirit. And not to be forgotten was Frieda, Patricia’s dog, who rode around the studio in her mistress’ sling the entire day.

After we all got reacquainted, Peter and Sayre sorted each participants’ printed sheets into piles. Then we began collating the books. We had enough good prints to make an edition of 30 bound copies. Sayre explained the coptic stitch binding for the sheets and then cut us lengths of yellow thread to use. We all found work spaces at tables or at one of the three Vandercooks whose press beds had been covered by boards.

Then we set to work binding. Laura and Janine had previous experience with coptic bindings and they quickly finished their books. Along with Sayre, they helped the rest of us with our books. It was slow going, but by the end of the day we had managed as a group to complete nine books. We were spurred along early by a break for cheeses from Carpenedo (including the incredible Basajo, a soft grape must-covered blue cheese) which I brought from DiPalo in Manhattan. To accompany the cheese and crackers Peter mixed up a large pitcher of Aperol Spritz. It was almost like being back in the Veneto.

After we were done binding we ordered take-out Indian food for dinner. Although the food was not in keeping with the Italian theme of Tipo Cibo Vino, it didn’t diminish the fun we had or the fact that it  a very successful and satisfying day. As we said goodbye to Peter and Sayre, we vowed to do another Tipo Cibo Vino tour and workshop in 2020.

Below are some photographs from the binding bee.

Peter showing Claire how to fold the sheets.

Patricia and Claire folding signatures.

Sorting the folded sheets.

Peter preparing the jig for punching holes in the sheets.

Emmy watching Janine punching holes in the sheets.

Emmy checking the cover of the book.

Gathered signatures waiting to be bound.

Janine sewing a book.

Sayre sewing a book.

Lucia and Laura binding books.

Claire and Sayre sewing books.

Emmy checking the binding on a book.

Janine and Laura looking at a bound copy of the book.

Lucille, Sayre, and Emmy admiring Lucille’s spread in the book.

Janine, Sayre, and Patricia (with Frieda the dog) discussing the bound book.