When Vintage Linens Become a Book

There is something deeply satisfying about finishing a textile book.

For me, every book is an opportunity to explore new ideas – not just for the pages themselves, but for the way the book is constructed. I am endlessly fascinated by bookbinding and the many ways fabric, thread, and stitch can come together to hold a story.

This latest book let me try something completely new. My friend and fellow artist and stitcher Aitor Saraiba generously showed me the way he binds his textile books. His approach stayed with me, and I knew I wanted to explore it in my own work. This book became the perfect opportunity – in fact, it was started just to try the binding method.

The pages are made from vintage linens – old tablecloths and napkins that have already lived long, useful lives. I love imagining the hands that embroidered them, washed them, and gathered around them over countless meals. Now they begin a new chapter.

Each page is layered with pieces of linen, lace, vintage trims, fragments of doilies, buttons, and, of course, plenty of hand stitching. For the first time, I finally welcomed beads into one of my textile books. They had to find their way in eventually! I also finished the covers with a beaded edge, adding just a little extra sparkle and texture.

Inside the front cover, I stitched a pocket from a beautiful piece of wide vintage lace – a small detail that makes me smile every time I open the book.

The book is made up of twelve single pages, sewn together into three signatures of four pages each before being bound into the covers. I enjoyed every step of the process, watching all the individual pieces gradually become a finished book.

One of the things I love most about making textile books is that no two are ever alike. Each one teaches me something new, whether it’s a binding method, a decorative detail, or simply a different way of looking at the materials in front of me.

This book feels like another step along that journey. And before I put it on the shelf, I have already cut the fabric for the next one. A different binding, a different direction… and a whole lot of pink.

Thanks for reading. Until I write again, I hope everyone takes time to make something beautiful,

Ana

PS: I am going to leave you with a post I wrote a few years back and it is still relevant in my life and my creative practice today.

The Art of Slow Stitching