{"id":10278,"date":"2015-12-27T01:00:16","date_gmt":"2015-12-27T06:00:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/?p=10278"},"modified":"2025-09-15T15:47:03","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T19:47:03","slug":"bookbinder-of-the-month-kathy-abbott-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/27\/bookbinder-of-the-month-kathy-abbott-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Bookbinder of the Month: Kathy Abbott"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"LovesLaboursLost-KathyAbbott\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This 2006 binding from Kathy Abbott<\/a> is Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost\u00a0<\/em>with illustrations by Berkeley Sutcliffe. The binding is covered in full pink goatskin and includes multi-colored goatskin onlays. The top edge is colored pink to match the leather.<\/p>\n

One of the reasons that I wanted to do this interview with you is that you create such striking and simplistic designs, which really push forward the beauty of the leather. What is your selection process for choosing the perfect leather?
\n<\/strong>I adore the graininess of Nigerian goatskin: every skin tells a different story through its grain. Depending on which angle you cut your piece of covering leather, you can express a landscape, a sea, a wind, trees; all sorts. I don\u2019t often use the spine of the skin on the spine of my books: I find it much more interesting to move my template window around the skin until I find something more arresting about the grain. I also love all the faults on skins: dyeing faults, holes, scars etc.<\/p>\n

When I have read my text, I set off to find the perfect skin to express as much of the story as possible. I have often looked through a hundred or more skins at the tannery until I find the \u2018right\u2019 one: the poor guys at Harmatan<\/a> have been so patient with me over the years! Often, I have found it difficult to embellish the skin I have chosen, as the grain is saying everything I want to say about the text. I do all I can to celebrate the beauty in every skin I use.<\/p>\n

Sadly, we can no longer get Nigerian goatskins because of the political situation there. So obtaining anything grainy now is a challenge as the grain of Indian goatskins is quite flat in comparison. Luckily I have a large stock of Nigerian skins, so I will be ok for a while, but I won\u2019t be able to be so choosy in the future.<\/p>\n

\"NewYorkRevisited-KathyAbbott\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This is a binding of Kenneth Auchincloss’s New York Revisited<\/em> that includes wood engravings by Gaylord Shanilec. The book was published by The Grolier Club of New York in 2002. Kathy covered the binding in full black goatskin and detailed the covered with handmade paper onlays. Click on the image to get a full sense of the graininess of the leather.<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This 2006 binding from Kathy Abbott is Shakespeare’s Love’s Labour’s Lost\u00a0with illustrations by Berkeley Sutcliffe. The binding is covered in full pink goatskin and includes multi-colored goatskin onlays. The top edge is colored pink to match the leather. One of the reasons that I wanted to do this interview with you is that you create […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[12,68,13],"tags":[1867,1939,1148],"class_list":["post-10278","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-binder-of-the-month","category-bookbinding","category-feature-book-of-the-week","tag-bookbinding","tag-kathy-abbott","tag-leather-binding"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2Btis-2FM","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":10197,"url":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/06\/bookbinder-of-the-month-kathy-abbott\/","url_meta":{"origin":10278,"position":0},"title":"Bookbinder of the Month: Kathy Abbott","author":"Erin Fletcher","date":"December 6, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Jumping back to 2008 with this binding of William Shakespeare's As You Like It. Kathy Abbott bound this 1903 Roycroft Shop edition in full scarlet goatskin. The cascading hearts are black goatskin onlays. The head edge is gilt using moon gold. I\u2019ve noticed that you never title your bindings. What\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "binder of the month"","block_context":{"text":"binder of the month","link":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/category\/binder-of-the-month\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/AsYouLikeIt-KathyAbbott.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/AsYouLikeIt-KathyAbbott.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/AsYouLikeIt-KathyAbbott.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/AsYouLikeIt-KathyAbbott.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10261,"url":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/20\/bookbinder-of-the-month-kathy-abbott-3\/","url_meta":{"origin":10278,"position":1},"title":"Bookbinder of the Month: Kathy Abbott","author":"Erin Fletcher","date":"December 20, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The 1926 Nonesuch Press edition of Herman Melville's Benito Cereno\u00a0with illustrations by E. McKnight Kauffer was bound by Kathy Abbott in 2013. The book was bound in full grey goatskin with recessed paper inlays. The head edge was gilt in Caplain leaf to appear distressed. I would love to talk\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "binder of the month"","block_context":{"text":"binder of the month","link":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/category\/binder-of-the-month\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/BenitoCerano3-KathyAbbott.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/BenitoCerano3-KathyAbbott.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/BenitoCerano3-KathyAbbott.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/BenitoCerano3-KathyAbbott.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10293,"url":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/31\/bonus-bookbinder-of-the-month-kathy-abbott\/","url_meta":{"origin":10278,"position":2},"title":"Bonus \/\/ Bookbinder of the Month: Kathy Abbott","author":"Erin Fletcher","date":"December 31, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I am ending my interview with Kathy Abbott with a bonus post. The binding above is Winged Chariot by Walter de la Mare. Kathy completed this binding in 2012 by covering the book in full burgundy goatskin. The tooled designs are done in Caplain leaf and the head edge is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "binder of the month"","block_context":{"text":"binder of the month","link":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/category\/binder-of-the-month\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/WingedChariot-KathyAbbott.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/WingedChariot-KathyAbbott.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/WingedChariot-KathyAbbott.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/WingedChariot-KathyAbbott.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10182,"url":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/2015\/12\/01\/december-bookbinder-of-the-month-kathy-abbott\/","url_meta":{"origin":10278,"position":3},"title":"December \/\/ Bookbinder of the Month: Kathy Abbott","author":"Erin Fletcher","date":"December 1, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"On a Calm Shore\u00a0is a 1960 edition by Frances Cornford with illustrations by Christopher Cornford. In 2015, Kathy Abbott bound this copy\u00a0in full grey goatskin with recessed and embossed onlays with relief printing. The edges are decorated and printed to match the design on the covers. Can you walk us\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "binder of the month"","block_context":{"text":"binder of the month","link":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/category\/binder-of-the-month\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/OnACalmShore5-KathyAbbott.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/OnACalmShore5-KathyAbbott.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/OnACalmShore5-KathyAbbott.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/OnACalmShore5-KathyAbbott.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":6361,"url":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/2013\/08\/04\/bookbinder-of-the-month-annette-friedrich\/","url_meta":{"origin":10278,"position":4},"title":"Bookbinder of the Month: Annette Friedrich","author":"Erin Fletcher","date":"August 4, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"In 2010, Annette Friedrich bound Ovid's Elegies and Epigrams of Sir John Davies by Ovid and Sir John Davies with woodcut illustrations by John Nash. This is one of my favorite bindings of Annette's due to the rich, vibrant colors and the contrast between the smooth tooled lines and the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "binder of the month"","block_context":{"text":"binder of the month","link":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/category\/binder-of-the-month\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/toolingovid-annettefriedrich.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/toolingovid-annettefriedrich.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/toolingovid-annettefriedrich.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/toolingovid-annettefriedrich.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1291,"url":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/2012\/09\/02\/bookbinder-of-the-month-sybil-pye-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":10278,"position":5},"title":"Bookbinder of the Month: Sybil Pye","author":"Erin Fletcher","date":"September 2, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"In 1931, Sybil Pye bound this copy of Christina Rossetti's\u00a0Poems from Gregynog Press. \u00a0A full leather binding of dark green goatskin with inlaid shapes of bright green and natural goatskin. \u00a0Gold tooling is done with her custom brass tools. \u00a0This binding is owned by the Wormsley Library. \u00a0","rel":"","context":"In "binder of the month"","block_context":{"text":"binder of the month","link":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/category\/binder-of-the-month\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/poems.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/poems.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/poems.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10278","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10278"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10278\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10283,"href":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10278\/revisions\/10283"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10278"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10278"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.herringbonebindery.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10278"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}