“It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it... Life is long if you know how to use it.”
–Seneca
We celebrated Søren’s 18th birthday with a trip to Delaware for bike rides and oysters. I am so thrilled that Søren will begin to live a whole new life so soon, but I will miss our art days and dinners and talks. I will miss our bike rides and walks and adventures. We will have to learn to talk on the phone (which sounds strangely fun!) I always look forward to change, but this is a tough one.
It is easy to feel like you haven’t done enough but looking through the abundance of photographs and journal pages, our lives actually feel quite full and wonderful!
On Homeschooling
We always wanted to homeschool, but in 3rd or 4th grade Søren got in trouble for drawing in class. In response, he wrote: “I will draw in class!” on the Peg and Awl reclaimed old school chalkboard. We used it to share our new journals, pouches, and chalk tablets, and took him out of school shortly after, where he drew and drew, happily ever after.
Our Brightest Sendaks – ’Tis the season!
Last week, we launched a small batch of three new Sendak colors – Egg Yolk, Persimmon, and Cochineal. Thank you for your warm reception of these Easter Brights.
Art Days with Søren
Art Day Partner
My Heart
From our visit to SCAD where Søren is headed in September!
Søren came into this world 5.5 weeks early to Gogol Bordello. Last week saw them in Philadelphia!
Above: Icecland in 2008 when and where Walter and I were married.
On Keeping a Journal
I love looking back at the journals I kept for Søren and Silas when they were so little. I put things they said or did or misunderstood in them. They scribbled on the pages. Here are some favourite funny moments from Søren when he was two and three, that had me laughing til tears this morning.
On Music
“Don't sing mama! When we both sing, I can't hear my noise.”
...
“Do you know what this song is? It sounds like a skeleton singing!”
On Travel
“I love when we do trips.”
On Directions
Søren, 5, was taking a sculpture class. “It’s there.” You pointed to the turn I missed. “If you ever think you know the way,” I said, “Tell me. You are usually right.” “Okay, but it's okay. It's just because you lost your memory.”
On Love
“Take your time loving me, mama.”
On Illness
“Coughing. “It’s the hurty kind, mama. The kind with corners in it.”
On Tasting Wine
“The hotness is still in my throat. I don't care for it.”
My Most Popular Instagram post ever was this portrait of Søren and the chess set he made when he was 10!
The Next Littles of Peg and Awl
Ashley makes the videos and helps me with newsletters every week. This is from last Saturday – always last minute chattering and pulling it together with her four kids in and out. We've started getting together at her new old farmhouse some Mondays bringing new energy to our work!
Ashley here. Many hours spent reading aloud to these littles, as did Margaux to the boys when they were the littles. Talking about our favourite picture books (see Margaux's book list below!) I was reminded – we adults must make way for imagination and the paths of childlike discovery, and leave our “well, actually’s” outside. Read The Little Prince! It’s not a hat, it’s an elephant inside of a boa constrictor.
Ex. Well actually, you can’t fly.
Substack + YouTube
Everywhere, Astonishments
I have a hard time looking back. When I do, it is the hurty kind, with corners. I managed to look through books we read when Søren and Silas were little and pull out some favourites to share.
Each one of these books (and oh so many more) prompt so many memories and adventures — the corners softened!
The Dark | Lemony Snicket and Jon Klassen
The Wonderful Fluffy Little Squishy | Beatrice Alemagna
When the Sky is Like Lace | Barbara Cooney
The Maggie B. | Irene Haas
Frederick | Leo Lionni
The Little Prince | Antoine DeSaint—Exupery
Grandad’s Island | Benji Davies
Outside Over There | Maurice Sendak
Pinocchio Retelling | Roberto Innocenti
The Listz | Kyo Maclear and Julia Sarda
The day this stinker rolled around in somebunny who no longer is,
Søren Turns 18!
“It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it... Life is long if you know how to use it.” –Seneca...
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Our brightest colors yet! Like spring flowers pushing through dark earth – our new Poppy Sendak Colours bloom brightest against our earthy hues.
We sent a message out on Instagram asking for help with the naming. Thank you for all the great suggestions! We chose these three sweeties:
- Egg Yolk – a classic cartoony egg or grocery store yolk.
- Persimmon – a favourite fruit that grows abundantly here.
- Cochineal – the colour that comes from bugs used to make paint!
We can customize any Poppy Colour Sendak!
Egg Yolk (Cartoon Eggies)
Classic in Persimmon
After finding this old newsboys bag last autumn in bright orange and yellow, we couldn't resist the waxed canvas colours that have been beckoning for years. We added cochineal due to the endless requests for reds.
What is Waxed Canvas?
Waxed Canvas is a cotton canvas with wax embedded into the fibers. The wax darkens the colour of the textile, and makes it water resistant, giving it protection from the elements. It also shows marks of use, giving it the charming rugged look that we were drawn to sixreen years ago when we started Peg and Awl, and continue to love as we use it throughout the years. The wax reflects lighting differently so the range of tone in the photographs reflects the range of tone you may perceive in life. The colours may vary slightly from batch to batch because they are hand dyed. The wax will fade with use and the colour of the bag will lighten and evolve. We love all of this. Your bags will change through use, giving each one a one-of-a-kind patina with the stories and marks from your life!
We use two different canvas weights for our Sendaks and Bags. The Sendak canvas is thinner and lighter to acommodate so many pockets and treasures. The colours vary between the weights.
All About Our Canvas and Colours!
What are the marks on my bag?
Wax canvas looks cozy and worn in from the start, because of the crazing – the creases and marks – that show up with use. Some colours are craze-ier than others! The Coal is the least mark prone, and shows the most dust and pet hair in the beginning, but with use, as with all the colours, the wax works its way into the cotton fibers, protecting it from the elements, including pet hair.Can You Make a Sendak in _____?
We use two different canvas weights – one for the Sendak and another for our Bags. The Sendak canvas is thinner and lighter because of all of the layers and intricacies of the artist roll.
Some limited colours are only available in one weight. This is why we may introduce a colour in Bags that we don’t offer in Sendaks, and vice versa.
Why is this Canvas Softer that the Others?
Most of our canvas comes from Fairfield Textile, and the waxiness is fairly consistent, but we love finding new colours and new manufacturers, so there can be variation in the canvases.
Sweetshrub, Radish, and Rook are all a little softer and waxier than the others at first, but again, all wax works its way into the fibers with use.Our Leather
We use black and brown vegetable-tanned leather from Wickett and Craig for our bags and Sendaks. Fog and All Black are paired with black leather and all other colours are paired with brown leather.
We can do any leather and canvas combination that you wish!
Just email us or write your request in your order notes.
Our Collections Explained
If you’ve been following along with us for a while, you may have noticed that not all launches are the same – some products stay for years, some fly off the shelves, and others fall somewhere in between. Here are some explanations to distinguish between our various collection types.
Standard Collections: Everything in our standard collections will be ongoing until we decide to stop making them! They may include some vintage or antique materials, (ex. journal fabric lining) but these details will vary subtly to ensure their ongoingness.
Small Batch Collections: Limited batches incorporating vintage or antique materials where larger batches can be made, but are not infinite! The quantity ranges, but we aim for minimum of 100 in these collections.
Of a Kind Collections: Limited batches incorporating vintage or antique materials. Each object will be limited from 1–20 items depending upon our findings.
My Substack
Everywhere, Astonishments
Yedda – long story in the works.
New Poppy Colors
Our brightest colors yet! Like spring flowers pushing through dark earth – our new Poppy Sendak Colours bloom brightest against our earthy hues. We sent a message out on Instagram...
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“In going where you have to go, and doing what you have to do, and seeing what you have to see, you dull and blunt the instrument you write with. But I would rather have it bent and dull and know I had to put it on the grindstone again and hammer it into shape and put a whetstone to it, and know that I had something to write about, than to have it bright and shining and nothing to say, or smooth and well-oiled in the closet, but unused.”
–from The Preface of The Short Stories by Ernest HemingwayI am currently reading A Moveable Feast. I remember struggling through Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea in our shitty apartment that flooded regularly when I was a kid. And then struggling through the sun also rises. But I am loving this one.
I don’t often listen to a book without also having a hardcopy, so I spent some time going through boxes of my old books that don’t have a place yet in our home – though we’ve been here eight years. Walter built the library (above and below), in our old Philadelphia home. I miss it, the library. In moods like this I wonder why I keep so many books I’ll never reread. And then I found a slipcover-less hardbound copy of Murakami’s Kafka on the Shore with two pages of scrawl written by an old boyfriend who still plays in a band I still love. This is why. The objects we keep are infused with meaning and stories and are often the time machine I dream of – spontaneously digging up long forgotten memories and bringing them back to life.
I ended up buying A Moveable Feast, though I did not make it through all of the boxes. I must see the words of books on paper for some reason – even though I pause, write, rewind, and write again, just as I did with lyrics from tapes when I was really young.
What’s in My Bag?
Exciting to read about Hemingway’s well-worn leather satchel filled with much of the same stuff I carry.
“Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.”
The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Here is what I packed in my Finch all week for my daily hikes:
- Journal – nearly finished. I’ve begun working on my next one.
- Anselm-style Journal – tutorial coming soon, promise!
- A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway, though I am listening too – I love the reader James Baughton.
- Side Pocket Pens and Pencils for easy access
- Keys
- Water Bottle – kid size!
- Another book – often for changing moods :)
- Knife – a gift I didn’t know I needed!
- Lip balm/hand salve from Mellow Root Herbals
- Sendak Nutshell for spontaneous self-portrait!
- Peg and Awl prompt cards
- Writing Projects Printed
- Wallet
Same, same. Bag with worn leather straps, notebooks, pencil, sharpener..! Comfort in the familiarity. My animal feet, however, are on my living animal - so I have four of them for good luck! *see marked up book below
Not in my bag, but always by my side!
*Always scribble in your books!
Coming Soon!
We’ve been working on some fun new treasures. The new Bright Sendak colours! We are currently liking the names Egg Yolk (grocery store), Persimmon, and Cochineal, but these may change. They will be available Saturday, March 28 at 10:00 am EST!
Colours
Peek at Some Play
My Substack
The Rat Room Update
Whenever I share glimpses of Walter’s woodworking in Instagram stories, it brings in far more views than anything else. His skill comes from another time altogether. When the inspector came to the old Peg and Awl shop, he was surprised and impressed by the craftsmanship throughout the building – which Walter did not claim – because he didn’t have the proper permits or licenses, or all the other drivel the world requires.
Everywhere, Astonishments
Listening: Michael Pollan on Joe Rogan and Stephen Fry with Oxford Writing House
Book: Leslie Stroz has published a book on tiny painting and Peg and Awl treasures are strewn throughout its pages. If you are eager to jump into making tiny paintings, have a look!
Sendaks filled in so many ways – I love how she shows the contents on top of the pockets!
Crocuses!
The Used Thing: What Lives Inside What We Carry
“In going where you have to go, and doing what you have to do, and seeing what you have to see, you dull and blunt the instrument you write with....
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Product Care and Tutorials
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One of the key steps to speed up the breaking in process of leather is to simply twist and roll the leather in your fingers. As you use your bag the leather will naturally soften and become much easier to maneuver. Whether you help it out, or simply use your bag, the breaking in process does not take long!!
*What is Vegetable Tanned Leather? Vegetable tanning is a slow, natural, and sustainable process of tanning raw hides with natural, biodegradable extracts derived entirely from vegetable sources such as tree bark.
Our bags are made with full-grain vegetable-tanned leather*, which is a durable leather that develops a lovely patina over time with continued use. It is thicker than conventional, chrome-tanned leather, which also lends it to be more stiff in the beginning. This video shows how to quickly soften the leather, as well as the proper steps for detaching and attaching the leather shoulder strap and front closure on our Peg and Awl bags.
One of the key steps to speed up the breaking in process of leather is to simply twist and roll the leather in your fingers. As you use your bag the leather will naturally soften and become much easier to maneuver. Whether you help it out, or simply use your bag, the breaking in process does not take long!!
*What is Vegetable Tanned Leather? Vegetable tanning is a slow, natural, and sustainable process of tanning raw hides with natural, biodegradable extracts derived entirely from vegetable sources such as tree bark.
Step 1: Detaching the Strap
*The leather is the most stiff when it is new. As you use it and work with it, it will soften.- Hold the button stud and pull the leather strap to bring the button stud into the leather slot.
- Firmly and slowly work the leather over the button stud. Take your time working with the leather as it softens.
Step 2: Attaching the Shoulder Strap-
Twist and roll the strap to soften the leather. It does not take long to break in.
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Press the leather slot over the button stud. Hold the stud and pull the leather strap to bring the stud into the hole.
Our Leather!
Our first bag – The Waxed Canvas Tote – which we finished with reclaimed military leather slings found at a flea market. Dusty and dull with years of neglect, the leather was unassuming. But with some hot soapy water, perseverance, and beeswax balm, we removed the layers to find stories told through the markings of days past. We were delighted! The usefulness of the leather sent us on a mission to scour flea markets and military shows for as many old slings as we could find. For years we used these relics to finish our bags – until there were no more to be found.
And so, a new mission was soon underway: the search for the right new leather. We began in the UK driving along long and winding roads through the English countryside to visit J&FJ Baker, a 500-year-old tannery. This experience and many subsequent conversations enriched our understanding of a leather world we had known nothing about.
While shipping leather from the UK turned out to be impractical, we left enlightened with the knowledge that there do exist a few companies who produce leather in a sustainable and responsible way. When we returned to America we found Wickett & Craig – only a stone’s throw from our shop in Philadelphia. Their vegetable tanning process is a slow, natural, and eco-friendly process of tanning raw hides with natural, biodegradable extracts derived entirely from vegetable sources such as tree bark. This durable leather breaks in and gathers a gorgeous patina, bearing the marks of the users’ (and makers’) adventures – the very thing we’ve always celebrated! We’ve been using this leather for three years now and love it!
With the transition from using reclaimed WWII era gun straps for our leather handles to using locally-sourced vegetable-tanned leather, we are reaffirming the fellowship between ourselves and the materials with which we make. By creating beautiful and useful objects out of sustainable and responsibly sourced materials, we strive to change the way that we as individuals make, use, repair and reuse everyday objects. As our new bags leave our Philadelphia workshop and arrive at your doorsteps, what adventures will they see in your hands and how will they transform to become truly yours?
Vegetable tanned leather is made with a slow, natural, and sustainable process of tanning raw hides with natural, biodegradable extracts derived entirely from vegetable sources such as tree bark. The more you use your bags and journals, the softer the leather will become. 
This durable leather breaks in and gathers a gorgeous patina, bearing the marks of the users’ (and makers’) adventures! Here, you can see the leather on Walter's Tote and Scout. As you use your bag the leather will naturally soften and become much easier to maneuver. 
We took out Hunter's out on an Amethyst dig! they got pretty dirty, so we turned the bags inside out, tapped out the dirt and wiped the inside with a sponge and put them in the sun to dry. Our Finch is my favourite bag - I carry mine nearly everyday. It holds my books, journal, water bottle, and other bits comfortably. Adjusting the Leather Straps on our Waxed Canvas Bags
One of the key steps to speed up the breaking in process of leather is to simply twist and roll the leather in your fingers. As you use your bag...
Read The Post
One of the key steps to speed up the breaking in process of leather is to simply twist and roll the leather in your fingers. As you use your bag the leather will naturally soften and become much easier to maneuver. Whether you help it out, or simply use your bag, the breaking in process does not take long!!
*What is Vegetable Tanned Leather? Vegetable tanning is a slow, natural, and sustainable process of tanning raw hides with natural, biodegradable extracts derived entirely from vegetable sources such as tree bark.
Our bags are made with full-grain vegetable-tanned leather*, which is a durable leather that develops a lovely patina over time with continued use. It is thicker than conventional, chrome-tanned leather, which also lends it to be more stiff in the beginning. This video shows how to quickly soften the leather, as well as the proper steps for detaching and attaching the leather shoulder strap and front closure on our Peg and Awl bags.
One of the key steps to speed up the breaking in process of leather is to simply twist and roll the leather in your fingers. As you use your bag the leather will naturally soften and become much easier to maneuver. Whether you help it out, or simply use your bag, the breaking in process does not take long!!
*What is Vegetable Tanned Leather? Vegetable tanning is a slow, natural, and sustainable process of tanning raw hides with natural, biodegradable extracts derived entirely from vegetable sources such as tree bark.
*The leather is the most stiff when it is new. As you use it and work with it, it will soften.
- Hold the button stud and pull the leather strap to bring the button stud into the leather slot.
- Firmly and slowly work the leather over the button stud. Take your time working with the leather as it softens.
Step 2: Attaching the Shoulder Strap
-
Twist and roll the strap to soften the leather. It does not take long to break in.
-
Press the leather slot over the button stud. Hold the stud and pull the leather strap to bring the stud into the hole.
Our Leather!
Our first bag – The Waxed Canvas Tote – which we finished with reclaimed military leather slings found at a flea market. Dusty and dull with years of neglect, the leather was unassuming. But with some hot soapy water, perseverance, and beeswax balm, we removed the layers to find stories told through the markings of days past. We were delighted! The usefulness of the leather sent us on a mission to scour flea markets and military shows for as many old slings as we could find. For years we used these relics to finish our bags – until there were no more to be found.
And so, a new mission was soon underway: the search for the right new leather. We began in the UK driving along long and winding roads through the English countryside to visit J&FJ Baker, a 500-year-old tannery. This experience and many subsequent conversations enriched our understanding of a leather world we had known nothing about.
While shipping leather from the UK turned out to be impractical, we left enlightened with the knowledge that there do exist a few companies who produce leather in a sustainable and responsible way. When we returned to America we found Wickett & Craig – only a stone’s throw from our shop in Philadelphia. Their vegetable tanning process is a slow, natural, and eco-friendly process of tanning raw hides with natural, biodegradable extracts derived entirely from vegetable sources such as tree bark. This durable leather breaks in and gathers a gorgeous patina, bearing the marks of the users’ (and makers’) adventures – the very thing we’ve always celebrated! We’ve been using this leather for three years now and love it!
With the transition from using reclaimed WWII era gun straps for our leather handles to using locally-sourced vegetable-tanned leather, we are reaffirming the fellowship between ourselves and the materials with which we make. By creating beautiful and useful objects out of sustainable and responsibly sourced materials, we strive to change the way that we as individuals make, use, repair and reuse everyday objects. As our new bags leave our Philadelphia workshop and arrive at your doorsteps, what adventures will they see in your hands and how will they transform to become truly yours?
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Adjusting the Leather Straps on our Waxed Canvas Bags
One of the key steps to speed up the breaking in process of leather is to simply twist and roll the leather in your fingers. As you use your bag...
Read The Post-
“We find ourselves only by looking out at what looks back.”
–David WhyteThe Nutshell – this oft' asked for little wonder – is in stock and in our permanent collection! Thank you for all of your eagerness. We’ve never in all of Peg and Awl had so many requests for one thing!
What else should we smallen?!
Available in the full colour array!
Nutshell and Classic
The smallest in our collection – here next to the Sendak Mini and Classic.
Snowed In(ish)
It is cold and icy. The paths with their sharp shoveled edges knock me around when I wobble, which I am doing because I am weary in the stillness. It is beautiful, the light is luminous. En route to yoga I saw a pile of breath-taking (alway) firey black vultures consuming a frozen deer. Beauty and darkness side by side. What is one without the other?
Søren got his official acceptance into SCAD, but we still have some months left and are filling them with art days when we can.
Pancake (Ari’s Pup) wintering
Stomp Stomp!
Substack and YouTube
Everywhere, Astonishments!
Love these new-to-me stamps!
The Nutshell is Back!
“We find ourselves only by looking out at what looks back.” –David Whyte The Nutshell – this oft' asked for little wonder – is in stock and in our permanent...
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Is it This Cold Finally Coming to an End?
It has been a harsh, cold winter. I imagine that it will be the most magical spring – contrast does wonders for the soul!
Next week we will be sharing a new Of a Kind collection featuring Sendaks, Tins, Pouches, Journals and more! Have a peek below and treasures to come...
The luminous winter nights were quite spectacular.
Of a Kinds – Coming March 1, 2026!
We’ve been delighted and horrified by this winter, but the colours that have emerged have been lovely and inspiring. Though the dominating colour this season – which we aren’t so used to here – was snow, warmth via light and other dollops have been a delight.
Lots of Alternative Sketchbook Shapes
Rhombus orphan squares to star-patterned quilt
Lichen, red maple, twigs and slush
Studio and sauna glowing at night
Studio and sauna glowing at night
Of a Kind Nutshells – much requested!
Our house through the frozen Primrose and Goldenrod
Pearly in our Winter Wonderland
Vintage 1960s/70s Raw Painting Canvas meant to be stretched and painted upon.
The SAME day the snow melted, snowdrops were revealed in bloom!
New Pipits!
Big Orphan Square Pouches
Our 100 Day Projects
We’ve begun. I am bumbling through. Søren has found a ritual, Walter wandered off with an abundance of work beckoning...
Sketchbook specifically made for project. Video coming soon!
Me in My Studio
We are Going a Little Stir Crazy Here...
Something wild is coming into Sendakland...
So we added brighty bright colours
Substack and YouTube
Everywhere, Astonishments! Letters and Books
- Book: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami. Listened on Audible and didn’t love the reader, but really enjoyed this short book about writing and movement and their symbiotic relationship.
- Book: Finally reading Bird By Bird by Anne Lamott and enjoying the familiar wisdom of it.
- Podcast: Also, Rick Rubin had George Saunders on Tetragrammaton. So much process has been a wonderful pairing with the 100 Day Project, which is all about little by little makes a lot!
Oysters, alas! With my oyster partner.
Is it This Cold Finally Coming to an End?
Is it This Cold Finally Coming to an End? It has been a harsh, cold winter. I imagine that it will be the most magical spring – contrast does wonders...
Read The Post
Press
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Press: Cultivating Place Podcast
Cultivating Place: Natural History & Our Gardens The Adventurous Art of Cultivating Place, with Peg & Awl
Read The Post -
Press: Leslie Stroz
Scout Plein Air Box Review The Sendak Artist Roll Review More Leslie Stroz Videos Featuring Peg and Awl! Rating ALL of My Travel Watercolor PALETTES (the BEST and WORST) BEST...
Read The Post
Press: Cultivating Place Podcast
Cultivating Place: Natural History & Our Gardens The Adventurous Art of Cultivating Place, with Peg & Awl
Read The Post
Press: Leslie Stroz
Scout Plein Air Box Review The Sendak Artist Roll Review More Leslie Stroz Videos Featuring Peg and Awl! Rating ALL of My Travel Watercolor PALETTES (the BEST and WORST) BEST...
Read The Post-
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The Sendak Artist Roll: A Walkthrough Video
We’ve watched all of the YouTube reviews of our Sendak Artist Roll (thank you!) and have made our own video to answer some questions and share our experience! We are...
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Bookbinding Tutorials
We have put together a long overdue tutorial on bookmaking. I have prepared a list of things you will need to make your first notebook. This is a very simple start—you can use materials that you have at home and anyone, any age can join in!
So, let’s make books!
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Explore Our Tutorial Series to Bind Your Own Journal. You can use materials that you have at home, and anyone of any age can join in!
Photo by @holddear
Share your Peg and Awl with #quarantinebookbindingclub to be featured!
Bookbinding Tutorials
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So here we are again – still at home and pleased to share our next installment of our Bookbinding at Home series! We hope you have found some small things to enjoy in this time of truly slooooowing down. For me it is always the small things that brighten my days, like watching Toots and Yedda – our goose landmates – and transforming a pile of field stone into an elegant yet makeshift garden path!
As for the tutorials, we are learning a lot (we hope you are too) and are so grateful for everyone who is joining us!
Bookbinding at Home: Part 2
So here we are again – still at home and pleased to share our next installment of our Bookbinding at Home series! We hope you have found some small things to enjoy in this time of truly slooooowing down. For me it is always the small things that brighten my days, like watching Toots and Yedda – our goose landmates – and transforming a pile of field stone into an elegant yet makeshift garden path!
As for the tutorials, we are learning a lot (we hope you are too) and are so grateful for everyone who is joining us!
Project No. 2: Stitching Signatures for a Coverless Sketchbook
Here is what you will need:
1. Needle – bookbinding needles have roundy tips and big eyes, but most needles will work!
2. Thread – any thread will do. If it is super thin, double it up.
3. Pencil – grab your favourite pencil to plot your stitching holes.
4. Paper – this is for the inside. Do you like lined paper, sketch paper, the back of used paper, graph paper? Gather your favourites, mix ’em up or stick to one!
5. Thumbtack – or something sharp to poke holes through paper and cardstock.
6. Scissors – for snipping your thread.
7. Fabric – this will serve as your linens that will hold the book together. Happy treasure hunting!
8. Glue – to glue your fabric to the front and back covers of your book. Elmers works!
We get most of our bookbinding tools and materials from Talas, including needles, thread, linen tape and other materials we haven’t explained yet. The waxed thread that I am using is a 3 ply waxed Irish Linen thread.
We love Strathmore drawing paper for our journals and find that and other supplies through Artist & Craftsman. Both the latter and Talas are small companies who have shut down their physical locations but are currently taking online orders and shipping!
As for covers, vintage textiles, needle boxes and vintage tools – you can find all kinds of unexpected magic at home as well as on Etsy and eBay. We at Peg and Awl absolutely encourage creativity in materials and tools, and finding vintage stuff is a nice way to reclaim some of the excess of items that already exist on our planet. This is also a way to make your project and your desk specifically yours!
Bookbinding Glossary
Sheet: The unfolded paper pages that you start your project with
Folio: A folded sheet
Signature: Gathering of folios
Leaf: One half of a folded sheet
Page: Each side of each leafPlease share your little books with us with hashtag #quarantinebookbindingclub – we’d love to see what you are making, and share the results!
The Next Step…
Continue on with our next bookbinding project: covering a coverless book! We will only be covering a book, so bring your coverless book from this project to the next installment.
And While You’re at Home…
If you are housebound or feeling antsy, there are oodles of projects online and on Instagram. I’ve found inspiration from The Good Ship Illustration’s drawing guide The Sketchbooker’s Friend. The first tip is pretty great:
NO PHONES. Don’t take a photo, then draw from it. Don’t finish your drawing at your desk later. It is NOT ALLOWED and we are very strict!
Bookbinding at Home, Part 2: How to Stitch a Coverless Journal!
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Here is the last video in our first bookbinding tutorial series: Bookbinding at Home. Thank you all for following along and sharing your books. We are so psyched to see all of the books that have come out of these tutorials!
Here is the last video in our first bookbinding tutorial series: Bookbinding at Home. Thank you all for following along and sharing your books. We are so psyched to see all of the books that have come out of these tutorials! We hope you find comfort in the process of binding your books as well as filling them. There is certainly a lot to document right now— in both pictures and words.
We love seeing your books and sharing in our Instagram stories and posts (@pegandawl) – be sure to use #quarantinebookbindingclub and/or #pegandawlbinds on your social media posts so we can find you!Project No. 3: Covering a Journal with Leather
Here is what you will need:
Leather – If you have scrap, an old jacket or wallet, anything soft and malleable, have it ready! Scraps of many colors are also available from many sellers on Etsy.
Fabric – This will replace mull (a starched cheesecloth) that will be glued directly to your book block to strengthen your book.
Thread – For the headband. Aim for something thick that will take up space. You can also use a pre-made headband.
Scissors – For trimming your cover. If you are using leather for your cover, make sure they are sharp!
Hammer – For shaping your book block. Be sure it is clean as it will be coming in contact with your paper! (I used a rock hammer and my pages don't hide it!)
Glue – For gluing your leather to the front and back covers of your book. Elmers works!
Heavy Book – This will be your book press! Any heavy book will do, though I find art books (and their dense pages) perfect for the job!Bookbinding at Home Part 3: Covering a Journal with Leather
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We’ve made another video installment to our Bookbinding Tutorials – this one is in response to all of the detailed questions you’ve been asking about our materials. I’ve also shared a little of my bookbinding history—where you can see my old falling apart journals as well as some insides and a variety of antique leather outsides!
We’ve made another video installment to our Bookbinding Tutorials – this one is in response to all of the detailed questions you’ve been asking about our materials. I’ve also shared a little of my bookbinding history—where you can see my old falling apart journals as well as some insides and a variety of antique leather outsides!
Chapters:
0:00 List of Materials
0:32 How Margaux Got Started Bookbinding
1:37 Margaux’s Early Journals
2:59 Overview of Materials
3:31 Thread
4:07 Needle
4:38 Tape
5:14 Headband
5:38 Mull
5:49 Glue
6:03 Cover
8:32 Paper
9:07 ConclusionBookbinding at Home Part 4: Materials and Meanderings
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Leaving the Cold to Find More Cold
I am in New Mexico visiting Deborah J. Stein in her cozy old rambling New Mexico house filled with books and colour and art and art supplies, and so many words between us that the windows and doors were bulging, which was fine because it let in the cool desert air which I so desperately needed for my lungs.
I brought a Nutshell for Deb and she instantly made it look a thousand years old!
My paints in the sunnyshine!
Now Deb has one of each and a Maker’s Pouch and so, so many delectable art supplies that she shared all week long.
New Mexico Light
Every day’s light was better than the previous day’s light. In sun and hail and snow and rain, scrumptious light. Can I stay? I am aching to stay.
Daily Walks, Loving the Very Rural Ramshackle
We found an Owl Nest and beneath it found treasure of the miniest kind!
Lots of Chillies and Osha Root in our pockets!
New home, hello?
Really, the colours
And the colours...
Drawing night in the snuggliest room.
Meanwhile, Back at the Five Acre Wood...
I fled the cold and damp and haha, jokes on me, arrived to another cold and damp that promises warmth beginning tomorrow. My crew stayed home and finally got to work on a long overdo project, read made art, and delicious dinners. I smelled it through the phone.
Walter’s kitchen desk full of books and words and sketches
More of this — please stop! (Though you sure are purty!)
Our Classic Sendak
Substack and YouTube
Everywhere, Astonishments! Letters and Books
Shops and Treasure in Santa Fe and visiting Eli Levin’s Studio in Dixon, NM. More on that at Substack this week, (fingers crossed. I never really know what I'll write but, oh my goodness, so much magic!)
Handful of Osha, sipped this morning and last night in tea hot + cold
Are You the Teacher of the Heart?
Leaving the Cold to Find More Cold I am in New Mexico visiting Deborah J. Stein in her cozy old rambling New Mexico house filled with books and colour and...
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For small business Saturday, we wanted to share a little more about the crew here at Peg and Awl, and our favourite treasures to make and use. Despite our effort to smallen the business, it blooms – our crew is growing again!
We design, make, photograph, and ship nearly everything here at The Five Acre Wood.
When buying from small businesses, we support places where opinions matter, hands make, and people have the freedom to share stories and ideas. Let’s celebrate all of us – and all of you – who continue to make this all possible – thank you!
Arianne
“I started working for Peg and Awl in December of 2012. Learning so many skills and experiencing the magic of making and growing has been the most exciting working environment I’ve ever been in. I’m a leather-smith, seamstress, and bookbinder now, and eager to expand more. The Tote I carry everyday I made with my own hands. My Writer’s Pouch sits in my Tote and holds all my daily knick-knacks. I get to spend all day with my favorite dog companion Pancake and make treasures surrounded by the ever changing Five Acre Wood.”
Ari has been working on a small batch of Nutshells Mini Sendaks that will be available soon!
Niko
“If you’ve emailed us before, we’ve probably talked, so hi again! Recently I’ve been obsessed with board game design – specifically ones that have some strange mechanics or unique packaging, (current favorite is Oath). Outside of Peg & Awl, I design stationery products with a focus on planning and organization, under the name Bonk.”
Kino Coffee Table
Margaux
“I am rambler, dreamer, thing maker, and story gatherer here. And messmaker. I love old things and new things and change. I write and draw and photograph and ungarden and move. I love everything we make and always want to make more…”
Sendak Mini Artist Roll
Walter
“Walter is the co-founder of Peg and Awl, my partner in everything, and my favourite model when I can catch him! He’s kept this business organized and smooth sailing. Since Our Smallening, he spends his new found time doing all manner of things, including dry stack wall building and lots of soccer. He has grand plans for grand projects around the Five Acre Wood that we are all looking forward to. He paints and draws and is currently working on a website to share his magic. ”
The Steinbeck Desk
Oil on Canvas, Painted with his Scout Plein Air Box
Ashley
“I’ve been working for Peg and Awl since 2020, although it doesn’t feel like work, especially since a large part of my job is spending time with Margaux, talking and ‘working’, as every newsletter requires. The Mini Tote fulfills my dreams of the cutest tote ever, and although it took a year of convincing that we needed a smaller, cuter bag, it finally made it into the shop, and I carry mine often.”
My little Eden wearing her vintage dress, rescued from Margaux’s stash for future Of a Kind Collections
My Gilbert, seated on a Step Stool (no longer in stock), drawing with Silas
The Mini Tote
Natalie
“I’ve enjoyed seeing the of a kinds collections come to life from the inside and really loved the bloom pouches we made this year. I’ve been lucky in bringing a little bit of Peg and Awl home with my very own Sendak(!) and Anselm book binding kits. All loved items! My boys, aged 7 and 9, had so much fun learning how to book bind! You can find me working with the leather and finishing the bags and pouches, and sometimes behind the lens when Margaux steps in front of it with Pearl.”
The Sendak Artist Roll
Victoria
“My journey with Peg and Awl has just begun, and I am grateful to be a part of this wonderful team of artists. The incorporation of upcycled materials here holds a special place in my heart, and I have been learning new skills in bookbinding and leatherwork. My personal artistic practices include puppet fabrication, illustration, and sculpting teeny, life-sized beetles.”
Little Windows Art Prints
Søren
Søren is an enjoyer of Peg and Awl products. He was our summer bookbinder and Sendak finisher at Peg and Awl and has been the inspiration for so much of what we do! He has two Steinbeck desks in his studio space – he is homeschooled and working on animation and video game design this year. He loves to work on paper too, often filling Tomes with drawings of his fantastical worlds and characters. Often filling sketchbooks he’s made, he shares a new morsel each day – you can find his work here.
One of Søren’s many coverless journals made with our tutorials!
Silas
Silas has been a part of Peg and Awl since he was born. He appreciates the craftsmanship and has partaken in the woodworking and jewelry-making with Walter through the years. He chose to return to public school this year for soccer and wrestling, and is having a grand time. The Small Hunter was designed for him and Søren when they were small, and we use them still. Now, his favourite bag is the Rogue Backpack, which we no longer make but all love dearly.
Young Silas with his favorites, the Steinbeck Desk and Joad Chair
Oliver
Oliver has been with us for ten years, but it sure feels like a lifetime... a lifetime of proper formatting and exclamation point elimination. He is the mastermind behind all things computer, from building a database, to making our new website come to life. He was a party pooper (again), and chose accoutrements and add-ons for his favorite products, so for the first year, we are honoring his choices.
Canvas Swatch Books
Pancake and Pearl
Leaders of Human Resources
The Family That is Peg and Awl
For small business Saturday, we wanted to share a little more about the crew here at Peg and Awl, and our favourite treasures to make and use. Despite our effort...
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