Anyone studying binding makes their fair share of blank journals. It is a way to learn the binding process as well as experiment with cover decoration.  With this journal, I did just that. This book was also meant for a traveler so maps and a globe theme were incorporated.

To begin, I wanted to allow the spine to be a decorative area as well as the cover so I decided to use an Ethiopian Coptic stitch.  The very edge of each section was wrapped with pieces of maps placed in such a way that an abstract image of a road or river (however it appears to the viewer) is revealed when sewn together.

I used two partial spine pieces to cover only the top and bottom of the spine in order to add stability to the book while still allowing the sewing and the design to show through.

The cover decoration was achieved by using a veneer method.  This can be achieved with just about any sewing method so long as you think through the sequence of sewing and board attachment before you begin.  In this case, the boards were attached to the text  block, then I covered it with the cloth.

As can be seen in the photo, my veneer piece of board was cut apart to simulate the lines of a globe.  Then each piece was moved apart to create a channel, allowing the book cloth to be pressed into it once it is glued down.

Those were then glued into place on the core cover material and finally covered in book cloth.  As soon as the cloth was in place, each line was gone over with the point of a Teflon folder to be sure that each line was visible.

Finally, a few pockets were added to the front and back for a fully customized journal.