My newest handbound books

These photos show the newest books that I have been making over the past few weeks. Some are hard-bound, some have soft covers, and others are made with leather covers. All of these mini books are about 2.5" x 3.5" in size.

The thin books on the left side of the photo above are made entirely from paper (no glue or thread necessary) and the interior pages unfold like an accordion. The red book in the lower right of the photo has a suede cover and the name of the binding style is Italian Long Stitch. All of the other books are Coptic style. These are two of my favorite binding techniques because the stitching is expose and serves as a decorative, as well as structural, element.



Tony and I bought some clementines right before New Years Eve. Now that the fruit is long gone, the wooden crate they came in is perfect for toting my books and supplies to and from my workspace.

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New papers and thread

The past year has been an eventful one. The process of planning a wedding was certainly not lacking in creativity, but it also included a fair amount of stress. I designed save-the-date cards, invitations, menus, programs, and announcements. The invitations were even hand bound into mini books — no small task, for sure. And I letterpress printed and hand bound our guest book as well. After returning from the wedding and honeymoon, I took a few months to relax and rebound, and as a result my art making slowed.

But 2010 has started off right. I am off to a fresh start, and I have some cheerful new materials to incorporate into my work. The photo above shows some decorative papers that I selected on a trip to Paper Source in Washington DC a few months ago. And the bookbinders thread below came from Oblation Papers & Press, a delightful store that Tony and I visited on our honeymoon in Portland, Oregon.

Throughout the past few weeks, I've already put some of these papers and threads to good use. I have several new books that I'm looking forward to showcasing in the upcoming days, and many more books in the works. Please stay tuned for new posts, as well as the upcoming launch of my Etsy store.

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Custom Orders

Colors. If one inspires you, I'd like to know. If it's a pattern or texture or even the inkling of an idea, that's fine too.

I've worked on custom wedding guest books, designed my own handbound wedding invitation booklets, and created personalized photo albums for a world traveler.

Whether I'm creating the blank book for you to fill with favorite family recipes, or turning your treasured postcards into a keepsake, I've found that highly personalized books have a permanence and value not easily found in store-bought items.

Start by e-mailing me: linenlaidfelt [at] gmail [dot] com. Or strike up an Etsy conversation. Don't be afraid to make a request. Whether it's something as simple as changing the color of an item in my shop or sending me on the hunt for specialty papers, I'd like to work with you.

I often write and post photos detailing works in progress at my blog. Browse the site to see more examples. I might even detail your custom order -- unless you prefer it stay under wraps (recommended for gifts).

Custom orders could take a month or more for the most involved requests. Of course, if time is on your side, advance notice is appreciated. And even if it isn't, I'm willing to work on rush orders.

I'll gladly stay in touch throughout the creative process with photos and discussion. The final project, when it reaches your hands, should delight you in quality, not surprise you in concept.

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Contact me

Katie Gonzalez with her husband, Tony, and bullmastiff, Riviera.

If you have questions, comments, suggestions, or if you would like to request a custom order, please feel free to contact me.

Email: linenlaidfelt [at] gmail [dot] com

Blog: linenlaidfelt.blogspot.com
Etsy Shop: linenlaidfelt.etsy.com
Facebook Fan Page: facebook.com/LinenLaidFelt
Craftgawker Gallery: craftgawker.com/post/archive/linenlaidfelt
Flickr Photostream: flickr.com/photos/kathryngonzalez

I am also a member of the Bookbinding Etsy Street Team.
To learn more about BEST, visit their blog, become a fan on facebook, view their pictures on Flickr, or shop on Etsy. And you can read an interview with me from the BEST blog right here.

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Fine Art Portfolio

A portrait of Drew
Medium: Acrylic on board

A painting based on the blown glass sculptures of Dale Chihuly
Medium: Acrylic on canvas

Moonlit Garden

Medium: Oil on canvas

Liquid Glass

Medium: Oil on canvas

The Road to Abiquiu, New Mexico

Medium: Acrylic on canvas

A painting of the Piazza del Duomo in Cortona, Italy

Painted en plein air in Cortona, Italy

Medium: Oil on watercolor paper

A drawing of the Chicago skyline reflected in a sculpture called the Cloud Gate

Exhibited in the Graphic Design Faculty Choice Show, Spring 2006

Medium: White pencil on black paper

A drawing of a church in Charleston, South Carolina
Medium: Graphite on illustration board

A drawing based on the work of the French artist Ingres

Medium: Graphite on watercolor paper

A drawing of Winged Victory, the Hellinistic Greek sculpture
Medium: Charcoal on watercolor paper

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Graphic Design Portfolio

Professional Work:


Brochure design for the Pre-College Program at Watkins College
Client: Watkins College of Art, Design & Film
To view the full pdf of the brochure design, please click here.


Logo design for thoughtfulguy.com
Client: thoughtfulguy.com
Other design work for thoughtfulguy.com: business cards, letterhead, envelopes, advertisements, promotional materials, t-shirts, and some website assistance

Wedding invitation booklets featuring
original Art Deco-inspired illustrations
Client: self
To see read more about these invitations, please click here.


The Borders Within, a special newspaper section design
Client: The News Virginian
To see additional page design from The Borders Within and to read more about this special report, please click here. 


Cover design for Infusion magazine
Client: Infusion magazine


Magazine spread design for Infusion magazine
Client: Infusion magazine


An advertisement design for WNC magazine
Client: WNC magazine


Digital photography and magazine spread design
for the "Love it!" section of WNC magazine
Client: WNC magazine

Student Work:

Magazine spread design about the growth of the suburbs
in the 1950s, based on the design style of the era

Illustration and magazine spread design
for a hypothetical article in Runner’s World


Magazine spread design about Picasso’s ceramics
for a hypothetical article in International Design 



Magazine spread designs for a hypothetical article about juggler Jay Gilligan


Poster design for the 2007 Graphic Design BFA Exhibition


A freestanding exhibition entry wall
for a hypothetical museum exhibit titled Nine Quilts 
Scale: 1 inch = 1 foot


Magazine cover design for a hypothetical publication
entitled Functional Beauty



An accordion-fold brochure for a hypothetical museum exhibition
featuring the work of Henry Moore

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