Edward Bailey & Mychal Mitchell

Although we never really expected to fall into the delightful world of Bookbinding, thousands of “Iona” books have come to life in our hands in the last decade. Our works is based on time-honored binding techniques developed and used for centuries in Italy. Mychal first learned of this style of bookmaking when she befriended a bookbinder while vacationing in Venice. This type of binding is the oldest form still in use today and must be done by hand.

We use the finest papers and leathers available to ensure the quality of our finished products. We share a great love and respect for the handmade papers that we tear to size by hand for each book. We use beautiful, rugged and timeless papers that are made from recycled fabrics. The surfaces of these papers are prepared to professional standards, so they are both acid-free and bleed-free. Therefore, the pages of our journals will accepts types of inks and pens and they can even be painted on!

We cover our books with only the most luscious and supple oil tanned leathers, which are actually stock surplus from other industries. All leather manipulation is done with simple hand tools and each piece is cut individually in a way that makes the most of the natural beauty of each hide. Some of the books boast dramatic edges, brands, scars and other unique “range marks.”

We hand sew each binding with naturally durable Hemp twice, which we wax heavily with pure bee’s wax. The way in which the paper and cover are united with this technique creates a durable and long lasting binding, so even a heavily used and abused journal will endure the test of time.

We hope you enjoy using your Iona Handcrafted Books as much as we enjoy making them. Our journals and photo albums are designed to increase in value over the years as they are filled with your stories, wonderings and memories. We love knowing that we have helped to create valuable heirlooms for the next generations!

Treasure your thoughts.