Instagram story viewer> @bittermelonbindery> Tagged

Chanel Ly

@bittermelonbindery

120.2K

followers

2384

following

📘✨ Watch @awlaboutbookbinding show
✨📙 @bungulosangeles workshop Oct 16-18, 2026
📚✨ Find Handmade Books at Home in bookstores or your library

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

— @paperplant.co thank you for another great year of bungu. Had so much fun walking around and catching up and seeing the great stationary plus getting to learn more about book binding thanks to @bittermelonbindery . ☀️🖊️📚

17

1

Hi hello! We are the new board members of the Guild of Book Workers California Chapter! This is a photo of our first meet and greet. We look forward to promoting our activities and sharing our members' works here on Instagram :) If you are a current member and would like to 'collaborate' on a post, feel free to tag us!

25

0

echolalia echolalia turns 2 today, and I celebrated by getting a tattoo from @jn.ink, loveliest artist I met at Banff who immediately suggested this placement for his interpretation of the snake from the cover, snake eater (2021) by @jiazilla.

i also took my book to the pirate ship at playland last month, as a nod and a wink to "back in a nanosec." 🎢🏴‍☠️

it still amazes me that this lil book is out in the world and has readership. from Jia Sung's art to the impeccable support from @brick.books, echolalia echolalia was a collaborative effort that made the challenges in my life at the time less daunting and gave me the mettle to truly challenge myself in so many ways, and for that i will always be grateful.

also grateful to be spending the rest of the month at @deerlakeartists residency working on the next one(s). it is so beautiful here—on the shared unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, sḵwx̱wú7mesh, sʔəl̀ilwətaʔɬ, and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm peoples—i am going to faint. 🌿🌲🪵 a birds eye view of a desk with echolalia echolalia, pencils, a sketchbook with a scenery on it, and jane's arm revealing an orange snake tattoo

124

17

Handmade Black Journal/Sketchbook 🪡🖤🌌

DM to order yours :)

Details:
•Hardcover
•Lay-flat
•Rounded corners
•180gsm Plain sheets
•80 pages
•Journal/Sketchbook dimensions(L-19.5cm×W-14.5cm)

#handmadebook #sketchbook #journal #handmadejournal #bookbinding

20

0

My oldest sister journals every day and a few years ago, I started making her journals for her. I believe this is number 5 and is specifically for when they travel in their Airstream! I used map pages from an old Rand McNally map that I got from my car insurer many years ago!

Many thanks to Chanel Ly of Bitter Mellon Bindery for her instructions! #quarterbinding

12

2

Handmade Journal🪡📖🍂🍁

There is something special about an object that isn't made for thousands of people, but made slowly, carefully, for someone.

My love for books, sketchbooks, paper and the quiet work that goes into making something by hand led me to create 'The gentle spine'. 🪡📖💛

Here's the first one.

Details:
•Hardcover
•100gsm dot grid sheets
•160 pages
•Journal dimensions (L-16cm×W-11.5cm)

#handmadebook #sketchbook #journal #handmadejournal #bookbinding

34

5

Bungu LA Vol 2 Workshop!📗 Bind your own Tomoe River Notebook - TN Passport Size hosted by @bittermelonbindery

Bookbinding and making a quality notebook is easier than you think! Your instructor, Chanel, will provide everything you need to make a fountain pen friendly notebook using Tomoe River paper. The double notebook is an ideal structure for a Traveler's Notebook insert that can be adapted to your needs. Choose from a variety of stunning chiyogami sheets (patterned Japanese paper) to personalize your notebook.

Bring stamps, craft punches, stickers, or anything else you'd like to decorate with! And bring an x-acto knife if you have one! Once you've been introduced to the essential tools and materials, and learned the basic bookbinding skills, the sky's the limit with the books you can make.

🎟️ Workshop tickets are now on sale at bungulosangeles.com - link in bio

#bungula #bungulosangeles #bungulaworkshops #handmade #notebooks

235

6

Here are some highlights from our “Make Your Own Soft Cover Journal” workshop this past Sunday!

Led by Chanel Ly, bookbinder and creator of @bittermelonbindery, we learned how to make journals with beautifully decorated papers and a wrap-around cover.

Our next event– a presentation on “The Emergence of the Queer Zine in Los Angeles”– has sadly reached capacity, but it is part of the free event:

“TRANSformative Comics!”

Join us, on Saturday, August 22nd from 1-4pm, for this all-ages event featuring author talks from celebrated graphic novelists, opportunities to create your own art, a special storytime, visits from community partners, and more!

For more info, go to: https://www.lapl.org/events/transformative-comics

#lapl #laplspecialcollections #bookbinding

118

2

#SeekGatherCreateAug2026 Week 1 | Altered Jar Lid Assemblage

As a dyed-in-the-wool hater of summer, bless @lisagoddardart @tinahoisart and @lauraddenison for giving me something to look forward to in August! For week one of the August 2026 edition of Seek | Gather | Create, my inspiration was a vintage fishing line label I got from @craftylisasvintage, which set the color combo (not one I’d naturally gravitate to!). Other ingredients include a @tim_holtz and @stampersanonymous stamp set, some vintage postage stamps, some bookcloth from @bittermelonbindery, some air-dry clay charms, and string from the bag some delivery food came in. If you’re interested in seeing how this all came together, my FIRST-EVER make-along video is now live on my YouTube channel!

#mixedmedia #assemblageart #fishing

46

8

I’ve been getting into bookbinding; some journal and sketchbook creation on the side. I have started small and have created some 3 1/2” x 5 1/2” journals and sketchbook; these are equivalent to those famous Field Notes Journals. The card stock that I am using for mine are a touch heavier than the Field Notes Journals. I’ve had a few people examine them and have said they like the more heavy duty/sturdier feel of these. These journals are made with multicolored paper and have 48 blank pages as those Field Notes Journals do. I had a lot of paper and card stock in a few in boxes lying around the house. I thought I would start there and see where it took me.

Also, I’ve made a few hand stitched journals and sketch books made with the cardboard containers that canned Coke and beer are packages in. These also make an even sturdier cover for those sketchbooks.

Don’t worry fellas, these shown might look like they are geared more for the ladies, but I have some ideas that are coming that would be more for the guys. I’ll post soon.

Special thank you to Chanel Ly @bittermelonbindery for her YouTube video instruction for the five and seven hole stitch that I learned from her and used on these sketchbooks. The Coca-Cola sketch books are 9 and 11 hole stitch and sewn in the same way.

I’m finding my way in this fun and creative outlet. Stay tuned as I look into making more intricately stitched journals and sketchbooks.

If you see, like, and want one for yourself or a friend, reach out to me at writer@woffordleejones.com and we’ll work out the details.

#bookbinding #journalmaking #handmadejournals #handmadesketchbooks #handmadeoriginal

8

0

Day 5 at Penland! Students are working on their final projects, lots of great work on their Crossed Structure bindings. I popped into the gallery and went to Tye Barns for studio tours. Also I found the most incredible tree that feels pulled from a Miyazaki film.

59

0

Day 3 at Penland! Foggy morning, actual bookbinding and lots of embroidery. 🚲🚲🚲

70

5