About Crowing Hens Bindery
Luxury handmade blank books, letterpress-printed stationery, and unique decorative papers, all in one place.
Crowing Hens Bindery is a one-woman business owned & operated by Mary Louise Sullivan in Nashville, Tennessee.
All of my books are bound entirely by hand, sewn together one page at a time.
I design and bind journals, notebooks, accounts, albums, and other useful blank books. My primary goal is to elevate the status of stationery binding by producing durable, long-lasting handmade books that are a pleasure to hold and use.
Bookbinding by hand was once a common practice, however most books are now made by machines and are designed to last for only a short while. Binding books by hand allows me to use premium materials and traditional binding methods to ensure that my books reflect your needs and that they will last for generations. At Crowing Hens Bindery I design for individuals who value quality craftsmanship, mindful design, and longevity from their books.
The Scribe is a deluxe journal using a traditional 19th century bookbinding structure called a springback account binding. The custom-made rigid spring in every scribe allows the book to "pop" open, leaving a remarkably flat surface for writing.
I sell a variety of handmade blank books, ranging from simple pamphlets to luxury springback account books, full leather bound journals, and more. I make and sell miniature books too; pint-sized versions of my regularly-sized inventory. My new line of book jewelry is inspired by an ancient tradition of chained book libraries, a practice that stems from a time when books were written and bound one at a time, making them invaluable and incredibly rare. These fully functional micro books become even more precious when they are inscribed by a loved one with memories, wishes, quotes, prayers and even proposals.
This chained-book pendant is inspired by an ancient practice of chaining rare and invaluable books to lecterns and bookshelves. These tiny books are fully functional and can be inscribed, becoming a personal, portable chained library.
I produce and sell letterpress printed stationery, limited edition art prints, and larger decorative papers; all handmade one-at-a-time. I use the decorative papers on my bindings and also offer select papers for sale for personal or professional use by other bookbinders and artists.
As a Nashville-based small local business, I do my best to honor the heritage of fine craft and art that saturates my community and region. By using the best materials available and implementing traditional binding techniques, I aspire to create thoughtfully designed and functional works of art that become a part of your everyday life. Ultimately I aspire to make books that are visually striking, humble, useful, and long-lasting. My handmade books are designed to withstand the gentle abuse of daily use, and I hope that they will be written in, dog-eared, and treasured for generations to come.
