Variation on Hedi Kyle's Fishbone Fold

The Fishbone Fold, whose design is attributed to Hedi Kyle, has been around for several years, it seems, but over here on the left coast I hadn't seen it until just recently. It is an interesting variation on a one-page structure that has a horizontal slit down the center; this one-page structure has several slits, each separated by 1/2" of the fish's spine. The tutorial by Susan Angebranndt at Green Chair Press creates a structure that has overlapping pages when closed and makes a longer, narrower fish. I wondered how it would look if the fore edge was even. It makes the structure more plant shaped, I think. The above photo shows the fishbones on the left, the fishbone variations on the right. These instructions show my variation. It could be made as a tree or flower or pine branch, depending how you paint the paper.

If you use paper that is grained long, the bones (or branches) tend to pop open more; the book is more sculptural. If you use paper that is grained short, the base opens more: you may wish to glue the pages in strategic areas.

You will have 1/2" between the bones (or branches), 1/2" at either end to glue together.

Tools: pencil, metal ruler, bone folder, X-Acto knife and cutting mat, PVA and small piece of board or brush for gluing
Materials: Arches Text Wove (Velin Arches) 10" x 24 1/2"; or Canson Mi-Teintes, Rives Lightweight, or another lightweight or mid-weight paper
Example: 5" x 4" finished size, closed

Arrange paper horizontally.

Measure and mark, top and bottom:

1/2" — 4" — 1/2"— 5"— 1/2"—6—1/2"—7"—1/2"

(=24 1/2")

Align the ruler with the marks, just behind them so there is room for the bone folder.

Connect each set of the marks and score (draw a line) with the bone folder.

(You can see the scores as shiny marks in the photo at left.)

Fold the paper in half horizontally, making the whole page long and narrow.

Open and make marks at all the intersecting folds.

Make marks top and bottom, centered, between each of the wider marks

(leave the 1/2" sections alone).

Connect the sets of marks with the ruler and score these as well.

With the cutting mat underneath the paper,

cut with the X-Acto using the metal ruler as a guide;

make horizontal slits, across the larger segments and across

the new score lines, stopping at each 1/2" segment.

(Exception: You can cut all the way across the 7" segment and the 1/2" piece that follows it.)

Fold up again, in half, long and narrow.

Fold along all score lines.

Start at the shorter end by pushing in toward the remaining folded paper.

Continue pushing in and folding.

Note the 1/2" segments at the ends.

One is in the center of the book,

one is at the front and one is at the back.

Apply glue to one side of the 1/2" segment in the center.

Press together.

Apply glue to one 1/2" segment at the spine.

Press the front and back segments together.

Or put glue on both and wrap them around the spine of the book.

Alternatively, you could glue these segments to 

separate wrapped boards or to a case. 

Add end papers after attaching the segments to any hard cover.

And there it is, a slight variation on the Fishbone Fold.