The Tolkien Coming of Age Club

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Many posts ago (page 3 of this thread - I really had to hunt!), there was a link to a site with pictures of the Númenorean tile and the emblems Tolkien drew. Alphaelin mentioned using them for needlepoint designs. That got me started thinking about the possibilities of Tolkien-inspired patchwork. (Yes, I'm too impatient for needlework and have chosen something faster for my forays into the textile arts. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] ) Most of the designs are not suitable for sewn patchwork, since they have curved patterns which could only be appliqued. However, one of the designs for Lúthien Tinúviel (the one with the dark, starred background) is basically a nine-patch pattern, and I think I can do a version which will come close enough to be recognizable. Yay, great excuse to go fabric shopping!

Oh dear, does anyone even know what I’m talking about, and if so, does it really interest anyone?? [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] Oh well, when it’s done, I will put up a picture for all to see.

[mark12_30]

Sort of like quilting, right? Way beyond my skill level, but a stunning art form when done well. I'm looking forward to the picture!

[Liriodendron]

Sounds like a wonderful way to while away all this snow! I was just looking at a embroidery sampler I made, that is framed up and displayed in the living room. I did it from a kit, but was thinking the "Three rings for the elven kings" would look great, with vines and some other neat stuff up the sides. I did my clothes in high school, why not a lovely sampler now! I have JRR Tolkien, "Artist and Illustrator" so I could probably get ideas for borderwork there. Just think what a funny entry that would be in the 4-H fair this summer! [img]smilies/cool.gif[/img]

[Hilde Bracegirdle]

I remember drawing out the tiles on plastic and coloring them in so I could hang them in my window. They got rather faded. It would be nice to do them properly in stained glass!

Piosenniel, thanks for the links. I can hardly wait to check out the stars more closely! The first link also showed a poster I had back in high school. (The one on the right.) Nice to see an old friend!

[Samwise]

Many posts ago (page 3 of this thread - I really had to hunt!), there was a link to a site with pictures of the Númenorean tile and the emblems Tolkien drew. Alphaelin mentioned using them for needlepoint designs. That got me started thinking about the possibilities of Tolkien-inspired patchwork. (Yes, I'm too impatient for needlework and have chosen something faster for my forays into the textile arts.

Ooh...wonder if they could be done in counted cross stitch... [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[Alatáriël Lossëhelin]

Aratlithiel -- My son (who is almost 31 now) never spent the amount of time on schoolwork that he did on other, less "academic" endeavors while in school either. School always bored him. It was frustrating at the time, especially when he dropped out in his senior year and left home, but I'm proud of the way he has finally turned out.

Guinevere -- Is the Middle Earth Atlas still in print? Could I find it at, say, Barnes & Noble, or would I have to check eBay? I would rather have the text itself rather than download/print from the internet. The book would be awesome.

[mark12_30]

Birdie, you wrote:

Helen - Don't forget the special edition Ballantine box set, which I got for Christmas, 1972. It was gorgeous, and I wish I had it now, but it was read so much it disintegrated.

The collection groweth apace...

And speaking of the Atlas, it is still in print, and any decent bookstore will be happy and delighted to order it for you-- if it is not waiting impatiently in the store and pining to go home with you.

Or... try Amazon.
or www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com

Karen Wynn Fonstad
The Atlas of Middle-Earth
isbn 0-618-12699-6

[ February 24, 2003: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

[ February 24, 2003: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

[Pukel-Man]

I first read TH in 1977 and the trilogy in 79 or 80 so I'll make the cut despite my own disbelief ( I've been reading these books that long?-If I only had such dedication in other aspects of my life!)
On the subject of books, is there a special type of glue that should be used to repair them? My well worn boxed set from 1981 is falling apart, the pages have separated from the binding, but I will NOT throw them out! I'm sure most of you can understand this- I am loath to throw away tomes of any sort, least of all Tolkien

[Alatáriël Lossëhelin]

Helen: Thank you. I will check out Barnes & Noble on my way home tonight. I hope it's actually on the shelves so I can start using it right away.

[Alphaelin]

Piosenniel, what wonderful sites - thanks for the links.

The maps of Beleriand should be quite helpful - I have read The Sil. several times, but always get confused about the geography.

Argh, I'm late to ballet class - must go!

[alquadae]

Liriodendron, HEAD, HEART ,HANDS, HEALTH ", Been there ,done that ,got that t-shirt"I would go back to the fair to see that!
Fair winds , Alquadae

[Alatáriël Lossëhelin]

SUCCESS!!!! B&N only had one copy of The Atlas of ME in stock. I heard it calling my name as I came in the door. Right next to it on the shelf was another book called "Tolkein: The Illustrated Encyclopedia" by David Day. I've never heard of this book before, but there was so much cool information that I couldn't pass it up. There were things like "A Chronicle of Middle Earth & the Undying Lands", maps/drawings showing the evolution of Arda from the Ages of Creation to the Fourth Age of the Sun, encyclopedia-type entries under headings of Geography, Sociology, Natural History & Biography. Both of these books are awesome. Thanks for pointing me to the atlas!
I've blown my budget for the next month, but it's worth it.

[mark12_30]

Alatariel, congratulations! I'm glad they had it! Many happy map-tracings to you.

Pukel-man, I had similar questions, and I didn't find much; but, you might want to look at this link for general interest, although it's mostly about hardcover repair:

repair

If your books are really disintegrating, would you consider simply retiring them to the shelves and getting a new reading copy? Don't throw them out; put them out to pasture, so to speak.

Or-- if you just can't do that-- I've been known to cover my paperbacks, essentially putting a dust-jacket on them as if they were a hardback; or, sometimes I even put a layer of clear contact paper over the cover (this truly **horrifies** some people, but then the book becomes much tougher.) If it's a book that I really want to protect and maintain its original condition as best I can, then I put on a paper cover (like a dust-jacket) and then cover THAT with clear contact paper.

Good luck. Whatever you do don't throw them out. I got rid of my originals (they had mildewed) and ... (sob) ... well, just don't do it! Keep them!

[Samwise]

Hm. See you.

[Pukel-Man]

Thanks for the link Mark 12_30, I will see if I can repair the books. I fear that this set has been read for the last time and will take their place upon my bookshelf remaining there untill the end of my days. I suppose that the lack of any appreciable humidity in Arizona where I live has sped up this process and there may be nothing I can do to prevent this from happening. ( I wonder if I can build a humidor specificaly for book storage? hmmmm.....)

[Alphaelin]

Alphaelin mentioned using them for needlepoint designs.

I'm still trying to chart them - I've never tried developing my own chart, but thanks to Samwise, I am using scientific graph paper. I haven't been able to scan them to a large enough size to trace, so it's going slowly.

Also, I am splitting my needlework time between this and kneelers for my church's altar rail.

I wonder if they could be done in counted cross stitch

Samwise, if I ever get the things finished, I'm sure they could be used for counted cross stitch - after all I use CCS charts for needlepoint all the time!

[The Saucepan Man]

SUCCESS!!!! B&N only had one copy of The Atlas of ME in stock. I heard it calling my name as I came in the door.

Alatariel, I saw your thread this morning and resolved to finally buy the Atlas of ME myself. I have been meaning to get it for a long time, but it is never in any of the book-shops I usually go to.

So, I decided to go to the Foyles on Charing Cross Road in my lunchhour today. It is the biggest bookshop in London, so I fully expected not to be disappointed. But what did I find? A whole section of JRRT's works, complete with companions, guides, books of illustrations, biographies etc. But no Atlas [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img] . On enquiry, I established that they had none in stock but six on order. Despondently and reluctantly, I resigned myself to waiting another week.

But, as I was leaving, I spotted another book-shop across the road, called Borders, and decided to give it a try. And there they were. Not just one, but six or seven of them sitting next to all the other Tolkien books. So off to the counter I trotted with one of them in my happy little hands, together with the Complete Tolkien Companion, just to round of my success. [img]smilies/cool.gif[/img]

And the Atlas of ME is certainly no disappointent. I'm amazed at how much is in it. Not just maps, but plans of strongholds and other key locations. And plans of the battles, showing the "troop" movements. Well, being a bit of a map fanatic, it has truly been a successful day (well, yesterday now). [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[The Squatter of Amon Rûdh]

Sounds like you were in luck, Saucepan Man. I was in Foyles myself yesterday on a thoroughly self-indulgent shopping spree, which has furnished me with the three-volume hardback set of the Histories, a copy of the Letters, Roverandom and Carpenter's Tolkien biography, not to mention a large map of Beleriand and some C.S. Lewis. I too noted the absence of the Atlas, but there were too many people in our company for me to do any further browsing, and we had gone to London with a very different purpose than to buy books: we were supposed to be looking for outfits for my friend's Tudor-themed wedding. Still, we saw some good books and a nice five-string Ibanez bass guitar, so it wasn't a total write-off. [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[Alatáriël Lossëhelin]

And the Atlas of ME is certainly no disappointent. I'm amazed at how much is in it. Not just maps, but plans of strongholds and other key locations. And plans of the battles, showing the "troop" movements. Well, being a bit of a map fanatic, it has truly been a successful day (well, yesterday now).

Saucepan Man: Congratulations! I'm glad your search was successful. I have really enjoyed my Atlas. It was wonderful to see the "global" maps: The First Age showing where Aman is in relation to Middle-Earth; the Second Age showing the changes in land masses, with Númenor & the "Lands Under the Wave"; and the Third Age showing an overall view of M-E, from the Northern Wastes in the far north to Haradwaith in the far south. I also like the map coordinates that correspond with the Index of Place Names in the back. If I can't find a specific location mentioned, I can check the Index and then find it on the appropriate map. (Kinda like my Rand McNally on vacation.) I was having a lot of trouble trying to visualize where particular lands or locations were in relation to one another with only the text of the Silm. My copy of Silm only had one map showing Beleriand with the Realms of the Noldor & Sindar. I'm was halfway through with the Silm before I got my Atlas, but rather than finish, I'm going to go back and start from the beginning. I think it will make more sense to me when I'm able to see where places are.

[The Saucepan Man]

Yes, the Atlas is definately a valuable addition to my collection. For me, it is something to browse through for a while, put down, and then come back to later and browse again. I wish that I'd had it while I was reading the Silmarillion. Still, it's a useful reference point for the Unfinished Tales, which I am reading at the moment and which doesn't have a Map of Beleriand (well, my copy doesn't, anyway).

Squatter, I didn't see the Letters when I was in Foyles. Had I done, I would have snapped them up there and then, since they are right at the top of my "to buy" list. Still, with the Unfinished Tales and Tales of the Perilous Realm, not to mention the Atlas, I have enough to keep me going for a while ... [img]smilies/smile.gif[/img]

[Samwise]

Samwise, if I ever get the things finished, I'm sure they could be used for counted cross stitch - after all I use CCS charts for needlepoint all the time!

Really? Hm.... [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

#3 Bagshot Row

[Alphaelin]

Samwise, you wicked girl! Are you trying to tempt me to join yet another list [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]?

(Repeating to myself: I have no hobbit fan-fic, I have no hobbit fan-fic...)

(Voice inside head: But we reads it, my precious, we reads it, don't we.)

[mark12_30]

Helen - Don't forget the special edition Ballantine box set

Bird, it arrived last night, and aside from yellowed spines and some slight waterspotting on the spines, it's in great shape; tight, clean, unmarred, perhaps even unread... **contented sigh**

Pauline Baynes is the best. I have her map on my wall, so why did I so want it on a slipcase cover??? I dunno. But it's gorgeous.

[Birdland]

Awwww, Helen. I think that is my favorite edition, and it lasted me for years. My new hardcovers with the Alan Lee covers are not holding up as well, unfortunately.

They just don't make 'em like they used to.

[Samwise]

Samwise, you wicked girl! Are you trying to tempt me to join yet another list ?

Nah...jus' tryin' to drumb up some membership, as this p'r'ticular group only has 3 memebers--me, myself an' I. [img]smilies/frown.gif[/img]
~Sam

[mark12_30]

They just don't make 'em like they used to.

Bird, you may laugh-- oh, go ahead-- but I have several sets of books that I often read in the bath (so far, I have yet to fall asleep mid-bath and drop the book into the water. So far.) Anyway, I started covering certain books with clear contact paper. Now, it gives my husband the willies ("You've ruined it!" --was I ever planning on selling it? Ever?) ...anyway...

Of course, I don't do that to the ones that I "collect". And for the most part, I've switched to covering the books with paper and then covering the paper with the clear contact paper. That way, I can have some fun online looking for the Perfect Cover for my book (sometimes it's a scanned replica of the original cover, sometimes it's an alternate cover printed right off of Amazon or an art site, or... you get the idea.)

My two "workhorse" copies of LOTR are the Ringwraith-omnibus paperback and then the Gandalf-omnibus paperback that followed it. (Walmart, twelve bucks.. who could resist? And I landed in Seattle, very first trip, with no LOTR-- can't have that.) Both those now have clear contact paper over them (Ruined! Ruined!-- so I bought them again, one each, to add to the collection... I've gone over the edge...) Anyway, those are the copies that I take on travel, read in the tub, whatever.

So the moral of the story (there has to be one) is that thirty years from now, you can look me up on The Really Decayed And Decrepit Barrow-Downers Club list and ask me, Say, Helen, how are those two Contact-paper omnibus LOTR copies holding up? And I can tell you how they are (Mint, New, VyGd, Gd, Fair, Poor) and then you can decide whether you think clear contact paper is a good potential protective layer over your own working copies.

See? It's important for old friends to keep in touch.

[ March 04, 2003: Message edited by: mark12_30 ]

[Birdland]

OK, first Helen makes her own "covers" for her books. Then she makes her own boxes for the "box sets". Then she probably builds her own bookshelves. Next comes building a house to keep all these books. Then a library to keep all the duplicates....where does it end?!!

My paperbacks are on their own, I'm afraid. They fall apart, or not. But I am on a mission to have all of my favorite books in nice, hardbound editions, and I would love to be able to make my own plastic sleeves for the dust covers. The store-bought ones are so expensive, and hard to find.

I don't think I could bring myself to coat those dust covers with contact paper, though it is a pain to try to keep them "mint".

[Mithadan]

As for the plastic sleeves, it strikes me that Child would be a good resource to tap into. I for one would like to hear about good places to purchase those non-acidic plastic jacket covers that are used in libraries. Child?

[mark12_30]

Build my own bookshelves? I'm _so_ over that. Now it's my husband's job... He built bookshelves into the north wall of his upstairs office, from scratch, oak molding, dental molding and all.

Actually my cheezy walmart shelves embarass him terribly. [img]smilies/rolleyes.gif[/img] But if I keep collecting LOTR books I'll need to buy another one. [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img] I *TOLD* you I was out of control...

[Birdland]

It's not so much the look of them, Helen. It's the fact that the particle board shelves start to bow in the middle from the weight. I'm proud to announce that since the year 2000, my own house has been a "Sauder-free zone".

Oooooh, Mith! That's a good idea! "Ohhhhhh, Sharon...!"

[Child of the 7th Age]

Try www.brodart.com

Let's see if I can make this link work:book covers

Yeah! It works. This is a good section to help you pick out the right product. Just scroll down the page.

[ March 05, 2003: Message edited by: Child of the 7th Age ]

[Birdland]

Thankee, Chile'! [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img]

[Samwise]

(Repeating to myself: I have no hobbit fan-fic, I have no hobbit fan-fic...)

(Voice inside head: But we reads it, my precious, we reads it, don't we.)

....and your quite welcome to do so. S'matter of fact, it would be much appreciated.

(on topic) Reading in the bathtub? I would almost surely drop it.... [img]smilies/tongue.gif[/img] [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img] [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img]

[Samwise]

I for one would like to hear about good places to purchase those non-acidic plastic jacket covers that are used in libraries.

Oh, wait a sec..... [img]smilies/biggrin.gif[/img] [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] Does this mean they're waterproof as well???

[Mithadan]

OK, Mark 12_30. Repeat after me slowly and in a clear voice. "Hi. My name is Mark 12_30 and...I'm a Tolkien addict! There! I said it!"

[mark12_30]

Mith, if you don't have a twelve-step recovery program to go along with that declaration, then don't raise my husband's hopes only to dash them in the end.

And who said I was willing to go thru detox???

[mark12_30]

Rae, did you ever go to the Ringcon? How did that go?

[GaladrieloftheOlden]

I don't qualify for this thread, as I am still in school [img]smilies/wink.gif[/img] , but I couldn't resist a quick question: the edition that says

This paperback edition, and no other, has been published with my consent and co-operation. Those who approve of courtesy (at least) to living authors will purchase it, and no other.

was out in 1973? Wow. I had Two Towers in that edtion at some point, I didn't realize it was that old. [img]smilies/eek.gif[/img]

[Faenaduial]

Coming of Age Club! What a nice way to find those of us who have loved reading Tolkien for many years.

I discovered LotR back in 1973 and having been reading it about once a year ever since. I have to admit I don't read The Hobbit every year.

I still find it very disconcerting when people who have only seen the two current movies think they know everything there is to know about LotR but I'm glad to see more people discovering the books since the movies came out.

[mark12_30]

Faenaduial, welcome! What a great sig. 73? That's about when I started reading LOTR too. Glad to see you here. --Helen