I learned book binding! I had some plastic convention badges from Pax East and Fan Expo. They're the perfect size for a small art book.
The method I used is called a "coptic stitch." I think it looks nice with the exposed stitches. I just wish I used a red string to bind the color scheme all together (pun intended).
The paper I used was from this old, all-purpose art book that I never finished. It seems to hold up to fountain pens just fine.