• Introduction to hand bookbinding
• Paper types and weights
• Paper grain and direction
• Tools for bookbinding
• Making book signatures
• Stitching the cover and signatures
• Safety

Your journal/sketchbook is more than just a collection of pages. It’s an outlet for your creativity and expression. Why pay for a mass-produced blank book when you can create any number of unique, personalized journals with your individual character, often from materials you already have around the house, or regularly throw away or recycle? Handmade books also make great gifts.

The initial form of binding later to become the Japanese stab binding was developed in China between 618-907. Several variations and improvements were made to the original binding style and transmitted to Japan in the 1300s. In the 1600s, the familiar Japanese stab binding had become the standard form of bookbinding in Japan. The style is minimalistic and has a different look and feel than the western codex. The Japanese stab binding creates a book that does not open flat, but is still good for certain types of journals, sketchbooks, and photobooks. The basic stitch is simple, but there are many decorative variations and modifications to the binding.

In this class, participants will learn introductory book binding skills, become acquainted with some of the materials and tools used in book binding – including paper types, weights and determining grain direction, and make four books with different styles of Japanese stab binding of varying complexity – 4-hole, hemp leaf, noble, and tortoise shell.

This class does not require prior book binding experience and is suitable for people who have no experience as well as intermediate book binders who would like to learn something new.

All materials and equipment are provided.