My Bookbinding Workshop

©Anne Rita Taylor 2016

I went to a Golden Paint demo at Art Supply on Main in Houston earlier this year. When Vikki, the co-owner, found out about my blog, she asked me to teach a book workshop; during May we set a date for the workshop: Saturday, July 16th.

My favorite binding is the French Link Stitch. I made a sample book, composed my own instructions, took a few photos and sent the draft flyer to a couple of friends for their advice. 

E.J. said cost stand alone from supply fee; the total was listed. Debbie gave me paper from India; no charge to my students. I added paper choices to my flyer.

I handed out 30 flyers at the Houston Calligraphy Guild Summer Study meeting. Also sent my flyer to The Lone Star Art Guild added to their weekly emailed newsletter.

Four people registered by the Wednesday before the workshop! I started tearing a few sheets of my Arches Text Wove for my demonstration book, as I wanted to use three sheets divided into eight pieces. Vikki let me know she was out of Arches but had Rives.

Five were registered by Thursday! I used up my own supply of Arches Text Wove, and Vikki supplied Rives BFK Lightweight. Multi-Media art paper suitable for wet media from Hobby Lobby rounded out the text paper. It took ink and watercolor beautifully.

Before the class I cut: paper for the covers, end sheets, inside paper folios showing at the spine; plus I tore the Arches and cut the Multi-Media paper.

The students used eight pieces of each of the three types of paper. And divided them into three folios in eight signatures to have a total of 96 pages (both sides). The students tore two half sheets of the Rives Lightweight into quarters to get into the bookbinding groove.

In the class: we covered the boards and hole-punched the signatures in the morning; sewed the text block in the afternoon. Lastly, we glued the end sheets to add the covers and glued the tapes to the cover.

The five hour class on Saturday went very well especially since four out of five students were first-time bookbinders. Everyone loved their books! It was a lot of fun!