Coptic stitch/exposed spine binding
Taught by Brenda Gallagher
 
SUNDAY July 10
10am-3pm
$130 Non member / $120 BAL member
 
This delightful style, which dates back to 2nd century Egypt, opens perfectly flat. Creating your book involves sewing folded signatures with linking stitches to produce a braided looking exposed spine sewing structure. We will begin by getting acquainted with paper grain and its importance for the finished book. We will cover the boards of the book with decorative paper and once dry students will pierce the holes in the covers to prepare for sewing. Paper signatures will be folded and pierced and then we'll take a short break for lunch. After lunch we will learn to sew the coptic stitch to bind the book. By the end of the workshop, you will have completed your book, and have the skill to make more on your own. Class fee includes all materials we use to make a book: a sheet of decorative paper to cover boards, paper for your signatures, a pair of pre-cut cover boards, glue, and waxed-linen thread. Students can borrow tools from the BAL or you can bring your own bookbinder's toolkit. Students will need: bonefolder, medium-weight awl, Xacto knife, scissors, ruler, and a bookbinder's needle.