Workshop Fee (includes materials fee): $975

If you have ever seen or handled a binding covered in parchment, you know the great advantages of using parchment as a covering material. The ghostly, ethereal appearance, the cool and smooth surface, the way it seems to generate its own light from within. Parchment is quite durable, as well: it is resistant to abrasion, wears well, and is pH neutral (unlike leather). However, parchment is highly responsive to moisture, and using adhesives with it can be a disaster if you don’t use them correctly.

In this class, we will learn the best ways to work with this sometimes finicky covering material. We will also be gilding one edge with gold leaf, sprinkling the other two edges, sewing French double core endbands, and we will tool our covers with foil (not leaf).

This class is the equivalent in-class time of a week long class, but spread out over 12 sessions to allow students more time for concepts and techniques to take hold. Faster students may wish to do additional work outside of class to make two models, and materials will be available for purchase for anyone who wishes to do this. Those who wish to make one model will find the process of focusing on one binding throughout several months to be very enjoyable and rewarding. The model we’ll be making is slightly larger than the books made in the week long core, so that your end result feels more substantial.

PLEASE NOTE: In order for this teaching model to be effective, students must plan to commit to attending all sessions. This is an advanced binding class, so come prepared to learn. Please check your calendar, your family’s calendar, your work calendar, and any other events, holidays, trips, or commitments that may affect your ability to be present for this class. A makeup session may be possible but should be arranged in advance. Please contact SFCB if you have any questions or concerns prior to registering.

>> Prerequisite: Students must have completed the full Bookbinding Core or have equivalent experience but they do not need Orientation to Leather or leather experience. Students must plan to attend all sessions of this class. <<

Materials to Bring:

• Your regular kit of bookbinding tools, including: bone folders of different shapes and sizes, dividers, ruler, awl, scissors that cut well at the tip, 9 mm olfa snap-off knife, round glue brush.
• Please feel free to bring any additional tools you like to use for general bookbinding tasks.

Date & Time: 12 Mondays, starting on February 3 and ending May 12, 2025 :: 6-9pm
February 3, 10, 24 (skips 17th)
March 3, 10, 24, 31 (skips 17th)
April 14, 21, 28 (skips 7th)
May 5, 12
(Class will NOT meet on February 17, March 17, or April 7).

Location: 375 Rhode Island St, San Francisco, CA 94103

NOTE: Please read over the SFCB Registration Policies before signing up for a class. Registration will close approximately three days prior to the start date of the workshop to allow the instructor time to prep materials for class. We recommend you not wait to register, as workshops that don't meet our minimum enrollment will be canceled, sometimes as much as a week in advance.
 

About the Instructor | Juliayn Coleman (she/her)

Juliayn Coleman is President of the Hand Bookbinders of California. She has been a professional bookbinder since her graduation from the North Bennet Street School bookbinding program in 2003. Her private practice encompasses all levels of book repair and conservation, custom portfolio and enclosure making, teaching, and being a good ambassador for the craft of bookbinding in general. Some of her creative and professional projects can be seen at bookislandbindery.com.

Past Student Reviews:

"I always look forward to Juliayn's classes. She tailors her explanations to the skill level of the participants and is excellent at meeting folks where they are. She's also great at answering the more complicated questions that arise, and making those answers accessible to the whole class.”

“Juliayn is a meticulous instructor and it's always lovely to have her insight brought to bear on my technique (something one can really only get in an in-person workshop). Her demonstrations are effective, and she's very good at being available for individual follow-ups even in a full classroom.”

“I really like classes with Juliayn. She's extremely knowledgeable and provides a lot of historical context for the structure and techniques she's teaching. I learn so much valuable information about book binding from her every time.”