Workshop Fee (includes materials fee): $130
Scholarships available; click here to apply.

This is a single session online workshop.

For centuries, paper has served as a quick, elegant, and economical covering material for books. This versatile material can create structures ranging from pocket notebooks to conservation-friendly bindings to a case durable enough for a heavily-used manual.  

Exposed Sewing with Decorative Guards features colorful link stitch sewing and slivers of decorative paper visible on the spine. The covers are hooked around the first and last signatures before sewing, then sewn normally along with the rest of the text block. A quick-to-construct self-locking flap keeps the text block clean and secure. 

Students should have some prior binding experience, particularly with sewing. Class will move quickly.

The workshop fee includes a kit containing all papers and sewing thread required to make one blank model book.

Due to difficulties with international shipping, only US students will receive a kit. Non-US students are welcome to enroll and will receive an additional list of materials to supply - mostly paper and thread.

Materials to Bring: 

Required

• Class kit mailed by SFCB

AND

• PVA adhesive
• pencil
• eraser
• bone or Teflon folder
• small cutting mat
• scalpel, Olfa or X-Acto knife and extra blades
• scissors
• 12" ruler that can be cut against
• small glue brush
• curved needle, or straight needle held over a flame and bent into an “L” shape with pliers
• awl
• “Paper Rulers”: strips of 1/2” wide to use for quick measuring when ruler is awkward or unnecessary
• letter-sized waste paper
• whatever tools not on this list you always find useful

Recommended

• punching cradle (instructions to make one here: http://www.philobiblon.com/bonefolder/vol1no1contents.htm)

Optional 

• Dividers, an inexpensive set from Talas #TTB033004

Date & Time: Wednesday, March 8, 2023 :: 3-6pm Pacific time

Location: Online over Zoom.

SFCB online workshops are recorded; all registered students will have access to the videos for a month after the final class session.

Please read over the SFCB Registration Policies before signing up for a class.

Registration will close on February 22 to allow time for kits to ship. 
 

About the Instructor | Karen Hanmer (she/her)

Karen Hanmer’s artist-made books are physical manifestations of personal essays intertwining history, culture, politics, science and technology. She utilizes both traditional and contemporary book structures, and the work is often playful in content or format. Hanmer’s work is included in more than 200 collections ranging from The British Library and the Library of Congress to Stanford University and Graceland. She has served on the editorial board of The Bonefolder, as Exhibitions Chair for the Guild of Book Workers, and as frequent exhibition curator and juror. She offers workshops and private instruction focusing on a solid foundation in traditional binding skills.

Past Student Reviews:

“Karen was so well-prepared and patient. The kit and the handout made following her instructions easy in spite of the pace. I learned several little tricks for basic bookbinding tasks. And I really like my little book.”

“Karen was organized and methodical.  Also, [I liked] having everything in kit form and being amazed to have the book finished in 3 hours.”

“Karen powered through without feeling rushed and we finished on time with great books.”

“Even though it was online, it was clear. Maybe more so than if we had met in person, since the camera was focussed closely on what she was doing.”