Book & Paper Arts

Explore the basics in this course that looks at bookbinding as a fluid and expressive art form - and one that dovetails with fiber arts! Students will learn the fundamental vocabulary and tools of bookbinding as we create 5 non-adhesive books. Using paper as a fiber, each book model will explore the opportunities for fiber and book arts to connect through techniques including embroidery, needle weaving, natural dyeing, and resist techniques.

Developed in 4th century Egypt, Coptic books have beautiful linked stitches that stretch across the spine and open flat, perfect for a sketchbook or journal. In this workshop, each student will complete the binding of a book. All levels of experience welcome! Students are invited but not required to bring decorative papers they would like to use for their book's cover.

Learning how to repair your own things is feeling more and more important. Many people don't even consider the fact that a book is something you can repair. A fast, easy thing you can do at home is repair paper! Did a page tear? Did a fold-out in your book get overly worn at the creases? Do you have a map or poster that you want to save? We will discuss a bit of book and paper history before diving into wheat starch paste and Japanese tissue, whose properties will allow us to mend tears of all sizes. With enough time, we might also get into color matching, learning how to make the tissue the same color as the paper it is repairing, blending in unnoticeably.

In this workshop participants will learn basic stab binding techniques. In this traditional binding style originating in East Asia, stitching simultaneously serves to fasten pages as well as create a beautiful geometric pattern. We will practice this technique first in paper, then in fabric. Students will get to experiment with these stitches and begin to think about content for their own books.