#052- BOOKBINDING: WESTERN CASE

Class Dates: THURSDAYS 5/4, 5/11, 5/18 & 5/25 from 1:00pm - 4:00pm

Class Instructor: Diana Patin
Price: $120.00
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    Students will need to supply these materials

    Learn how to create your very own hardcover book! If you’ve ever fawned over old books in libraries and wanted to know how they are constructed, this class is for you! We will use traditional techniques to create our own cloth-bound, hardcover books in the “Western Case Binding” style. You’ll be involved in every stage of the creation, from folding and trimming the pages to sewing the book together to creating covers with bookcloth. There is a fair amount of measuring and “exactitude” in this style of bookmaking, so be prepared to move slowly and take care! Additionally, we will be using sharp blades to cut through some pretty thick boards, so come prepared for that. Pages will be blank inside, so you can use them as your own personal sketchbook, or they make great gifts.Maximum of 8 students. Four 3 hour sessions.

    *To reserve your place in any class, payment must be received at the time of registration.

    *For a refund on any of our classes, we will need to be notified at least 48 hours in advance of the first class.

    Instructor Email: diana.patin@gmail.com

    Instructor Website: dianapatin.format.com

    Please see materials list below! (All students get 20% off purchases made while enrolled in a class)

    The following materials are required for this class

    Please make sure you have them on hand or purchase them before the class begins.

    ***NOTE: All Students get 20% off purchases made while enrolled in a class***

    • 1 pad of 18x24 drawing paper with a hard back*
    • Bone folder
    • Utility knife: I prefer Olfa snap off but any box cutter weight will do, and make sure you have a fresh blade on it and/or some replacements!
    • Self-healing cutting mat (I recommend at least 12x18”)
    • Waxed linen thread: color does not matter, it will not show
    • Bookbinding needle: curved or straight, I prefer curved
    • Awl
    • Mull: 1 foot is plenty
    • PVA Glue: 4 oz or more
    • Foam or other glue brush
    • Book cloth: 12”x24” will be plenty, in the color of your choice!
    • Decorative paper: this will be your endpapers AND hold the book together in some ways. Pick something with a similar weight to the drawing paper and that goes well your book cloth
    • Ruler: 12” is probably enough, I prefer a cork-backed metal one, and you MUST be able to easily read measurements on it down to the 1/8th of an inch
    • Blunt, serrated knife: you’ll use this to cut your pages open at the end. I use an old steak knife!

    Optional

    • *If you’d prefer a different kind of paper for your sketchbook, you can use mixed media or watercolor paper too, it will just be harder to fold because those papers are much thicker than drawing paper
    • You can use a 9x12 paper pack instead of 18x24 if desired, but make sure to get one with a hard back so we can use it for the covers! (see below)
    • I use the back of my paper packs as the boards for my covers, but if you prefer archival / non-acidic supplies, you can purchase a pack of Davey Board or non-acidic matboard to use for those
    • “Headbands” are small pieces of fabric that are glued to the top and bottom of your text blocks (it’ll make sense as we go along) and make the book look a bit nicer, but are not necessary. They can be purchased at the store if you decide you’d like to add them!
    • Book press: this can be DIY, or Macgyver’ed, it just needs to keep your text block flat as it dries, ideally with some type of weight on it. Here is a good tutorial to make one yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTeg8MH0PtI&t=86s