Beginning Bookbinding: WNTR'26 Jan-Mar Thu AM

📚BEGINNING BOOKBINDING WITH ANNE!

THU AM | 8 LIVE/RECORDED SESSIONS | ALL levels | No Prerequisites | 10-12:30PM US Eastern :::: JAN 08-MAR 05 (No class Feb 26th) | $255.81

📖 Coptic, Nested Accordion, Tape, Long Stitch w/chain, and more! Stitching, taping, gluing, folding, collaging, all with your creative comrades.

⌛️Early Bird discount thru Dec 31 2025

💻 Classes are recorded and available for streaming and download ONLY during class and for the following 2 weeks after last class date.

📚 Making a journal begins with paper from all over the world, 🌎 filtered through you; the lens the Universe chose to show others themselves, by showing them who YOU are.

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💪🏻You, my friend, are powerful, and so is the journal you make! The more you put into it, the more it talks back to you. TRUE STORY.

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✂️ Create scalloped scraps from the papers used to collage the covers and recycle them into short sheets that remain visible on the spine and are surprising elements within each signature.

📝 Make filling a book with your thoughts and ideas that much more fun and meaningful.

Here's the class schedule:

Week 1 • THU Jan 08, 2026, 10 - 12.30PM Eastern

Week 2 • THU Jan 15, 2026, 10 - 12.30PM Eastern

Week 3 • THU Jan 22, 2026, 10 - 12.30PM Eastern

Week 4 • THU Jan 29, 2026, 10 - 12.30PM Eastern

Week 5• THU Feb 05, 2026, 10 - 12.30PM Eastern

Week 6 • THU Feb 12, 2026, 10 - 12.30PM Eastern

Week 7 • THU Feb 19, 2026, 10 - 12.30PM Eastern

(no class Feb 26th)

Week 8 • THU Mar 05, 2026, 10 - 12.30PM Eastern

Class Description:

Stitching up a book is the most soothing and enjoyable creative outlets I have. There is something so wonderfully pleasing about repetitively gliding beautiful thread that I have pulled through fragrant beeswax into a pattern of holes through decorative and paper. As I am stitching, I get to relive all my creative choices in collaging my covers, from head to tail. And when this piece is done, it's life has just begun. For every morning, I have the luxury of filling the pages I have stitched together with my thoughts as lettering practice, as a journal, and as a canvas for sketches, drawings, and paintings.

The anatomy of a book is fascinating, as are the personal adjustments one can make to create this decorative and functional work of art. A personal handmade journal is a vehicle in which you can fill your hopes and dreams, drawings, musings, sketches, lettering practice, and more. If you enjoy stitching, gluing, folding, drawing, painting, laughing, and the freedom to be yourself in good company, this class is for you!

We'll start our journey by learning how to make your own custom brushable glue, and marveling at the mechanics of folds and creases in paper. We'll learn the basic language of bookbinding: folio, signature, head, tail, spine, fore edge, creep, book block, and more. Using Keith A. Smith's book "Non-Adhesive Binding, Vol. One: Books without Paste or Glue" as a detailed exemplar for stitch sequences and my own exemplars for broader concepts, recipes, and designs, we'll get you well on your way to becoming an accomplished bookbinder.

Projects included:

• Pamphlet stitch book

• Zine

• Nested Accordion Square Book

• Coptic Book

• Tape Bound Book

• Long-Stitch with Chain

Week 1:

ZINE

Pamphlet stitch book

Glue Mixing Demo

Board Cutting Demo

Make a Corner Tool

Week 2:

Nested Accordion (Slinky Book)

Turkish Map Fold

Week 3:

Begin Coptic Book

Week 4:

Complete Coptic Book

Week 5:

Begin Tape Book

Week 6:

Complete Tape Book

Week 7:

Long Stitch w/ Chain Book

Week 8:

Side Stab Books

Supply List:

Anything that you can’t find at your local art supply store can be purchased at John Neal Books (johnnealbooks.com) or Paper and Ink Arts (paperinkarts.com). Amazon.com, Paper Source, TalasOnline.com and any Google search is very handy as well. You'll see me link a variety of these links in the products below.

• Non-Adhesive Binding, Vol. 1: Books without Paste or Glue (Paperback) by Keith A. Smith (Author)

An excellent book I highly recommend following for detailed descriptions and graphics that illustrate the stitch turns and their complexities. We'll use this book in conjunction with my own illustrated handouts.

• Bookbinding Adhesives (please purchase both)

1: Lineco Neutral pH 8 oz. Adhesive (glue) OR Jade 403 PVA adhesive

This can be used by itself as a bottle glue for small dots of adhesive. I also mix this with the next product below. I will demonstrate how to prepare your own slow-drying adhesive so that you can use yours the second day of class.

2: 1.5 oz. container of Lineco® Pure Methyl Cellulose

If you go to TalasOnline.com, look for the 12 pack of Curved Sewing Needles #6 and the for the straight needles, get these: Osborne Nickel Plated Harness-Needles No. 517-1 (Gauge 19, length 2 3/8).

• Straight and curved bookbinding needles

• 2 Ziploc 16 oz. plastic containers with threaded lids (to prepare and store your glue mixture and methyl cellulose.)

• Bone, horn, or teflon folder

• Paper for pages of your books. When I make a journal, I usually use 40 8.5 x 11 sheets of text weight paper, or something that takes ink well, but folds easily. Many of the papers we've used in flourishing and FLORA work well. Below are my faves for binding a book. You don't have to get all of these papers and if you'd rather use your own favorite papers, that is OK.

1. Strathmore Calligraphy Pad. I LOVE this ivory laid sheet that comes in a nifty pad. She’s super for folding envelopes and can handle more watercolor than the transparent pad above. Not great for final work (will wrinkle some) but if you already have these sheets, you may use these.

2. Classic Crest Antique Gray or Natural white, Smooth Writing Paper, 24W. Neenah Paper (neenahpaper.com) sells this by the 500-sheet ream at $33.95 (item #01361). It’s what I use in my sketchbooks each morning. This paper does well with fountain pen ink, and can also stand a bit of water color.

3. Southworth Resumé Paper, 24lb in white or ivory.

4. Crane’s Lettra 100% Rag Fine Cotton Paper. (my fave) This is great with every writing tool (and watercolor) EXCEPT for pointed pen. Amazon sells it - as well as thepapermillstore.com.

• Decorative Cover Papers (This is decorative handmade paper that comes in many different patterns, textures and weights. Common names are: Washi Paper, Japanese Decorative Papers, Kozo Paper, Yuzen Paper, Lokta Paper. Pick at least 3-5 sheets you like that are not tissue paper thin or too stiff to be bent without cracking, and that can withstand adhesion with wet glue. We will cover our boards with this paper and within the pages of your book for collage and binding. ) Binders Art Supply carries a beautiful variety of colors and patters, as does Paper Source. Below are a couple more links to some papers that would be appropriate.

*http://www.papersource.com/item/Katazome-Pool-Vines-Red-Flowers-Fine-Paper/13689350.html

*http://www.papersource.com/item/Pink-Red-White-Flower-Fine-Paper/44384350.html

• (optional) Paper from recycled vintage books, illustrations, maps or ephemera to collage with your other decorative papers.

• “Binders Board”: Pick one below.

My FAVORITE:::: TalasOnline also sells wonderful book board: Get the 0.98 thickness of Davey Binders Board.

Lineco makes a set of 4 sheets you can buy, which is handy, but I find them very hard to cut.

PaperSource also has a good book board, but it's a little thicker than Davey Board.

• Lineco Beeswax

• Wax Paper

• Mechanical Pencil (to draw exact measurement lines. DON'T use a regular sharpened pencil for drawing your guides, as the thickness of the lead changes and becomes less accurate as you draw with it.

• Exacto Knife & blades. My fave is the Fiskars brand for making small detailed cuts on paper.

Use a box cutter or utility knife to cut your chipboard/bookbinders board covers. I highly recommend this brand:

OLFA 1072198 LA-X 18mm Fiberglass Rubber Grip Heavy-Duty Utility Knife

• Self-healing cutting mat (at least 12 x 18)

• Glue Brush A good brand is the Lineco® glue brush. I use a 3/4" brush for most things. You can ALSO get the narrower 1/2" brush for when you want to glue smaller pieces or use any stiff and sturdy kiddie hog's hair craft brush.

• Non-slip metal ruler

• Awl: My favorite is the Lineco Medium Duty Awl. Other awls are also appropriate.

• Piercing Cradle (or "Punching Cradle"): If you want to make your own cradle, I've got a pattern for that, you'll need a 20 x 16 piece of .25" thick foam core. If you'd rather just purchase one, that is fine, too!

• Scissors

• Paper towels

• Covered brick to weigh down drying pieces. (A stack of books also does nicely!)

• Bookbinding thread:

You've got lots of options here. Below are suggestions. So if you've got other sources for thread you'd prefer using, that's ok.

Pearl Cotton embroidery thread in size 5 or 8 works really well. You'll want to wax this yourself before stitching.

Londonderry Linen Thread 18/3 is my new favorite bookbinding thread. John Neal Books and Paper & Ink Arts both sell this. You'll want to wax this thread as well, before stitching.