Sewn Boards Binding, Classic Version

Artist Teacher: Karen Hanmer

Day & Date: Wednesday, July 12, 2023

Times: Pacific time, 9:00 a.m. -12:00 p.m., with classroom doors open at 8:45 AM

Venue: SDBA Zoom, with recording access to registrants for 30 days following class

Skill Level: This is a fast-paced, intermediate-level workshop. Students should be making books regularly and independently, outside a workshop setting. New binders ready for their next challenge are also welcome.

Class Description: The Sewn Boards binding is Gary Frost’s elegant, modern adaptation of an ancient method of board attachment. Stiffened outer signatures sewn along with the text block function as the book’s boards. The book opens flat. It can be dressed up or down with a variety of spine treatments, board-covering materials, and edge decoration techniques. It can be constructed quickly, lends itself to edition work, and can be made in a sparsely equipped home studio.

The sewn boards is also an excellent structure for new binders. Students learn to work with common bookbinding tools, materials, techniques and principles such as grain direction, marking up for sewing, tidy application of adhesive, and measuring one component of the book to fit another.

Class Fees: Members only Early Enrollment Plan: $120, Member: $150, Nonmember: $225

Material Fee: None. Registrant provides their own tools and supplies.

EEP Deadline: June 22, 2023

Registration Deadline: June 27, 2023

Artist Bio: 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 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 twice as a presenter at the Guild’s annual Standards of Excellence conference. She offers workshops and private instruction focusing on a solid foundation in traditional binding skills. www.karenhanmer.com