About this Event
Make a book you will actually want to use.
Spend your Saturday evening learning the foundations of hand bookbinding while creating your own compact cloth-covered journal.
FOLD & THREAD is designed specifically for beginners.
You do not need previous bookbinding experience, specialized tools or perfectly steady hands.
We prepare the cutting and complex material setup before class so workshop time can focus on the parts of the process worth learning yourself:
FOLD → MARK → PIERCE → STITCH → ASSEMBLE → FINISH
You'll build an approximately 5 × 7 inch journal with blank pages, a cloth-covered exterior, visible hand stitching and an interior storage pocket.
You'll learn
how paper grain affects a handmade book;
how signatures are folded and aligned;
how sewing stations are marked;
how to safely use a supervised bookbinding awl;
a simple five-station binding structure;
how to manage thread tension;
how to finish and secure the binding;
how to install the pocket and finishing details.
Your instructor demonstrates each technical stage before the room completes it.
Workshop assistants circulate between maker pods for individual support.
Your workshop kit includes
prepared cloth-covered journal exterior
approximately 48 pages of book paper
interior pocket
waxed binding thread
bookbinding needle
printed five-station template
closure material
paper label options
access to shared professional tools.
All core materials are included with paid admission.
Paid attendees also receive a digital reference guide after the workshop so they can recreate the binding structure at home.
A paid ticket is required for in-person participation.
Event venue & nearby stays
Sitar Arts Center, 1700 Kalorama Road Northwest, Washington, United States
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