Bespoke Books & Stationery, Workshops in Letterpress & Bookbinding

Exposed Bindings: Long Stitch

This workshop is aimed at beginners and those with experience of bookbinding who are not familiar with long stitch and its variants. All the variations on long stitch involve weaving the pages or sections into a cover which has slits across the spine.  The book can be made with rigid or flexible covers.  During the workshop, we will make a hard-covered version of long stitch.  Afterwards, participants will know how to make both versions. The dense stitching requires the use of a soft paper, which workshop participants have to cut or tear to size manually. This process is quite time consuming but is necessary to achieve a book that celebrates the sewing, but also is more robust because the fore edge and spine have a roughly equal width. 

The workshop will start with a discussion, highlighting the basic principles of bookbinding. Next, we will tear down our pages, make a cover and bind the pages into it.  The workshop lasts a day and an half.  All materials and lunch, during the full day, are included.