Making Book Cloth

ONLINE via Zoom

Do you have a drawer (or closet!) full of beautiful material? Can’t resist that vintage fabric? Have a book project that needs something special? Learn to make your own book cloth! In this 3-hr workshop, we’ll learn two methods for backing fabric and paper, (1) fusible web and (2) Japanese tissue, while exploring the pros and cons of each technique. We will also complete one finished book project. No previous bookbinding experience required.

Students may choose to follow along with the instructor in real time, or simply observe and download the recording for future reference.

This workshop requires a kit that will be mailed to registered students via USPS 2-Day Priority.

Level: This class is appropriate for adult students at all skill levels.
Dates & Times: Friday, March 31st, 10am-1pm CDT
Registration ends: Sunday, March 26th at midnight
Max. no of students: 15
Instructor: Amanda Stevenson
Cost: $70 tuition & materials + $10 postage fee

Members receive a 10% discount off the cost of the workshop, among other benefits.
Click here to join as a Member, then choose the Member Rate below.

Supply List

In addition to a tablet or computer with a reliable Internet connection and a well-lit space in which to work, students will need to provide the following:

[1] Sharp pencil with eraser
[2] Metal ruler or straight edge, 12” minimum length
[3] Self-healing cutting mat or several layers of cardboard to protect table surface
[4] Iron and ironing board
[5] PVA glue or other suitable white craft glue and glue brush
[6] Bone folder or back of spoon for creasing
[7] Scalpel or x-acto knife
[8] Waste paper for gluing out. Newspaper or junk mail will work.
[9] 2 or 3 fat quarters of 100% cotton fabric. This is ½ yard cut in half along the grain to yield a piece 18” high by about 22”, depending on the fabric.

Optional: pre-mixed wheat starch paste, and two pieces plexi, larger than your fabric.

ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT INFORMATION

• Early registration is encouraged.
• This workshop is designed for adults. Older teenagers, age 16-17, may also register. For information on resources for younger children, please click here.
• At this time, we are only mailing kits to the continental US. A detailed list of materials in the kit can be emailed to a registered student living outside the continental US, prior to the workshop.
• Registered students will receive a link to the Zoom meeting in the confirmation email. 
• Zoom meetings for this workshop will be recorded. Students will have private access to the recordings for 90 days.

ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR

Amanda Stevenson is the director of the Austin Book Arts Center. She began her career in the book arts at the Center for Book Arts in New York City, where she was the Registrar/Administrator in the early aughts. Availing herself with many classes in bookbinding and letterpress, she learned from some of the best. Before co-founding the Austin Book Arts Center in 2015, she worked for seven years at The Printing Museum in Houston, primarily as the Curator, where she was responsible for organizing exhibitions, collections management, and education programs. She holds a Master’s degree in Library Science from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, with a concentration in special collections management, and a BA in Art History from UT Austin. She believes in the enduring power of books.