Yesterday I taught my third bookbinding induction for 1st year students. Three lovely students turned up, and I showed them how to make a codex binding. We talked about paper grain and spent the day folding, sewing, cutting, gluing.

There are only two more inductions scheduled – 5 and 12 March – so if you are a 1st year BAGD student and you want to make a book, turn up! On time! If I suddenly get mobbed by students on the last day, I will have to turn people away, as there is only space for up to 12 people.

Here are some photos of yesterday’s session.

On my first teaching day in the lovely new bookbinding studio in Kings X, three students turned up. One did not stay very long as she had other things to do and she hadn’t realised that the workshop would take the whole day. So we ended up being a rather small group! We made a codex binding and the students said afterwards that it was more complex than they had anticipated. Having said that, it was their choice to make it even more complex than I had intended by asking me about headbands! As we had no readymade headbands, I showed them how to make some using a piece of string and a bit of bookcloth. I think we made some pretty nice books!

Welcome to my Book Arts Blog. I am currently teaching a series of Bookbinding inductions for 1st year BAGD students at Central Saint Martins, so I thought I’d start a blog alongside our workshops, not only so other students can see what we’ve been doing but also to start an online resource for students who are interested in book arts.