This book combines the soft opening of a leather spine with the sturdy firmness of board covers. The completed book opens nearly perfectly flat making it an ideal book for your journal writing or drawing. Creating your book involves sewing folded signatures through a leather spine with the long stitch. We will begin by getting acquainted with paper grain and its importance for the finished book. We will cover the boards of the book with decorative paper and once dry we'll drill holes in the covers to prepare for sewing. The leather spine will also need holes for sewing which we will pierce with an awl or drill. Paper signatures will be folded and pierced and then we'll take a short break for lunch. After lunch we will learn to sew the long stitch to bind the book. Covers will then be sewn onto the leather spine piece. By the end of the workshop, you will have completed your book, and have the skill to make more on your own. Class fee includes all materials we use to make a book: leather for the spine, a sheet of decorative paper to cover boards, paper for your signatures, a pair of pre-cut cover boards, glue, and waxed-linen thread. Please bring your own basic bookbinder's toolkit: bonefolder, pencil, awl, Xacto knife, scissors, ruler, and a bookbinder's needle. If you don't have any of these, the BAL will have student tools to share.

If you are a BAL member please reach out to registration@groundworksartlab.org for a $10 off discount. 

Ages: 16+

This class takes place at Groundworks East (3063 E. Sterling Cir)

Class will be available for registration December 8th at 8:00am. 

The Book Arts League is excited to announce that we will now offer open studio hours! Our shop will be available monthly for you to print your work. Below are the upcoming open studio dates. BAL board members will be your hosts and will assist you with your printing projects. Please bring your own paper and get ready to print!

TUESDAY Jan. 13th — 4:30-6:30PM

TUESDAY Feb. 10th — 4:30-6:30PM

TUESDAY Mar. 10th — 4:30-6:30PM