Upcoming Classes
Book in a Box.
Learn how to make a hardbound, hand stitched, book and a beautiful matching slipcase to keep your book in.
This is an ideal course for those who would like to start bookbinding or those who wish to brush up their skills. It is also ideal preparation for attending a book and page repair course. We will be using a choice of beautiful papers for the end papers and to line the slipcases.
You will leave with the skills to reproduce this again at home. All materials, tools and equipment will be provided. Suitable for beginners
Stapleford Granary has car parking and is within walking distance of Shelford Railway Station
During this one-day class you will learn a 'speedy' leather or vegetarian ‘washable paper’ binding and then construct your own refillable journal with a mixture of papers, envelopes and pockets to suit you, finished off with an elastic closure.
This structure is ideal as a Travel Journal or Gardening Journal and would also make a fabulous Cookery Journal with places to pop all those quickly-jotted recipes from friends or the treasured notes from family. The choice will be yours on the day.
Lots of appropriate cover papers will be available but if you have a special one in mind, please bring it along.
Suitable for all, whether you are a beginner or wanting to learn a new book structure.
Stapleford Granary has a car park and is within walking distance of Shelford Railway Station.
Doug Mitchell, a highly experienced book conservator, will lead the day, under his guidance and tuition you will learn the basics of book repairs using a variety of cloths, papers, tissues and adhesives. Through a mix of demonstration and practice you will learn how to: Deconstruct a book in a safe and systematic fashion, repair both individual pages and sections, prepare your book should it require resewing, replace the end papers, undertake any repairs to the cover in order to allow new material to be added.
*To get the most out of this one day class I would recommend that you have some bookbinding experience and that you have made a 'cased in' book, to enable you to understand how to deconstruct your book for repair.
All materials and equipment will be provided, but you will need to bring with you one or two hard cover cloth bound books, no bigger than A5 and with a stable book block, (as time is limited), that you are happy to replace the end papers on.
During this 2 day class we will make this wonderful 'very useful' deep box, which has a lift out tray and magnetic fastening lid.
This box has been designed to hold your bookbinding tools or threads but has multiple uses. The internal compartments can be adjusted to suit your needs. You will learn (through demonstration and practice) the all-important skills of cutting and covering. Although we will work to the same template there will be the opportunity to personalise with the internal layout, covering and lining materials.
A beautiful selection of papers will be available to choose from as well as co-ordinating buckram, which is a sturdy book and box covering material.
All equipment and materials will be provided along with step-by-step demonstration and practice.
Stapleford granary has car parking and is within walking distance of Shelford Railway Station.
Over this full weekend of bookbinding you will learn the techniques to complete four beautiful book structures along with a lined slipcase to hold your treasured prototype collection. All of the skills you will learn can be 'mixed and matched' so that you have a myriad of design possibilities after the course. You will make a Quarter Bound Single Section, a Hard Bound Journal, along with a Japanese Stab stitch book and a Concertina binding, finishing the weekend with a lined slipcase.
All materials and equipment are included in the fee and you will also be provided with most of the the materials to reproduce these books at home.
Stapleford Granary has a car park and is within walking distance from Shelford Railway Station
Learn how to make The Elbum, designed by Ben Elbel, a fun and clever album structure which holds its pages by gripping them into a series of articulated narrow pockets. This is a treasure of paper engineering, this project is also a great introduction to concertina folding by hand as it requires precision folding. There will be an opportunity to practice with making a prototype before moving onto your finished Elbum. This is ideal if you are looking for a book structure that will hold individual pages.
This class is suitable for beginners as well as those with some bookbinding experience.
During this one day class you will explore the possibilities of the wonderful Crossed Structure binding. You will have the opportunity to make 2 books one with a leather, or a vegetarian alternative, cover and one with a robust paper cover. The spine stitching is visible on this binding and you can add decorative stitching to personalise the covers. This is a very versatile book structure as it lays completely flat when open making it ideal for a variety of uses. All materials and tools are provided along with step by step demonstration and practice.
This class is suitable for beginners.
Stapleford Granary has car parking and is within walking distance of Shelford Railway station..
Would you like the opportunity to work on your own project but struggle with motivation or space at home? Or just want some company of like minded bookbinders?
If so, this is an ideal chance to spend time in my studio where you can use my tools and equipment to work on a project of your choice using your own materials. However if you would like me to prepare any boards for you do let me know in advance and I can advise you of the cost.
There are a range of presses and sewing frames available to use as well as my usual tools kits and cutting mats.
I will be on hand to offer some guidance but this is not a teaching session - as I am likely to be working on my own project, or preparing for forthcoming classes alongside you.
During this class you will learn to make a box with a stitched lid, following a traditional Japanese Stab bound pattern. You will have the opportunity to learn how to have a magnetic fastening for your box too. The inside of your box will be covered with beautiful Japanese paper and the outside in a co-ordinating buckram, which is a sturdy book and box covering material, of your choice. You may decide to have the lid and plinth in one colour and the sides in another. You will learn (through demonstration and practice) the all-important skills of cutting and covering. Although we will work to the same template there will be the opportunity to personalise your box with the covering and lining materials and your choice of thread. Participants will leave with one completed box along with instructions and skills to reproduce another at home.
During this class you will learn to make a box with a stitched lid, following a traditional Japanese Stab bound pattern. You will have the opportunity to learn how to have a magnetic fastening for your box too.
The inside of your box will be covered with beautiful Japanese paper and the outside in a co-ordinating buckram, which is a sturdy book and box covering material, of your choice. You may decide to have the lid and plinth in one colour and the sides in another.
You will learn (through demonstration and practice) the all-important skills of cutting and covering. Although we will work to the same template there will be the opportunity to personalise your box with the covering and lining materials and your choice of thread.
Participants will leave with one completed box along with instructions and skills to reproduce another at home.
Learn how to make this wonderful Pop up Book in a slipcase, it is an adaptation of the pop- up book in a box by Hugo Peller, this one was designed by Christine Hammond.
It is an intriguing structure. You will make a quarter bound hardback book and a co-ordinating slipcase before making an outer cover with integrated ribbons. It is this outer case which allows the book to pop-up on opening and when it is put back into the slipcase it will automatically close the lid.
The lid will have magnetic fastenings so there will be lots of new learning opportunities over the course of these two days.
A selection of decorative papers and buckrams will be available for you to choose from. All equipment and materials will be provided along with step-by-step demonstration and practice.
This course is not suitable for complete beginners.
Slight controversy over the title of this binding as the inventor (Anne Goy) wishes it to be known as CrissCross Binding but let's not split hairs or threads. This one is a beauty combining the best of western and Japanese bindings resulting in a closed but exposed spine which lies flat when open; a very versatile book that can be used as a journal, sketchbook or even photograph album.
This workshop is suitable for everyone whether you are a beginner or are looking to learn a new technique. All equipment and materials will be provided along with step-by-step demonstration and practice.
Stapleford Granary has a car park and is close to Shelford railway station.
The Sewn Boards Binding, brought to prominence by American binder Gary Frost, is the subject of many conversations and variations and with good reason. As well as being an adaptation of ancient Ethiopian binding techniques it also looks 'bang up-to-date' with its crisp edges and streamlined opening ability. It is a great extension to existing binding skills and is also a very helpful starting point for new binders as it does not require the traditional casing-in process! As with other classes, this workshop is taught so that you can repeat at home.
All equipment and materials required will be provided along with step by step demonstration and practice.
Stapleford Granary has car parking and is within walking distance of Shelford Railway Station.
In this half day class you will learn how to make a hardbound, hand stitched, quarter bound book. An opportunity to dip your toes into the wonderful world of bookbinding.
This is an ideal class for those who would like to start bookbinding. We will be using a choice of beautiful papers for covers.
You will leave with the skills and materials to reproduce this again at home.
All materials, tools and equipment will be provided. Suitable for beginners
This long weekend course will enable you, over two and a half days, to make a very versatile collection of books that are designed to show their decorative stitching as well as being very functional. They all lay flat when opened and in use, making them ideal as artist's books for sketching, painting or journalling. The collection, all filled with watercolour paper, consists of two hardbound Long Stitched bindings, a Crossed Structure binding, made with either a leather or a washable paper cover and a two sectioned Origata binding.
These bindings are all chosen to compliment each other and when completed they will be housed in a matching slipcase in order to display their decorative spines.
This course is suitable for beginners, or if you have already completed the Beginning Bookbinding course this will enable you to build on your skills, and provide you with a wonderful set of decorative, contemporary books .
All equipment and materials will be provided along with step-by-step demonstration and practice. You will also be provided with most of the the materials to reproduce these books at home.
A lovely hands on session for half term for parents/carers and children to work together to learn bookbinding. Suitable for 6 years old and upwards.
You and your child will be making a small leather soft bound book with stitched spine. The class fee is for one adult and one child however, if you would like to bring more than one child with you please email me to see if there is an additional space.
All materials and equipment is provided along with refreshments and homemade cake.
Stapleford Granary has Car parking.
Learn how to make your own journal with a decoratively stitched leather or ‘washable paper’ spine, which includes space for an integral pencil or pen. This is a beautiful, interesting and versatile book structure that opens flat when in use. There will be a variety of coloured threads and a range of cover papers available to choose from.
This workshop is suitable for everyone whether you are a beginner or are looking to learn a new technique.
Stapleford Granary has easy parking and is within walking distance of Shelford railway station.
We will spend the morning creating our cyanotypes. Cyanotypes are negative prints of an object, in this instance flowers/plants, in the recognisable ‘blueprint’ colour. Cyanotypes are produced from a camera-less photographic printing process developed in 1842 by Sir John Herschel, St. John’s College/Cambridge graduate.
Your favourite cyanotype from the morning will be used as the covering material for your hardbound book made after lunch. This is a wonderful opportunity to create a unique one-off personal design for your book/s.
All materials are provided and you will leave with the skills to continue practicing your own cyanotype photography and to reproduce the style of book again at home.
Stapleford Granary has car parking and is within walking distance of Shelford Railway station.
In this one day class you will start with making a hardbound concertina binding and then go onto experiment with adding sections and pockets.
We will be using a range of beautiful papers for the covers and there will be a choice of papers for the internal pages, creating some wonderful unique concertina bindings ready to be filled with artwork, writing or photographs. You will leave with the skills and materials to reproduce this again at home.
All materials, tools and equipment will be provided.
Suitable for beginners
Most classes teach techniques for binding a number of signatures into a book but of course there is often the need to bind single pages too, particularly amongst artists and printmakers.
During this one-day class you will learn how to prepare and make a ‘loop’ binding. The chief value of this binding is that it holds single pages in a traditional book format. It lies flat when open and is a beautiful structure in which to present prints, photographs or other flatwork. It is also popular as a journal, travel book or artist sketchbook. It is a structure which can be made at home with minimal equipment, and makes a fabulous gift. Once you've done this class it will be possible to bind anything 2-dimensional into a book form - tiles, slates, sheets of perspex or balsa wood; even paper!
Suitable for beginners.
Stapleford Granary has easy car parking
"In bookbinding, a dos-Ã -dos binding (from the French meaning "back-to-back") is a binding structure in which two separate books are bound together such that the fore edge of one is adjacent to the spine of the other, with a shared lower board between them serving as the back cover of both. When shelved, the spine of the book to the right faces outward, while the spine of the book to the left faces the back of the shelf; the text of both works runs head-to-tail." (Straight from Wikipedia!)
We will be stitching two multi sectioned book blocks to make our Dos -Ã -Dos book.
Come along and celebrate 5 years of Helen Handmade books by bringing some of your books, maps or sketchbooks to "Show and Tell' and share an afternoon with likeminded keen bookbinders.
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