Another round of bookbinding classes this way comes

We still have a few spots left in our fall session, which kicks off 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 6, and runs every Wednesday in October. $150 course fee with basic supplies provided ($140 for members of the Northwest Montana History Museum). 

Let's go back to school together—and bind books! 

Syllabus for book lab at the Northwest Montana History Museum                              
6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday evenings Sept. 6 to Oct. 25            

                                               

Week 1 
9/6/2023                            

introductions and course expectations                                   

review syllabus                                 

survey models                                  

tool discussion & preliminaries                  

skills warmup: Jacob's Ladder project                                      
skills warmup: paper wallet                                          

                                               

Week 2 
9/13/2023                          

history of bookbinding                                  

paper/bookboard qualities and tips                                         

use of straightedge, rulers, and knives                                    

accordion (sutra) book                                  

                                               

Week 3
9/20/2023                          

assemble accordion book                                            

prepare text blocks for butterfly (hudie), wrapped-back (baobei), and thread-bound (xian) books                

paste butterfly binding                                  

                                               

Week 4 
9/27/2023                          

assemble butterfly book                               

introduce concept of "paper nails"                                           

install paper nails in wrapped-back and thread-bound books                                       

                                               

Week 5 
10/4/2023                          

cover and complete wrapped-back and thread-bound books       

nonadhesive book structure                       

                               

Week 6 
10/11/2023                       

discuss covers, collage possibilities, pastepaper, other treatments                                              

discuss display possibilities                                          

cover embellishments, such as art, illustration, stamps, and inclusions                                     

look at example books where form and content are given equal weight and each complements the other

review models made so far, and decide on next ones                                       

begin single-signature sewn book                             

                                               

Week 7 
10/18/2023                       

Cover and assemble single-signature sewn book

Discuss any final project               

                                               

Week 8 last class
10/25/2023                       

final book roundup                         

document projects and participants                                        

class review and feedback                                            

promotion considerations                                           

book arts resources/how-to books/groups/continuing ed                                              

review of book storage and portfolio/box possibilities                                      

tool collection and cleanup