WorkshopsBookbindingLong Stitch Binding at Home

Long Stitch Binding at Home

Event Info

This virtual workshop takes place on Zoom on February 27 & March 5, 2024 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm.

Tuesday, February 27, 6:00 – 8:00pm
Tuesday, March 5, 6:00 – 8:00pm

About the Workshop:

This virtual workshop is taught by CBA instructor Scott McCarney.

The long stitch binding technique is versatile and can be applied to multiple materials, making it an excellent option for any book project. They are non-adhesive, relatively easy and quick to sew, and the finished books can lay flat, making them suitable for sketchbooks and journals.

Participants will learn how to prepare sewing stations in the cover and folded sections and sew two basic long stitches – one that creates an alternating pattern of thread along the spine and one where the threads are parallel across the spine. Students will walk away with a long stitch bound book of their own and a new skill that they can take in to their bookbinding career! No previous bookbinding experience required!

Fun Fact: Long-stitch binding is a centuries-old technique, originating in medieval Germany, and historically can be found on limp parchment bindings.

Required Materials:

Materials
- Text weight paper
- Cover weight paper
Tools
- Paper awl
- Paper knife (a table knife will work)
- Bonefolder
- X-acto or matt knife
- Straightedge
- Cutting mat
- Needles and thread
- Scissors
- Glue stick

More detailed materials lists will be provided in the email sent upon registration.

About Scott McCarney

Scott McCarney is an artist, designer, and educator based in Rochester, New York. His primary art practice has been in book form since 1980 and spans many media, from offset and digital printing to sculptural and site-specific installation. His bookworks can be found in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York; Victoria & Albert Museum, London; and Yale University Art Gallery, among others. His work is shown internationally (Sao Paulo, Brazil; Melbourne, Australia; Baku, Azerbaijan) as well as closer to home (Hallwalls, Buffalo NY; Everson Museum, Syracuse NY; Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester NY). His teaching and lecturing itinerary is varied and eclectic, carrying the banner of artist’s books to Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Mexico, and South America. He recently concluded 16 years of teaching in the College of Art and Design at Rochester Institute of Technology.

All images courtesy of the instructor.

In order to best serve our community near and far, many of our online classes are pay-what-you-can. The amount you choose to pay goes directly toward our instructors and toward creating scholarship opportunities for the future. Virtual workshops at Center for Book Arts will be recorded and the recording will be viewable for up to 30 days after the class.