Classes

Fukuro toji (袋綴じ, "pouch" or "stitch" binding) is perhaps most commonly associated with traditional Japanese style of book binding. Stacked pages of double-wide paper are folded individually where the fold becomes the outside edge of the page. Front and back covers are added to the stack of pages; the assembly is then bound by sewing the free-floating (non-folded) edges with thread. The stitching is a distinctive pattern using an in-and-out technique of weaving the thread through the pages from top to bottom and then tied off with a knot. Early books bound using this method were often made with previously used paper (such as letters), where the used side of the paper was folded inside, and hidden after binding, allowing the “clean” side to be the surface of each page in the book.

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In this one session hands-on workshop, you will fold and stack Japanese calligraphy paper for binding. A variety of washi and printed fabric are provided for you to design and made the front and back covers of your book. Select from a collection of cotton, linen and silk flosses to stitch the binding.