Come and say hello to us at Crafting Connections.
Sat 28 March, 10am – 12pm at the Fitters Workshop, 21 Wentworth Ave, Kingston.
View a display of members’ work and watch demonstrations of bookbinding techniques.
Tag Archives: bookbinding
Drum Leaf Binding, 12 July 2025 – Fully booked
Transit (Orange) by Avril Makula
Drum Leaf Binding – suitable for all levels
Drum leaf binding is an adhesive book structure made up of single folded folios.
Pages are ‘drummed’ at the spine and foredge, then the spine and cover are attached. Only one side of each folio is visible when the book is bound, making it a great structure for binding prints, drawings and the like, when only one side of the paper has been used. This is a book with no stitching, allowing full page spreads uninterrupted by rows of thread in the centre folds. It can be made from a wide range of paper types. This binding style lies quite flat and is fairly easy to construct.
This book structure is great for binding existing artwork, or you can also use blank pages readying it for making your mark.
Tutor: Avril Makula – A book artist, book designer, bookbinder and owner of Alphabet City Press. In her current practice, she prints and binds books using both new and old technologies, takes discarded books and restructures them into new forms, and makes prints using letter shapes. While much of her work explores the book as art using typography, geometry and colour as content, she finds herself increasingly influenced by the natural
To book a place, please register at canberrabookbinders@gmail.com
A list of what to bring in your kit will be provided following registration.
Date: Saturday 12 July 2025
Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Venue: Room 3, Hughes Community Centre, Wisdom St, Hughes, ACT
Fee: $120 for Canberra Craft Bookbinders Guild members ($160 for non-members).
Cancellation policy
Refunds are given on any cancellations up to 12 hours before the course and for substantial grounds on the day of the course.
GUILD 24 – exhibition 6 Sept – 2 Oct
GUILD 24 – an exhibition of recent works by members of the Canberra Craft Bookbinders’ Guild.
19 exhibitors and 38 bindings/constructions of fine, contemporary, sculptural and artist creations.
6 September – 2 October, 2024.
More about the exhibition at Home – Libraries ACT
Civic Library opening hours – Monday to Friday 10am – 5.30pm – Saturday 10am to 4pm
Guild 24 – Exhibition entry details for members
The CCBG Committee is so pleased to announce the entry details for Guild 24, our members only exhibition to be held Mezzanine level of the Civic Library in Canberra.
Find all the information on the website under Events and news. Deadline for entries 8 August 2024.
Image of a few of the 36 works in Guild 22 taken during ‘bump in’.
Embroidering on leather Sat May 11- Full
While many of us are familiar with stitching when binding books, embroidering the covers may be new to you. This activity is for those who have very little experience in embroidery. We begin by stitching samples on bookcloth and progress to embroidering on leather during the day.
Embroidered covers have been done by Hannah Brown, Sue Doggett and Erin Fletcher. There are a number of other artists, such as Anna Yevtukh-Squire and Adele Outtridge, who teach exposed and decorative stitching on the spines of books.
Cyril Davenport’s Book of English Embroidered Bookbinding s from Gutenberg is an interesting resource – which can be downloaded free in many formats.
BIND25, Auckland, NZ
Exciting announcement.
Association of Book Crafts(NZ) have confirmed BIND25!
The conference will take place at the Auckland University of Technology(AUT) over the weekend of 12-14 September, 2025.
They are pleased to have this quality venue confirmed and now that they have the dates pinned down, planning can begin in earnest.
And there is much to organise!
At the beginning of April they will be calling for papers and workshops and also identifying the two keynote speakers. website abc-nz.org.nz
Bind a Leather Journal with Joy Tonkin – 12th August
Bind a custom leather journal, ‘Tegumentum’, 15th century style with master bookbinder Joy Tonkin.
The workshop is being held at the Sutton Village Gallery, Saturday 12th August, 1 -4pm.
Workshop participants will be making a traditional 15th century limp leather journal.
For more info and to book a place …
Make a ‘Ten Minute’ Slipcase – 9 July
At our next meeting Chris will introduce slipcases and chemises.
When: Saturday 9 July 2022, 9.30am – 12.30pm
Where: Room 3, (COTA) Hughes Community Centre, Hughes, ACT.
‘Ten Minute Slipcase’ – Make your own slipcase. It is quick to make, but takes 40 minutes or more to allow for accurate measuring and cutting.
What to bring:
- A bound book (hand bound or commercial) width 160mm or less
- Your bookbinding kit
- Bone folder
- Metal ruler
- Retractable sharp knife with snap off blades
- Cutting mat
- Fine pencil and notebook
- Big scissors
- Dividers if you have them
- Camera/phone to take images
All other equipment and materials will be supplied including card, PVA, rollers, paper strips for measuring. A few dividers will be available for sale.
During the morning we will explore:
- What is a slipcase ?
- Why do you want a slipcase ?
- A slipcase within a slipcase.
- Adding a ribbon to the slipcase design.
Show and Tell – We will also show and chat about other loose coverings for books such as chemises, wrappers and boxes – Please bring some to show if you have them.
Look forward to seeing you all there!
Guild 22 – Exhibition entry details for members
The CCBG Committee is so pleased to announce the entry details for Guild 22, our members only exhibition to be held Mezzanine level of the Civic Library in Canberra.
Find all the information on the website under Events and news. Deadline for entries 11 August 2022.
Image of a few of the 44 works in Guild 19 taken during ‘bump in’.
Guild 2020 we learnt how to use YouTube to showcase our members works to everyone. CCBG Guild 2020 exhibition – YouTube
Make your own bookcloth – 14 May
At our next meeting we will discuss, demonstrate and make our own bookcloth.
When: Saturday 14 May 2022, 9.30am – 12.30pm
Where: Room 3, (COTA) Hughes Community Centre, Hughes, ACT.
Make your own Bookcloth
What to bring:
- Your bookbinding kit
- Fabric closely woven 100% cotton (we will be making up to A3 size)
- Cutting mat to keep your bookcloth flat to take home as it will be damp
- Pencil and notebook
- Scissors and/or cutting knife
- Apron to protect your clothes
- Camera/phone to take images
All other equipment and materials will be supplied including paper, rollers, paste etc
During the morning we will explore these questions:
- Why make your own bookcloth ?
- What are suitable fabrics ?
- What would be ways to use the bookcloth ?
Show and Tell – Please bring along examples of books and boxes (completed and/or under construction) where you have used fabric.
Look forward to seeing you all there!