Leather Linkstitch workshop
Taught by visiting artist Lucia Farias Villarreal
 
Tentative: SATURDAY and SUNDAY Aug 20-21
 
 
 
This structure was commonly used for account books around the 13th Century. A vellum wrapper was used for the cover with a leather supported spine piece that was usually blind-tooled. The signatures are sewn directly to the spine with the link stitch, creating a chain-like pattern that brings the decorative element to the book.
 
In this workshop students will learn the fundamentals of link stitching and the secret to making a perfect circle. We will be using vellum for our class model, but a wide range of materials can be used for this structure: leather, laminated Tyvek® or anything flexible works great. Students can expect to come away with a finished book and have acquired the skills to develop their own patterns in the future. 
 
This is an intermediate level course. Students should have some bookbinding, particularly sewing, experience. 
 
The class fee includes all materials including text paper, vellum, leather, waxed linen thread and a few templates/jigs. Also provided by BAL: PVA Students can borrow basic tool kits from the BAL. For this intermediate class students are recommended to bring their own bookbinder's toolkit. Students will need: bonefolder, Small glue brush, Paper awl, Japanese screw punch with a 1mm bit (BAL has 3 to share), Xacto knife, Olfa or other craft knife, Compass or circle template, Dividers, pencil, scissors, metal ruler, 5 bookbinding needles, 1 curved needle.