The Sketchbook is an honest structure made from good quality materials, opens beautifully flat and is very durable. Most importantly for the beginning bookbinder, it can be made at home with no equipment, just a few simple tools, and requires no pressing.

Working from full sized sheets, students will fold and slit the paper to give it a beautiful, feathery deckled edge. We’ll sew the book with linen thread on hand-made tapes, and sew in a cloth hinge for strength. The spine is rounded, for easy opening, but not backed, which eliminates the need of a laying press. The case is made from greyboard covered in a strong natural canvas.

All this makes for a handsome, rugged book that can withstand all the hard knocks associated with going 'out into the field'.

Materials to Bring: scalpel — #4 handle, #25 blades (available from Havels: https://www.havels.com/surgical-blades).

Optional and available at SFCB for student use during workshop: Bone folder, metal ruler, dividers.

Workshop Fee (includes $50 materials fee): $215.00

Date & Time: Sunday, August 18, 2019 :: 9:30am-5:30pm

Location: 375 Rhode Island St, San Francisco, CA 94103

Note: Please read over the SFCB Registration Policies before signing up for a class

REGISTRATION WILL CLOSE 3 DAYS PRIOR TO THE START DATE OF THIS WORKSHOP.

About the Instructor | Dominic Riley

Dominic Riley Is an internationally renowned bookbinder, artist, lecturer and teacher. He has his bindery in the Lake District, from where he travels across the UK teaching and lecturing. He spends part of the year teaching in San Francisco and across the USA. His work is mostly restoration and Design Binding, for which he has won many prizes in the Designer Bookbinders competition. He was elected Fellow of DB in 2008. His bindings are in collections worldwide, including the British Library, the Grolier Club in New York and the San Francisco Public Library. In 2013 he won first prize, the Sir Paul Getty Award, in the International Bookbinding Competition. Dominic is President of the Society of Bookbinders.

Past Student Reviews:

“Dominic was so engaged with each student, with bonus history and otherwise entertaining tales. He created such a great atmosphere in the class, I made connections with several other students."

"Dominic is a fantastic instructor. He's kind and patient, but doesn't talk down to you. I've been making books for 10 years, and have taken other workshops (of varying quality) elsewhere, but even when Dominic covered things I'd thought I'd known inside and out, such as paper grain, I gained new info. I learned so much in this one workshop."

"The class was very well paced. Somehow, he managed to keep everything flowing well, yet still had time to share entertaining and historical anecdotes that added so much to the class. It was a wonderful experience.”

“This class was everything I'd hoped it would be, and much more. I don't live near the Bay Area and had to travel a considerable distance to come this weekend, but it was more than worth it. I hope to return next summer for more opportunities to take workshops from Dominic.”