Dear Everyone ~
I am doubly delighted to debut my first group Zoom workshop of 2025: Hardcover Accordion Book in a Boxy Portfolio. My two inspirations for this workshop are… More is more and Why not?
This is a perfect pairing of two structures—one boxy and one bookish—that require no stitching.
Either structure is lovely & useful on its own. And we are taking this opportunity to showcase our new papers from Carta Pura, made in Italy. (Certamente, we have promptly given them Italianate names.)
The first structure students will make is a 5" x 7" x 1" portrait-format accordion book with hardcovers. The book has 20 Stonehenge panels (Here’s the accordion arithmetic: 5" wide x 20 panels = nearly 3 yards when open fully). The second structure is a boxy portfolio measuring 5¼" x 7¼" x 1¼" with three gusseted flaps reinforced with complementary Italian decorative papers. The portfolio’s closure is a length of vintage ribbon and the spine has a well defined recess, spacious enough for a title label of your choosing.
The materials I’ve selected for this workshop pair two bookbinding classics. A linen bookcloth—understated but elegant—that is delightful to glue and looks smart next to the Italian papers, whose patterns are wonderfully reminiscent of my early bookbinding days. Many bene: We have cut the papers in your kit to a size that allows you to decide which pattern to use for your portfolio and which to use for your accordion book covers. Ruby & I have mixed & matched three palettes, and Alyson named them appropriately: Siena (pairing Murano & Rosso Classico), Padova (pairing Galileo & Castello), and Verona (pairing Piccolo Rosso & Palazzo). Verona, of course, was the home of one of Shakespeare’s most famous pairings.
If this workshop is calling to you—whether in a whisper or an aria— but you're concerned about the glueing portion, may we suggest our Introduction to Glueing Happiness live-recorded lesson as a warm-up? You will (1) experience glueing five distinctive bookbinding materials; (2) learn to make a hinged book cover; (3) acquire the skill to wrap a perfect corner; (4) learn how grain direction impacts the glueing process; (5) practice ways to minimize glueing mishaps; and (6) last but nary least, learn to care for your glue brush. The recorded lesson is 3-ish hours, and you can absolutely watch-and-glue in installments, though tuning in for a “full-length performance” is the ideal.
As always, I will record Hardcover Accordion Book in a Boxy Portfolio in real time, and it will be available to you later the same afternoon to watch and rewatch at your leisure. No previous bookbinding experience is necessary, though some glueing experience is a plus. You will have ample time during each step to ask questions while we work. If you have any questions now, please feel free to call or e me to discuss!
Hardcover Accordion Book in a Boxy Portfolio
Boxy moxie, Bari
P.S.
Exceptionally, the shop will be closed this Thursday, February 13. Regular hours resume Friday at 12pm. And Ruby will be dispensing very last-minute valentinear inspirations and tiny origami hearts.
P.P.S.
The Italian patterned papers will be available individually as of March 1, after workshop students have had a suitable palette-perusing interlude.