Instructor: Bari Zaki

Date: Saturday, April 5 from 10am to 2pm (Chicago time)

What you’ll make: A portrait-format accordion book that fits perfectly in a hardcover portfolio box. The portfolio has three gusseted flaps reinforced with decorative paper, with a ribbon closure & a recess on the spine to frame your title. The portfolio is an elegant way to protect and present papery treasures, ephemera, correspondence… or a set of hand-folded envelopes… or a stack of loose artworks. The accordion book is the ultimate versatile structure to use as a photo album, travel diary, a swatch-keeper, a project-documenter, etceter. Together, they make a perfect pair, a dazzling duo.

About the structure: The portfolio measures 5¼" x 7¼" x 1" with a linen spine and Italian decorative paper on the front & back cover. The three gusseted flaps are reinforced with complementary Italian decorative papers, and the portfolio’s closure is a length of vintage grosgrain. The spine has a well defined recess, spacious enough for an evocative title label. The accordion book measures 5" x 7" x ¾" with 20 Stonehenge panels (40 serendipitous sides).

The workshop begins, as always, with a brief introduction about paper grain and a review of the tools we will use. You will measure, score, and fold your five Stonehenge sheets (7" x 20") to create five 5-page accordion panels (each measuring 5" x 7"). This can be rhythmic and relaxing, trust me. You will then hinge your panels together using paper strips and a glue-stick. Next you will glue your decorative papers to bookboard, and then glue your first & last accordion pages to the covers, completing your accordion book.

Next, we will map out the recess on the spine, then glue bookcloth & Italian decorative papers to bookboard to fashion an articulated cover. You’ll punch a single hole in the front and back covers to attach the grosgrain ribbon. In the process, you will learn to hide the thickness of the ribbon within the board before glueing in your Stonehenge panel. Then we’ll reinforce the decorative paper onto bookcloth, measure, score, fold, and adhere the three gusseted flaps to the portfolio’s back cover. And last, we will glue in our interior Stonehenge panels and press our portfolio for two-ish hours until flat. Voilà, your gorgeous gusseted portfolio is all gussied up!

Your kit includes all the materials (but not the tools) you’ll need to make both your portfolio box and your hardcover accordion book. 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.

5 precut pieces of Stonehenge (7" x 20")

5 pieces of bookcloth (2 are 9" x 5" and 3 are 4" x 8")

5 pieces of bookboard (2 are 5" x 7" and 3 are 5¼" x 7 ¼") 

6 pieces of Italian decorative paper (7" x 9")

3 pieces of double adhesive sheets (7" x 9")

1 length of vintage ribbon (1 yd.)

Nota bene: As always, I will record the lesson as it’s happening, and the recording will be available for you, with no interruptions or delay, later that same afternoon.

Tools needed: Bonefolder, X-acto knife PVA glue, glue brush. You will receive a 20% discount on all tools ordered for the workshop (via refund after your workshop purchase). You can purchase these tools individually here.

Ancillary tools needed: scissors, metal ruler, triangle ruler (10" 30º/60º recommended), pencil, a small cup for your glue, a rag to keep your fingers glue-free, and a cutting mat. You’ll also need a mini hole-punch from Tandy Leather. I will e you a link after registration. 

The three palettes shown here (left to right) are: Sienna, Padova, and Verona. If you’d like to purchase an additional set of materials, you certainly can. However, you cannot accomplish this in the dropdown menu (because one set of materials is included with the workshop fee). To order additional sets of materials, please e me and I will be in touch extremely promptly. It’s $145. per additional set, with no shipping fee if you order at the same time as your workshop registration.

No previous bookbinding experience is necessary. 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!

I look forward to sharing my long-standing love of bookbinding and working with paper with you in this four-ish hour workshop!