#bookbinding workshop

Flooat Studio x kamipaper UPCYCLED I Bookbinding Workshop - workshop facilitator

An upcycled bookbinding and weaving workshop in collaboration with Flooat Studio. Participants were welcomed into the space with a cup of healthy tea by Flooat Studio and Malaysian sweet treats by Sueperlicious. Participants then sifted through the collection of sweet wrappers that kamipaper had collected, to choose wrappers that they wanted to weave onto their mini notebook covers. Participants were also encouraged to bring wrappers that they would like to incorporate onto their covers, whether nostalgic or from their cultures. After weaving the selected wrappers onto their covers, we then made a mini coptic bound notebook together that the participants got to take home.

This collaboration came together as we wanted to have a workshop that could be therapeutic, meditative and to slow down especially as city life can be so fast moving. It was also a way to engage everyone to converse with their neighbours and have thoughtful conversations during the workshop.

It was the first time for me to showcase this workshop using upcycled sweet wrappers combined with coptic binding, thanking Flooat Studio for suggesting I teach a workshop like this and for being so encouraging and supportive during the preparation and actual workshop. Photo credits: kamipaper, Flooat Studio & Alison Hui.

Endpaper Challenge #7

Since Endpaper #8 is a modification of Endpaper #7, I decided to make them both together. And of the same size. However, I will still post them separately as 2 individual endpapers, though the 2 books will end up as a box set of 2 journals. This week’s endpaper is described as:

“The ‘made’ endpaper, 7, is very satisfactory for most work; it is sewn on as a section and tipped on to the first section for 3mm. The stiff leaf and two fly leaves give protection to the text opening pages. It is interesting that this endpaper resulted from the use of a type of marbled paper prevalent throughout the nineteenth century. This paper was thin and weak, with the marks of the marbling on the back, so the paper was ‘made’ on to a white to strengthen it and cover the stains. With coloured paper, the habit persists today though it is no longer needed. Care must be taken when sewing to place the needle just under the fold of the outside sheet, to avoid piercing the board paper.”

I must say, this common made endpaper is my favourite form of endpaper. I have been using this a lot for most of my bindings. From basic cased-in books that I teach in my Beginner’s Course, to the fine bindings I do for commissions and enter into competitions. One of the advantages is that I do not have to be extremely careful when I decorate the endpapers since it will be covered over by either a white or a coloured paper. 

For this challenge, I made a small book because #8 is modified and claimed the stiff leaf to be “clumsy”. So I wanted a contrast in the 2 books that both with and without the stiff leaf, it still looks very elegant and nice. I often find the stiff leaf as a lead in from the hard board covers. It is as though we transit from the hard and thick covers, to the semi-thick and flexible endpapers, to the soft papers of the textblock. 

The endpapers for #7 is made using the Japanese marbling technique of Suminagashi. However I used Acrylic paints with a bit of Floating Medium (Médium De Flottage) on just regular water. I used the same paper as the textblock for the folded fly leaf, and the additional fold that is tipped on between the stiff leaf and the section. I find that if most books have this additional fly leaf, it will cause less damage to the first section, which I find very often when I do repairs and restoration. 

Full House! 

On 20th January 2018, I held my first mass bookbinding workshop, organised jointly by the Singapore Chinese Cultural Centre and Singapore Press Holdings’ Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao (联合早报). I was extremely surprised that on the morning of the newspaper article on the 7th of January, the workshop registration was already full. 

At 4pm, we started with the video that was done by Another Beautiful Story, followed by a small slides presentation of what I do: Design Binding (精装书) and Book Restoration (修复). My greatest pride was when I introduced my teachers, Mark Cockram and Yamazaki Yo, and showed a picture of me meeting them both together in Hong Kong in 2015. One was the first bookbinding teacher I had, and the other, basically changed my life, in my skill set, artistic approach and my crazy, whimsical and quirky character.

After a short Question and Answer session, we proceed to the workshop proper, teaching participants how to use Chinese new year red packets as the covers for a simplified traditional Chinese Thread binding (红包线装书). The main quote to aid one in attempting this binding is 先上后下，缝横必转, which translated literally means; When you sew, go up first, then down. When you sew the horizontal, you need to turn.

Other than a small mishap of a participant pricking himself, the workshop ended very nicely, on time and everyone brought home their own hand sewn book. 

Islamic Bookbinding Workshop 

I have just returned to Singapore after a week in the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur for a workshop in Islamic Bookbinding with Dr Karin Scheper. Dr Karin is the leading conservator specialising in Islamic books and completed her PhD research in the structures and techniques in manuscripts that were made in the Islamic world.

It was an amazing week, meeting book conservators from Australia, Japan, Malaysia and the Netherlands, as well as my home country, Singapore. Needless to say, I am the only bookbinder there. I am happy that I was able to go for this workshop, made possible by the generous sponsorship of my life partner, Louis. He felt that I was losing my “fire” and drive and needed to be learning again. I travelled up with a good friend and paper conservator, Mariko and even shared a very lovely apartment just 15 minutes walk away from the museum. 

We tried our hand at making a model of one of the most typical Islamic bindings, making endbands, paring leather (very slowly with a scalpel, I did not want to risk losing my leather paring knives at the customs) and finally putting our book together using beautiful Ebru marbled papers by Dr Karin’s friend or using our own made during a Ebru marbling workshop held on Wednesday by The Craft Crowd. 

I would not dare say I am good at Islamic binding but I now know how the structure is built the most basic way, the misconceptions of what the Western bookbinders see of it and the large possibilities and inspiration for my work in design binding in the future. I have already amazing ideas for a book that is waiting for a design binding and I see myself doing some amazing exploration. 

Flooat Studio x kamipaper UPCYCLED II Bookbinding Workshop - workshop facilitator

After the happy collaboration with Flooat Studio in May, I was invited back again into the tearoom for another upcycled bookbinding workshop in the Autumn. Participants were welcomed into the space with a cup of healthy tea by Flooat Studio and a dim sum snack. They then sifted through the collection of sweet wrappers that kamipaper had collected, to choose wrappers that they wanted to weave onto their mini notebook covers. Participants were also encouraged to bring wrappers that they would like to incorporate onto their covers, whether nostalgic or from their cultures. After weaving the selected wrappers onto their covers, we then made a mini coptic bound notebook together that the participants got to take home.

This collaboration came together again as the feedback we got was encouraging and lovely. We created the workshop to be therapeutic, meditative and slow, as city life can be so fast moving. It was great to see everyone engaged in conversations with their neighbours and having thoughtful conversations during the workshop.

I am deeply grateful to Flooat Studio for always opening up their space and for being so supportive during the preparation and actual workshop.

Generation Hope - Veg Scraps Print Notebook Workshop - workshop facilitator

// Bookbinding Workshop \\

The first book was bound using a stitching method with waved thread and bookbinding awl, when the paper was stitched together with a card cover it created a book. This method could come in handy in the future when creating an art book, however, this technic could work mostly when I want the book to appear homemade or the shape is slightly abnormal.

The second method is created from an A3 sheet folded a certain way with a cut in the middle. While this could mostly be used as a prototype towards a final product, it could be used as a final piece.

Limp Binding Workshop at CANVAS/S

Preparation for the workshop to be held in conjunction with the exhibition has started. This is for the Limp Binding Workshop this Saturday, 23 February. Registration has been overwhelming and I heard there is a waiting list!