Part-time adult education, evening classes: London: City Lit

Bookbinding: wooden boarded bindings

The earliest books were bound with wooden boards. Works of great beauty, they often had elaborate exposed sewing stitches. Learn about the techniques used and develop these skills for yourself on this intermediate/advanced level course. See course outline for materials.

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Key course information

Dates
16/04/12 - 02/07/12

Day(s)
Mon

Duration
10 weeks

Time
18:00 - 21:00

Fees
Full fee: £207
Senior fee: £207
Concession: £110

Venue
KS - Keeley Street

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Course code
VD238

Availability
Available
(status updated every 15 mins)

This course has started

It may still be possible to enrol on this course - please call 020 7831 7831 to discuss. Please note that you will have missed some course content and it may not be possible for the tutor to fully cover missed content with you. Please be advised that the published course fees will apply.

Course outline

What is the course about?

What topics will we cover?

You will make wooden board bindings in the style of the early codex, with board covers and wooden covers using exotic wood, such as sycamore, purpleheart or lemonwood. You will also learn different sewing styles, methods of board attachment, sewing headbands, and making fastenings, toggles and straps.

By the end of this course you should be able to:

· Use the tools in a safe way
· Make up the text blocks for your bindings
· Sew and attach text block to the covers
· Sew with different sewing styles
· Sew a variety of headbands
· Make an assortment of fastenings, straps and toggles
· Understand and appreciate the techniques used in wooden board books

With the accumulated knowledge gained during the ten-week course and with the aid of your notebook, you will have the foundations to further develop your skills, enabling you to produce your own wooden board bindings in the future.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This course is about making your own wooden board books. You will discover how they were made, learn the techniques that early bookbinders used and develop these skills for yourself as the course progresses.

This course is for those who have had some previous experience in bookbinding.

You should also be able to follow written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safely information, and will be invited to take part in group discussion. You should be able to use numbers and be able to do simple measurements and calculations.

Please look at the rest of the course outline carefully to decide if you may benefit from support in your English and Maths skills to help you to take part fully in this class.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

The course will be mainly hands on with theoretical applications where relevant. The keeping of a notebook is recommended if you wish to document techniques and procedures. You will be taught to use the tools in a safe manner.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

The course has an additional fee of £40 for materials including wood.

To get the most out of this course it is suggested that you bring along some means of taking notes.

The following tools will be used on the course. If you can bring along any of these it would be helpful.
Pencil, metal ruler, a small carpenter’s square, dividers, 4 x 2.5” curved needles, straight needle, a small weight of about 500g, a drill, craft knife, bone folder, small pair of pliers and a board to work on that doesn’t matter if it gets holes drilled in it.

Do I need to have an interview before I can enrol?

No.

What feedback will I get?

You will receive regular feedback from your tutor throughout the course, as and when appropriate. At the end of the course you and your tutor are asked to assess the progress you have made.

How will I be able to give my views on the course?

Please complete the evaluation form at the end of your course. These are monitored and help us to continually improve our courses.

How do I find out if I can get some support for my learning?

You may be interested in: education and careers advice; financial and childcare support; disability support; support for Deaf and hearing-impaired students; dyslexia support; English and maths support; counselling, and library services (supported learning centre). To find out what may be available to you, and how to apply, see page 213 of the 11/12 course guide, or visit www.citylit.ac.uk/students

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

General information and advice on courses at City Lit is available from the Information and Advice Shop, open Monday to Friday 12:00 – 19:00 during term time, and Monday to Friday 12:00 – 17:00 out of term time. See the course guide for term dates and further details.

Who can I contact for further information?

Tel: 020 7492 2700

visualarts@citylit.ac.uk

Please email us for advice or call us during these times:

Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays - 9.00 -12.00 & 15:00-18:00

Thursdays - 9.00-12.00

Saturdays - 14.00-17.00

To enrol on a course, call 020 7831 7831.

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Visual arts