Ethel Loves Me, the gallery and home store on the corner of the High Street and East Street hosted a fascinating class on bookbinding last week.
Ben Landymore, a young local crafter led the thre- hour course, which took place inside the store. During the time, we completed three projects including a simple sketchbook, a bookblock (where we sewed paper together to form the inside of a book) and a beautiful hardback A6 book.
Considering we were absolute beginners, we were very proud of our work which we picked up the following day, once the glue had dried. All our materials were supplied and neatly laid out, including a “bone folder” which helped crease the paper, a metal ruler, an awl and needle.
Bookbinding can be traced back more than 2,000 years when religious texts were bound in India, though this ancient craft could go back beyond recorded time.
Landymore bound books can be bought in Ethel’s. I enjoyed the course immensely and although I am not sure I will be giving up the day job any time soon, I certainly will be back to buy the products. A better understanding of how they are made, the thought, skill and creativity that goes into them, makes them seem incredible value.
Keep an eye on Ethel’s website for details of future courses or sign up for the newsletter.
Image Credits: Seana Lanigan .