Book Binding: Learn How To Make A Sketchbook

Sam Treadaway is running a bookbinding workshop at Exeter Phoenix on Saturday 7 November, from 10.30am to 4pm. The session is held in the Meeting Room, and the whole day is spent making a hardcover sketchbook that you take home with you.

It's an introductory one, so you'll be walked through the basic tools and techniques of the craft. You don't need to have ever touched a bone folder or a needle before to get stuck in, but it's not just for beginners — if you've dabbled in bookbinding and want to sharpen your skills, there's plenty of room for that too. The end result is a proper hardcover sketchbook, something you can actually use and keep, rather than just a one-off exercise.

Treadaway himself is a British artist living and working in the South West, and book arts are part of a wider multimedia and interdisciplinary practice. He often works with the friction between aesthetic form and utilitarian function, transforming found materials, objects and systems into something else. That's a good bit of context to have in mind, because it's exactly what you're doing here: taking the practical, functional side of bookmaking and turning it into something you've made yourself.

It's a full day's work, running 10.30am to 4pm, and the cost is £58, which includes a £1.50 ticketing system charge. You'll also get 10% off all food and hot drinks at the Cafe Bar, which is a handy perk for a long session. If you've ever wanted to make your own sketchbooks instead of buying them, this is a solid way to start.