San Francisco Center for the Book

Building on the skills learned in Introduction to Western Paper Marbling, this workshop will take students through the techniques needed to marble on fabric.

Students will begin the day by advancing upon their marbling skills with the introduction of marbling on fabric. With the instructor's guidance, they will work on new patterns with an eye for nuance. The main focus will be on marbling fabric to create book cloth, and techniques for other textile uses will also be discussed.

At the end of the day, the instructor will demonstrate how to prepare dry pieces of marbled cloth for use in bookbinding. Students will leave with their own stack of 15 marbled fabric pieces.

SFCB's Windgate Scholarship Fund is dedicated to providing need-based financial support to individuals interested in learning bookbinding, letterpress printing, and related book arts. Click here to apply.

Prerequisite:
None. This workshop is open to beginners, though it's also a good next step after an introductory marbling class such as Introduction to Western Paper Marbling.

Materials to bring:
All tools and materials will be provided. Please wear comfortable shoes and clothing that you don't mind getting wet and/or stained.

About the Instructor:
Pietro Accardi (he/him) owned a Bookbindery in Turin (Italy) for 12 years. He worked for Turin’s main Library, Municipal Archives, and University Libraries restoring and binding documents and books. He also runs his own paper marbling and decorative box making business. Now he lives near Lake Tahoe with wife, cats and a studio. He is currently working for the library of special collections of University of Reno doing restoration work and teaches workshops.