San Francisco Center for the Book

Discover the elegance and functionality of the sewn boards binding, a modern structure popular today with bookbinders from various backgrounds.

In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn to sew text blocks onto integrated cover boards, creating a durable book that opens completely flat.

Prerequisite:
None

Tools/Materials to bring:
None. All tools and materials are provided.

About the Instructor:
Clair Emma Smith (she/her) is a bookbinder specializing in repair located in Oakland, California. She found her love of bookbinding during an art conservation internship at a historical society in Indiana, and she has been setting up her dream home studio ever since. Clair Emma relocated to the Bay Area after graduating from North Bennet Street School's bookbinding program in 2019 and works in private practice for both herself and other conservators as Bouguereau Bindery.