Book Binding Workshop + Illuminated Manuscript Talk

Come make your own hand-bound journal/sketchbook while learning about some of the most famous hand-bound books ever made - medieval illuminated manuscripts.

Prof. Peter Houston, an archivist at Mount Royal University, will be in to talk about the manuscript collection he’s building at the Mount Royal Archives, how these incredible books were made, and why they matter.

While you listen to Peter, Redge Dole will lead you in a 2 hour workshop to make your own hand-bound book. At this workshop you’ll get:

- Journal/Notebook/Sketchbook with an exposed spine that shows off your handiwork.
- Simple & beautiful binding comprised of Kettle Stitches and French Link Stitches
- Notebooks will lay flat when opened, great for writing and making artwork that uses the full page
- Selection of decorative cover stock materials
- Selection of coloured threads
- Selection of quality paper types:
        - Blank white writing/sketching paper (50 sheets/100 pages)
        - Dot Grid white writing/sketching paper (50 sheets/100 pages)
        - Aged/Parchment appearance blank writing/sketching paper (50 sheets/100 pages)
        - Watercolour/Painting paper, heavyweight (20 sheets/40 pages)

The cost for making a book is $28, but the event is free to attend if you’d just like to listen to the talk and see how people bind books by hand.

Please select the type of paper you would like to use for your journal. Each type is the same price.

Scan the photos here for example of the kind of book binding you’ll do, and for a couple images of an illuminated manuscript - a Book of Hours from 1460.