A Seven-hour Lesson Learned in Three

For the March Study Group session, Veronica Sorcher did a fabulous job teaching Secret Belgian Binding, a complex structure she learned in a seven-hour workshop. Thanks to a huge amount of preparation and very clear instructions, she somehow condensed an entire day's work into a three-hour afternoon. The kits each student received contained two sets of boards, text pages, sewing template, thread, cover paper and very comprehensive instructions.

Choosing cover paper was part of the fun

 

 

 

To insure that everyone learned the sewing pattern, we first did a sample binding using plain boards with no inserted text block. The real secret of Secret Belgian Binding is the pattern of weaving in and out around a separate spine strip. With that knowledge behind us, the rest of the structure seemed almost straightforward.

Outside of the structure

Inside of the structure

The final step was making a finished book using boards covered and a text block sewn at the beginning of the class. This proved to be the trickiest part of the procedure, but the experience of sewing the mock-up flattened the learning curve considerably, and eighteen eager students left with beautifully finished little books.

Happy campers showing off their completed books

Study Group members had asked for several years to learn Secret Belgian Binding, so this was an especially welcome session. Many, many thanks to Veronica, a great teacher who made a perplexing book structure understandable and a lot of fun.
                                                                                                             Thanks to Janice K. for the report and photos.