Saturday Bindery Workshops
Learn to hand-bind a journal in a single morning. No experience needed. Limited to eight people per session.
The Saturday Workshop
Make Your Own Coptic-Stitch Journal
Every Saturday morning at our Sellwood studio, we gather for a three-hour workshop where you'll hand-bind a finished journal from start to finish. You'll choose from our selection of bookcloth covers and handmade papers, then learn the same techniques bookbinders have used for centuries. By the time you leave, you'll have a real, usable book you made with your own hands.
We run most Saturdays year-round, with morning sessions beginning at 9:30 a.m. Seats are limited to eight per session to ensure everyone gets clear instruction and plenty of table space. Sign-up is required in advance—spots fill quickly, especially in fall and spring.
What You'll Learn
In three hours, you'll master the core skills of binding:
- Folding and collating signatures — cutting and folding paper into the nested sheets, or signatures, that form a book block
- Sewing a Coptic-stitch spine — the technique that allows the cover to open flat, with thread visible and functional on the spine
- Attaching board covers — adhering your chosen bookcloth and boards to create a structure that will hold for decades
- Paper grain and glue-up — understanding why grain direction matters and how to apply adhesive evenly for a lasting bind
You'll leave with a finished journal that's ready to write in—endpapers pressed, signature sewn, and cover attached. It's not a kit; it's real bookbinding at real scale, compressed into one morning.
Who Comes to These Workshops
Our Saturday sessions bring together people who all share one thing: they want to slow down and make something by hand.
We see total beginners walk in nervous and leave glowing—there's something deeply satisfying about folding paper and tying thread. We see writers and journalers who want a notebook that matches the care they put into their words. We see gift-givers who realize a book they've bound themselves means far more than anything boxed and shipped. And we see repeat students who come back to learn long-stitch binding, pamphlet stitch, or exposed sewn structures in follow-up sessions.
Everyone gets the same patient instruction, the same table space, and the same warm encouragement. No experience required. Just bring willingness to learn something old.
Private and Group Workshops
Beyond Saturday mornings, we host private workshops for small groups—bachelorette parties, team offsites, book clubs, birthday celebrations, and family gatherings. These sessions are tailored to your group size and can be scheduled outside our regular Saturday hours.
Private workshops follow the same core curriculum: participants each make a finished Coptic-stitch journal in three to four hours, working at their own pace with guidance from our binders. We can accommodate groups of 4 to 16 people, with pricing scaled to group size. You choose the date; we arrange materials, instruction, and the table space.
It's a gift that lasts—your guests leave with a book they made together, each one unique to the person who bound it.
Reserve Your Seat
Saturday workshop spots fill in advance, and we keep sessions small to keep instruction personal. To check upcoming dates, ask about availability, or reserve a seat, please visit our Commission page and send us a note. Tell us which Saturday works for you, whether you're joining solo or bringing others, and anything about your binding experience (or lack of it).
We'll confirm your spot, send workshop details, and answer any questions before you arrive. Bring curiosity and an open hand. We'll provide the rest.