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A grid of two images of handbound books, both set open and upright, the spines toward us. The one on the left is a medium blue and the one on the right has a pale blue and gold pattern, with black cloth tape along the spine.
A grid of two images of handbound books, both set open and upright, the spines toward us. The one on the left is a medium blue and the one on the right has a pale blue and gold pattern, with black cloth tape along the spine.

Create a case bound book Create a case bound book

with book artist Andrew Huot

Home Events Paper The Case Bound Book with Andrew Huot

The Case Bound Book with Andrew Huot

Tuesday, June 16 & Tuesday, June 23 – Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild hosts The Case Bound Book workshop. Students will learn a sewing structure for page blocks and create covers, which will then be joined to the sewn block. Facilitated by book artist and operator of Big River Bindery book art studio, Andrew Huot. Online via Zoom, with no prerequisite training needed.

The flat back case bound book is a durable and classic form, combining sewn pages with a hard cover. Learn to create this form in a two-session workshop taking place online via Zoom. This is a live workshop, but it will be recorded and links will be made available for registrants to view until September 19. There is a maximum enrollment of 20, and registration closes Wednesday, June 10.

Prior to registration, please review the materials and tools needed as well as the technical requirements below to ensure you can participate. The tools and materials listed should be prepared in advance according to specifications – this will allow participants to take the best advantage of the live format. Any questions should be directed to workshop@cbbag.ca.

Tools you’ll need
  • Bone folder (a dull-edged hand tool)
  • Self-healing cutting mat
  • Craft knife (X-Acto, Olfa, etc.)
  • Awl (pointed hand tool used for piercing)
  • Metal ruler
  • Scissors
  • Pencil
  • Glue brush
  • Brass edge press boards or 2 knitting needles or thin plexiglass rods
Bookbinding materials you’ll need
  • 32 sheets of 10 x 7 in (25.4 x 17.8 cm) short grain text weight paper
  • 2 sheets of 10 x 7 in (25.4 x 17.8 cm) short grain decorated endpaper (paper glued to insides of hardcover books)
  • 3 x 8 in (7.8 x 20.3 cm) mull, cambric or medium weight Japanese paper
  • 18/3 (notation for thread thickness and ply) bookbinding linen thread
  • 2 pieces of 7 ¼ x 5 in (18.4 x 12.7 cm) binder’s board
  • 1 sheet of 8 x 3 in (20.3 x 7.6 cm) 80 lb cover weight paper
  • 9 x 4 in (22.8 x 10.1 cm) book cloth
  • 2 pieces of 9 x 6 in (22.8 x 15.2 cm) long grain decorated cover paper
  • PVA glue
Technical requirements for participation
  • Access to the internet and the Zoom application (find information on how to join a Zoom meeting here)
  • Screen large enough to follow instructor’s video feed (cellphone is not ideal)
  • Microphone or headset and webcam
About Andrew Huot

Andrew Huot is a book artist, bookbinder, printer and conservator based in Scarborough, ON. Andrew operates Big River Bindery, a studio for bookmaking, letterpress printing and book conservation. He holds a Master’s in Book Arts from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and a Bachelor of Science in Printmaking from Portland State University. Andrew’s artwork is held in collections across America, from the Art Institute of Chicago to Yale University. Andrew also teaches online and in his own studio. Previously, he has taught at the University of Illinois School of Information Science and has worked as a book conservator and preservation specialist at various institutes. Learn more about Andrew here.

About Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild (CBBAG)

Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild (CBBAG – pronounced “cabbage”) is a volunteer-run organization founded in 1983 to create a national directory of Canadian book artists, including bookbinders, papermakers, paper decorators, book restorers and paper conservators, both amateur and professional. CBBAG fosters cooperation and kinship among book arts workers, provides access to book arts education and promotes public awareness of the book arts through exhibitions, workshops, lectures and publications. Originally centred in Toronto, CBBAG currently has seven active regional chapters across Canada. You can read more about their history here.

Close-up taken from above, of a handbound book set open and upright, the spine facing the bottom left. The cover has a rusty brown, grainy finish, with a white streaked pattern.

(Photo credits: Big River Bindery.)

 

Event details

Hosted by: Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild

Type of event: bookmaking workshop

Instructor: Andrew Huot

Date: Tuesday, June 16, 2026 & Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Start time: 6:00 PM ET

Duration: 3 hours each session

Number of sessions: 2

Cost:

  • Members: C$130.00
  • Non-members: C$190.00

Location: Online via Zoom

Booking link: Book your spot here. Registration closes Wednesday, June 10 at 11:59 PM ET.

Contact details: Canadian Bookbinders and Book Artists Guild, 82809-467 Parliament Street, Toronto, ON, M5A 3Y2, Canada; workshop@cbbag.ca, cbbag.ca

 

Refund policy: Participant-requested cancellations will be accepted up to three days prior to the published cut-off date for registration and will be subject to a 10% cancellation fee (a minimum of C$5.00). After that, the full fee will be forfeited. In the event of the workshop being cancelled by CBBAG, the workshop fee will be fully refunded.