Clever Coptic Bookbinding with Rose Rigley

In this workshop, join Rose Rigley, winner of the inaugural Queensland Regional Art Awards Reframe ‘Art Educator Award’, as she shares how to make beautiful handmade A5 open-bound book. Once you have mastered the binding, you can upscale the next outcome to suit your own purposes as a journal/sketchbook, to collect your artworks together, or to create your own artist book construction.

This workshop focuses on open-bound single-needle Coptic stitch. Make cover variations to match the binding thread or be outrageously different.

At the end of this workshop, you will be able to

• Use traditional binding equipment
• Create sections and hand sew the book block using single-needle Coptic stitch
• Create an open-bound book cover
• Work with adhesives and decorative papers to create individual covers

This is a fast-paced workshop, with some pre-preparation provided. Rudimentary skills in measuring, cutting, and stitching are beneficial, but not essential.

Please bring: 

• An apron or clothes that can get messy.
• Snacks and a water bottle.
• Any specific paper, natural fabrics, ribbons, or recycled artwork to create a unique finished product is optional.

Note: All bookbinding equipment will be supplied.

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Further information: 

This workshop is delivered as part of the Queensland Regional Art Awards (QRAA) Reframe touring exhibition which will travel to Charleville, Longreach, Blackall, Moranbah and Cairns in 2023.

The QRAA is an annual visual arts prize and exhibition for established and emerging artists living in regional and remote Queensland. The program aims to provide a platform for further professional development. The 2022 QRAA explored the concept of ‘Reframe’, calling artists to enter work which drew upon experiences and observations, reflecting upon the past year or two and responding to our changing world. ‘Reframe’ is an opportunity to see our current situation from a different perspective, to inspire problem solving and decision making and apply learning, whilst constructively responding, shifting and evolving.

This project is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland. Flying Arts Alliance was a recipient of the Touring Queensland Fund – Round 1a 2023 to deliver Reframe the touring exhibition of the 2022 Queensland Regional Art Awards, collaborating with the Queensland Music Festival Music Trails.

For further information visit here.

Image Credit: Rose Rigley, Coptic bound books.