Handmade Books: Inlaid Covers and Coptic Stitching Workshop (Brockton)

This 2-session course (Nov 1 & 8) brings together fine woodworking and traditional bookbinding through the construction of a Coptic book — a 4th-century Ethiopian binding style known for its wooden covers and elegant, exposed chain-stitch spine. The structure opens completely flat, making it ideal for sketchbooks, journals, or albums. Students will explore creative techniques such as inlay, carving, or painting on their wooden covers. This is a great opportunity to make use of figured wood offcuts while learning foundational skills in bookbinding and surface embellishment. The class covers preparing and finishing wood covers, drilling sewing holes, folding and assembling the text block, and sewing the chain-stitch spine and headbands.