Coptic Books

COPTIC BOOKS class

This wonderful book form lays absolutely flat wherever you open it, and shows exposed stitching on the spine.

Coptic books were invented by the Coptic monks in Africa, in the 10th Century. Pages were made from tanned animal hides (vellum) and covers were made of metal or wood (coffee table size!) and bound with thin strips of leather. The covers and pages were stitched together as one unit.

Nowadays, any flat, stiff material can be used for the covers if holes can be pierced: slate tiles, polymer clay, hide, wood, shell, and the pages always lay absolutely flat, no matter where the book is opened (perfect for sketchbooks and journals).

Click on thumbnails for full size images

The covers are attached separately, and decorated inside and out.

This book form also allows you to select any size and shape that you want - your own combination of pages - different weights, colours, textures. Maybe you would like a book containing a combination of writing paper, vellums, handmade papers, watercolour paper, and pockets for found objects? With a fabric cover? Using the Coptic format, you can tailor books to your exact requirements.

We will start with a simple pamphlet-stitch book, which teaches you how to plan your own stitch guides, how to construct the signatures, pierce the holes and stitch the book together. This leads into the Coptic book format with more stitching, using natural linen threads or embroidery silks.

You will make:

3-hole pamphlet-stitch book
Miniature Coptic book
A5 Coptic book

The first Coptic is a baby-sized practice book with decorated covers and pages) to get you used to the stitching, then the Real Thing in the afternoon (with decorated cover and plain pages).

You will go home with THREE fabulous handmade books you'll be very proud of!

Also provided: a very comprehensive, fully illustrated set of notes so that you can continue at home.

See more examples here.