From Cloth to Book

From Cloth to BookCourse Code: 26MBM100I This two day, in person workshop takes place at CBA on Saturday and Sunday, July 11th 12th, from 11AM to 5PM ET. Saturday, July 11th, from 11AM to 5PM ET Sunday, July 12th, from 11AM to 5PM ET Please Note: Registration for this workshop closes on June 27th, 2026 at 11: 59 pm. About the Workshop: This in person class at Center for Book Arts is taught by instructor Sarah Nicholls. Learn two different techniques for backing cloth

Course Code: 26MBM100I

This two day, in-person workshop takes place at CBA on Saturday and Sunday, July 11th - 12th, from 11AM to 5PM ET.

• Saturday, July 11th, from 11AM to 5PM ET
• Sunday, July 12th, from 11AM to 5PM ET
  

Please Note: Registration for this workshop closes on June 27th, 2026 at 11:59 pm.

About the Workshop:

This in-person class at Center for Book Arts is taught by instructor Sarah Nicholls.

Learn two different techniques for backing cloth with paper so that it can be used to cover books. We will try both the traditional method using paste, and a more contemporary approach. These methods make it possible to fully customize your projects, and open up a world of possible materials. Students will bring a selection of fabrics to class to turn into bookcloth. After we back our cloth, we will sew a simple multi-signature blank book, construct a hardcover for it, and use one of the pieces of bookcloth you have made to cover the book. You will leave with a finished book covered with cloth you have chosen and backed, samples of other cloth for future projects, and the knowledge to continue working on your own.

Required Materials:

• 1 clean dishtowel
• 1 clean soft, flat bristle brush 2 – 3” wide like an inexpensive painter’s brush
• Fabric to be backed:
  • 2 pieces of fabric cut to no larger than 12″ x 15″
  • natural fibers work best: cotton, linen, hemp, rayon
  • a tight weave is best; no gauze, lace or sheers
  • each piece should be ironed if possible leave a selvedge edge attached to the fabric
    

All other materials will be provided by the Center for Book Arts at no additional cost.

About the Instructor

Sarah Nicholls is an artist, printmaker, and writer whose work combines language, image, visual narrative, and time.

Her ongoing projects on climate change, urban ecology, and the history of science and technology include a series of letterpress pamphlets as well as participatory programs like guided urban/nature walks.

Nicholls’ limited edition artist’s books are in the collections of the Victoria & Albert Museum, the Brooklyn Museum, Columbia University, and Stanford, among others.

Her work has received support from the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, the Brooklyn Arts Council, and the Puffin Foundation, and she has participated in residencies at BRIC House in Brooklyn, the Chicago Center for Book and Paper Arts, and Guttenberg Arts in New Jersey.

Nicholls teaches letterpress and book arts at Pratt Institute and Parsons School of Design in New York City.

All images courtesy of the instructor unless otherwise noted.