Japanese Noble Book Binding
Adult jumpstART Workshop | Registration opens Tuesday, October 20, 2026 8:00 AM EDT
Students will learn how to use an awl, needle, waxed thread, and paper to create journals using the Japanese Noble bookbinding technique. This workshop will cover the basics of sewing a softcover Japanese Noble binding, punching holes in a bookblock, tying square knots, paper-folding, and general troubleshooting. By the end, students will walk away with a blank handbound journal of their own.
- All materials are included with registration.
Ally Messer
Ally Messer is an interdisciplinary artist and maker in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 2017, Messer co-founded Laika Press, a cooperative, community-based print shop aimed at increasing accessibility to printmaking in her hometown of Reno, NV. She holds a BFA in Printmaking from the University of Nevada, Reno and an MFA in Fibers and Material Studies from the Tyler School of Art and Architecture. Her work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally.
Dedicated to storytelling, Messer's work often takes the form of books, zines, animation, puppetry, and installation. Her most recent body of work highlights instances of care and reciprocity in communities of species-not-our-own; with the hope that humans may learn from the entangled world how to better support one another in this time of ecological crisis.
https://www.allymesser.com/