Kathy Abbott served a four-year apprenticeship in bookbinding and then gained a Higher National Diploma from the London College of Printing, London (UK) followed by a BA (Hons) degree in Bookbinding from Roehampton University, Surrey (UK). She taught advanced level Fine Binding at the City Lit, London for 17 years and conducts many workshops across the UK and overseas. Kathy opened her own bookbinding studio in London in 1997, where she specializes in Islamic book conservation, Western book conservation and contemporary fine binding. and is also a partner in Benchmark Bindery, established in 2009 with Tracey Rowledge. She is a founder member of Tomorrow's Past; an international bookbinding collective and is the author of Bookbinding: A step-by-step guide, published by the Crowood Press in 2010.
Her work is held in both private and public collections and her work is exhibited widely.