Announcing the May Sewing Retreat!

Yesterday, I met up with sewing buddies Lindsey, Charlene, Janet and Caroline and we were chatting about the various sewing retreats going on (mainly in the US) and how much fun they sounded. However, I know I'll never go on one of these trips for one main reason - the cost.

I'm sure there are plenty of events like this in the UK, but when I have seen them they are arranged as a class style event - where you go to learn a new skill or construct an item, so much of the cost goes towards tuition and the company's organisation of the event. We thought, what if just a group of friendly sewists got together, hired a not-so-little cottage in the countryside for a long weekend and had a little sewing vacation together? And it was totally affordable?

Let me paint a picture for you - you arrive at a quaint country house full of people who love sewing as much as you do, you get to know each other over dinner and a few drinks before turning into bed. The next morning we all have breakfast, go for a walk in the nearby woods and then return to the cottage for a full day of social sewing - sharing ideas, inspiration, techniques, and tales of the time that zip just wouldn't go in! We stop for a quick lunch, then crack on with the sewing. We'll have various stations for cutting and sewing, and perhaps a few souls hand hemming in front of a cheesy movie in the living room. In the evening, we take turns cooking our favourite meals (and maybe a few cheeky desserts) and just chill out. Feel free to pack knitting/embroidery/small projects to work on while we chill :). And then on Sunday, we do it all over again, before going our separate ways on the Monday with a handful of finished items and a bunch of new friends. Depending on where we end up staying we could even scope out the local fabric shops before heading home!

I'm already tracking down a suitable location with extra large tables, sofas for all, and plenty of plug sockets!

The Details:

Dates: I'm looking at the first May Bank Holiday; Friday 1st - Monday 4th May 2015. Attendees can arrive during the day or after work on the Friday, and we'll head our separate ways after lunch on Monday.

Location: I wanted to make it as easy as possible for as many as possible so I'm looking at the South region, probably the Cotswolds, as I appreciate many of you guys are London, Midlands or just "South" based. Sewists from the North and beyond are of course most welcome if you don't mind the extra travel :).

Cost: I've already scoped out a few places to get in touch with depending on how many people are interested, but the average costs for 3 nights will be around £100 to £130 per person for the venue, plus expenditure for food, drink, etc.

Equipment and materials: you'll need to bring your own sewing machine, fabric, tools, and whatever else you need for your makes. We could also do a fabric and pattern swap if people are keen as well.

So if a long weekend of sewing, socialising, eating great home cooked food, a few cases of wine (let's be realistic) and walks in the woodlands sounds appealing to you, please get in touch! Send me a message on jodiesadventuresinsewingland@gmail.com, or leave your email address in the comments. Once I have an idea of how many are interested I'll start contacting venues and will provide further details from there.