Helen Kent and Cecilia Slinn announce the dates of two new Retreats for 2023…
by Cecilia Slinn.
The ‘Sewcial Retreat’, held last November in Bromsgrove, was the first time I was personally involved in the organisation of a retreat and there were a few feelings of trepidation as the date approached. Helen (from Strictly Quilting who I was working with) and I had tried to cover every eventuality and you can never be sure but, from the moment the first participants started to arrive, the butterflies dissolved and the enthusiasm was infectious …
The whole event was a busy hive of industry with as many differing projects as there were participants … Helen and I have very complementing skills and we were both kept busy helping out as required plus we had prepared an assortment of mini-workshops which were well received. It was wonderful to see the varying levels of skills in all the work on display..… Of course, the social vibe was intoxicating. There were several small groups of people who knew each other but there were many that came on their own and from far and wide – but they weren’t alone for long! Hillscourt has superb facilities that catered for our every need including a large, comfortable conference room which allowed for plenty of space for everyone to work. The accommodation is in single, ensuite rooms and the food was excellent. From breakfast to dinner, we were spoilt for choice. There were certainly a few promises of ‘diet starts Monday’ being made!
The feedback was very encouraging and I received a wonderful email from one of the participants which sums up the whole event from a participants point of view …
‘… For me 2022 was largely taken up with relocating – known to be one of lifes most stressful events. A fortnight after turning the key in the door of my new house I left the chaos of unpacking and drove south to Lickey near Bromsgrove for a weekend of sewing. I admit to arriving in something of a frazzled state but it turns out that this was just what the doctor ordered! Over the course of the next few days the stress melted away and I enjoyed the luxury of time to sew uninterrupted in the company of friendly and like-minded fellow quilters with whom to share ideas and inspiration. The retreat organisers Helen and Cecilia were welcoming and offered help and advice whenever it was needed. The Hillscourt Hotel’s accommodation was warm and comfortable and meals were tasty. (I’m sure the waistline expanded!) All in all it was a wonderful few days – I returned home much restored and eager to get stuck into some quilting again. I’ve no reservations whatsoever about recommending a Sewcial Retreat.”
After the success of this, our first joint venture, we have organised two further events. Both will be at the Hillscourt Conference Centre which is a superb venue. The first, our Summer Retreat, from Friday 21st to Sunday 23rd July 2023 very much follows the format of our recent event in as much as everyone brings their own projects and help is on hand as needed. There will be a few workshops and we are looking at the different methods of Cathedral Window’s from hand-sewn to modern machine sewn. We will also look at Wonky Log Cabins which will include the piecing of curves.
The second, the Winter Retreat, from Friday 8th to Sunday 10th December 2023 will focus on Quilting in many forms including: Hand quilting, where we will look at both Stab and Rocking Stitches; Tying; Walking Foot and of course Free-Motion-Quilting. To get the most out of free-motion-quilting element it would be advisable to have a basic understanding prior to coming as we aim to develop our skills rather than teach from scratch.
If you are interested you can find out more details from either Helen or myself, Cecilia Slinn, at either of our websites. Should you like to book, then email Helen on [email protected] for a booking form and deposit payment details.
Responses