It’s impossible to do justice to the weekend but I will try! I can’t recommend it highly enough for a perfect blend of sewing, pampering and retreat created by the magical warmth of Yvonne, together with Rosemary (wonderful nurturing, cakes and food!) and Simon (chauffeur, milk tray man and snow rescue!). We all arrived, excited and also with the varying degrees of confidence and nerves that always come with doing something new and with people you do not know. Some of us knew no one before we arrived, others used it as a chance to catch up with an old friend but the warm welcome from Yvonne meant that everyone bonded very quickly over tea and cake. We settled in to our lovely rooms and were greeted by personalised gifts from Yvonne on each bed – a lovely surprise. The sewing room was perfectly set up and Yvonne’s ability to create an atmosphere of trust meant that all of us felt comfortable learning from each other and even I (a complete beginner!) made a fantastic lampshade that I love. The retreat element of the weekend emerged naturally as the trust in the group grew and made it really special with lots of sharing all sorts of wisdom about life as well as sewing. The hot tubs and walks provided a change of pace and the talks added variety without any pressure to take part if the sewing project was your priority. Everyone achieved so much under Yvonne’s gentle and positive teaching. Beautiful location, beautiful people that brought out the best in all of us. We didn’t want to go home and I don’t think we will ever forget the weekend. Thank you all!
March 2018