retreat season is upon us! many of you probably know that teaching at retreats is my favorite type of gig. i would SO much rather teach in the woods near a lake with cute cabins and ukulele singalongs around the campfire at night than at a convention center, hands down!
i teach at two different awesome retreats at the same venue in Maine, so it can be a bit confusing. one is the Slow Fashion Retreat, hosted by Samantha of A Gathering of Stitches. i wrote about that one here and it continues to be one of my favorite weeks of the year. Sam actually hosts 4 (!) week-long retreats: two sessions of Slow Fashion and two if Slow Stitching (quilting). they usually sell out pretty quick, so if you are interested, be sure to subscribe to her newsletter as that’s the only way to stay informed and be ready to register when it opens early in the year. i only teach at one of those four sessions, but they are all fabulous with an evolving and illustrious lineup of teachers.
but the retreat i am here to talk about today is the somewhat lesser-known Medomak Fiberarts Retreat. this annual summer textile lovers’ gathering has been going for something like 25+ years, starting as a small knitting retreat with just one teacher. over the years it has grown to now have 7 teachers and up to 50 participants. and this year, for the first time, it has expanded to TWO separate week-long sessions! each session has the same teachers and classes, and there are enough that if you are able to stay for both weeks, you’ll have plenty to choose from…
what i love most about this particular retreat is the variety of fiberarts represented, and that you can choose your own adventure. the class assortment changes yearly, but there are usually classes in knitting, crochet, machine and hand sewing, quilting, garment making, dyeing, weaving, spinning, macrame, basket weaving, rugmaking, printing, bookbinding, paper making, felting, and more. there are half-day, full-day and multi-session classes. some are sort of introductions to the craft, and some are more advanced. you are welcome to pack your time with learning every day, or build in some free time (we recommend at least some of that!) to swim in the lake, stitch on the porch, go for walks to pick blueberries or visit the cows, drive into town for an ice cream cone and to explore nearby shops or attractions.
the sessions for 2024 are July 22-28 and July 29-August 4. there is still space available each week, as of early June as i’m writing this. and class registration is about to begin june 8 and 9.
Medomak’s grounds combine a good dose of nature (i’ve witnessed baby owls, bald eagles, a white deer, meteor showers, a fireball, luminescent mushrooms…) with comfy cabins, a spectacular lake (once i swam 1/2 mile to the island, then switched places with fellow teacher casey to kayak back, while they swam the return trip), delicious food prepared by an actual French chef who has cooked in the White House, shady porches, an epic brand new state-of-the-art barn which is the heart of camp and a pollinator garden that i love to inspect before or after mealtimes because it’s just outside the dining hall.
there is so much more i could say about the friends you’ll make (nothing like being surrounded by like-minded, fiber-loving soul mates), the skills you’ll learn, the creativity you will carry with you throughout the year (you’ll want to come back again next year!) and the memories you’ll always have. i think the photos say even more than words possibly can, so i’ll end here. leave a comment if you have questions and i’m happy to answer.
