this will be my 3rd year teaching at the Slow Fashion Retreat in Maine, created by Sam of A Gathering of Stitches. how lucky am i that this is my job? this year, Sam has decided to move the location further up the coast, to the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, and mix in some new teachers, Jessica Marquez (miniature rhino) and Liz Spencer (the dogwood dyer).
above are just a few of the self-drafted and sewn garments made by the students at the first two retreats. aren’t they lovely? for many it was their first time drafting and sewing a garment.
being near the ocean means plenty of relaxing walks and toe dips, in between stitching and dyeing sessions. the Guest Speaker/Activist-in-Residence will again be the wondrous Amy Dufault. and there will be a bonus workshop for the introspective, Making, Being, and Being Made, Contemplative Writing for Makers with our Creativity Counselor, Katherine Ferrier.
i love the format of this event: for the first three days, the group, divided into thirds, cycles through classes with each of the three teachers. i’m teaching pattern-drafting and garment sewing, Jessica is teaching sashiko hand-stitching and mending, and Liz is teaching dyeing with native local plants. the fourth day is a full day of *open studio*, when you can continue working on your projects from the classes, or maybe even combine them into one piece, with all three teachers on hand for guidance.
for the past two years, i taught my Boxy Tee/Drapy Tunic workshop, but to mix things up a bit, this year i’m teaching PANTS! a comfy pair of pull-on pants is a wardrobe essential, and you might even add a sashiko-stitched pocket or naturally-dyed applique, to bring home a very special garment that will forever remind you of the time you gathered with a group of like-minded humans to stitch, dye and connect for one blissful week on the shores of Maine. we hope you might consider joining us!
