Your tutors and hosts
Sarah Hazell and Lindsay Roberts
Sarah Hazell and Lindsay Roberts
Sarah I have a passion for handmade textiles that until recently has focused on knitting and crochet design. I have led workshops in the UK, France, Italy and India. During the 1970s I made lots of patchwork and loved the idea of being able to preserve my favourite pieces of fabric. As we become more concerned with sustainability, I find myself wanting to preserve precious materials all over again. I love the way that simple stitches can bring about new purpose as well as creating a sense of well being. |
Lindsay I started out as a handloom weaver, then learned to spin and got hooked on mixing colours and textures in my own yarns. I used them in my weaving and knitting and stitched with them too. Now I’m known as The Border Tart, dyer of indigo yarns, fibres and threads. The need to stitch has never waned, though, and I like nothing better than stitching into time-worn fabrics, creating new patterns on old, and sharing the making processes with others through workshops. |
The accommodation
- A stone built farm house with generously proportioned rooms throughout.
- On the ground level there is a welcoming sitting room (with an open fire if we choose), and a bay window looking out across the fields.
- On the other side of the hallway there is a light and airy dining room which we will use as a communal workroom so that we can all sit together during workshops.
- The kitchen boasts a proper big, wooden table, ideal for shared meals (and no doubt the odd quiet cuppa).
- There are five spacious bedrooms on the first floor, individually designed and furnished with antiques (as well as towels and bathrobes).
- For this retreat there are four twin rooms and two doubles (or singles), allowing you the opportunity to share with a friend or opt for single occupancy.
- There are no en-suite bathrooms, but there are four smart bathrooms ensuring that sharing is reduced to a minimum.
- Wi-fi is available throughout the house, though it is slow.
A very specific India-related theme for the spring 2020 retreat
We are particularly delighted to bring you a kantha stitching based workshop in April as Lindsay will have recently returned from a textiles holiday that she is running in India in January. Kantha is one of the oldest and simplest forms of embroidery, relying entirely on running stitch. It was originally used to stitch layers of old saris together to make quilts, bedspreads and mats. I was once told that that the threads used to stitch with were pulled from the saris themselves. The original plain fabric quilts were covered in all sorts of traditional patterns, passed down from mother to daughter and would typically include natural images as well as geometric patterns. The patterning and density of the stitching helps to create texture and add to the lifetime of the cloth. More recently, western influences have seen a growth in simple kantha stitching on printed backgrounds.
During our kantha retreat we want to be able to share some of the stories and ideas behind the tradition. There will be opportunities for you to explore traditional pattern making or something more contemporary. We will look at how groups and patterns of stitches affect the look and feel of the fabric. We love all those waves and wrinkles that simple stitchs can create. You may prefer to explore how different coloured stitches impact on a patterned background. The possibilities are endless because the marks that you can make with running stitch can be as varied as you choose to make them. Ultimately we hope that you find this technique opens up possibilities for you to explore your own ways of preserving textiles and continuing the tradition.
We are particularly delighted to bring you a kantha stitching based workshop in April as Lindsay will have recently returned from a textiles holiday that she is running in India in January. Kantha is one of the oldest and simplest forms of embroidery, relying entirely on running stitch. It was originally used to stitch layers of old saris together to make quilts, bedspreads and mats. I was once told that that the threads used to stitch with were pulled from the saris themselves. The original plain fabric quilts were covered in all sorts of traditional patterns, passed down from mother to daughter and would typically include natural images as well as geometric patterns. The patterning and density of the stitching helps to create texture and add to the lifetime of the cloth. More recently, western influences have seen a growth in simple kantha stitching on printed backgrounds.
During our kantha retreat we want to be able to share some of the stories and ideas behind the tradition. There will be opportunities for you to explore traditional pattern making or something more contemporary. We will look at how groups and patterns of stitches affect the look and feel of the fabric. We love all those waves and wrinkles that simple stitchs can create. You may prefer to explore how different coloured stitches impact on a patterned background. The possibilities are endless because the marks that you can make with running stitch can be as varied as you choose to make them. Ultimately we hope that you find this technique opens up possibilities for you to explore your own ways of preserving textiles and continuing the tradition.
The nourishment
From dinner on Monday evening to Thursday’s breakfast, be assured of ample good fresh food that you can enjoy without concern (we’ll seek your dietary requirements and preferences well in advance). Breakfasts will be on a ‘help yourself’ basis, lunches simple but substantial, and dinners can take as long as you like. And there will be hot drinks with home baking at frequent intervals, of course.
From dinner on Monday evening to Thursday’s breakfast, be assured of ample good fresh food that you can enjoy without concern (we’ll seek your dietary requirements and preferences well in advance). Breakfasts will be on a ‘help yourself’ basis, lunches simple but substantial, and dinners can take as long as you like. And there will be hot drinks with home baking at frequent intervals, of course.
The cost
Three nights’ accommodation, including all catering, plus workshop and associated materials -
Three nights’ accommodation, including all catering, plus workshop and associated materials -
- In a single occupancy room - £480 two rooms available
- In a twin room - £380 four rooms available
Terms and Conditions
By booking a place on the retreat, you accept the following conditions;
We appreciate that you may need to cancel due to some unforeseen event. After the balance is paid we can only refund that sum if we successfully offer the place to another participant. The deposit will not be refunded.
If you have booked for two people to share a room and one of you cannot attend, then we will treat this as a single booking (no shared room discount).
By booking a place on the retreat, you accept the following conditions;
- You agree to pay a non-refundable deposit of £100.
- You agree to pay the balance by the date requested.
We appreciate that you may need to cancel due to some unforeseen event. After the balance is paid we can only refund that sum if we successfully offer the place to another participant. The deposit will not be refunded.
If you have booked for two people to share a room and one of you cannot attend, then we will treat this as a single booking (no shared room discount).
- We (Sarah Hazell, Lindsay Roberts) cannot be held liable for situations beyond our control including (but not limited to) acts of war, acts of God, threats or acts of terrorism, civil unrest or unforeseen personal circumstances.
- We cannot offer refunds for illness, flight delays or any other circumstances. Please consider travel insurance!
- If we need to cancel the retreat, we will refund the money you have paid so far. In such circumstances we cannot be held responsible for costs you may have incurred such as flights or train tickets. Again, think about travel insurance.
- The retreat includes all meals and refreshments throughout each day. It does not include alcohol. All bed linen, towels and bathrobes are provided.
- The retreat includes all materials associated with the workshop. Extra materials will be available for purchase.
follow us on Instagram @_finding_time_