Do you find it hard to fit sewing into your everyday life? Do you want to learn new skills but can’t make it to a class? Would you like to sew with others but none of your friends sew? Sewing holidays are the perfect solution to these problems. You can have a few days away where you can sew to your heart’s content, learn new skills and make new friends with people who also love sewing.
You can do them in the UK or abroad, most are a week or less and many factor in time for your to explore the local area whilst you are there as well as sewing. So where would you choose? We’ve collected up details of some sewing holidays both in the UK and abroad for you below, click the links to find more information on their courses.
NOTE – please check the latest information on each company’s website for any changes
Formerly Textile Holidays France, courses are taught by the owner, Bronwen Shepherd, who has over 15 years textile teaching experience.
Forthcoming courses include creative textiles for beginners, exploring patchwork & quilting, heirloom sewing and introduction to textiles.
Sarah Brangwyn Retreats
Quilting and sewing weekends in Kent and Sussex with Sarah Brangwyn from Made and Making. Two days of fabulous craft projects, with everything laid on for you. And all taking place in a beautiful spa hotel.
Leicestershire Craft Centre
Introduced in 2024, Leicestershire Craft Centre offer a range of 1 and 2 day Sewing Retreats covering Quilting, Dressmaking and Bagmaking. Stay in Market Harborough, just a short walk away from the Craft Centre.
Prices are variable and accommodation is not included but can be arranged for you.
https://leicestershirecraftcentre.co.uk/product-category/retreats/
Cromer Seamstress offers expert-led classes and creative sewing, knitting and crochet experiences in North Norfolk for all abilities. Choose from weekly classes, longer supported sewing days, monthly day retreats and an annual three-day residential sewing retreat. Whether you’re making clothes, home furnishings, learning new techniques or mastering your overlocker, you’ll receive friendly, professional guidance to help you grow your skills and enjoy sewing with confidence. Join a growing community of curious and creative makers.
All sessions are held in various venues around Cromer and the surrounding area. For full details, enquiries, or to join the mailing list for updates, visit the website: www.cromerseamstress.co.uk
Sewology Sewing Retreats
Enjoy a relaxing sewing getaway at the Telford Hotel, Spa & Golf Resort. This weekend retreat offers dedicated sewing time, your own workspace, accommodation, meals, and inspiring demonstrations.
Work on any project at your own pace, gain personalised guidance from expert tailor Barry Rogers (40+ years’ experience), and pick up new skills, ideas, and friendships along the way.
Perfect for anyone wanting creativity, learning, and a refreshing escape with like-minded sewists.
For more information visit this link:
IzzoSewStudio
Izzo Sew Studio hold sewing retreats in the stunning locations of the Lake District and the Peak District multiple times each year. Plus they have now added in a sewing retreat in Portugal too.
Find out more at https://www.izzosewstudio.com/retreats
Sew Many Pretty Things
Retreats in the Charente area of France offers 9 modern sewing machines and 2 overlockers (Brother, Janome, Toyota and Pfaff ), large cutting table and all sewing accessories are all provided – fabrics and patterns are available in the pop up shop and if you choose the workshop option the fabrics and patterns are included.
More details https://www.sewmanyprettythings.co.uk/retreats
The lead image on this article show Sew Many Pretty Thing’s retreats.
West Dean College – Near Chichester, West Sussex
In an area of outstanding natural beauty West Dean College host a range of sewing, textiles and craft courses throughout the year. Subjects include hand embroidery, fibre art, lino printing, screen printing and tapestry weaving.
Get more information from http://www.westdean.org.uk/
Crafty Monkies
Totally unique combined sewing & quilting courses from Crafty Monkies, who offer a weekend retreat in Rutland. Join in for a truly fabulous weekend of crafting, trunk shows, relaxing spa-time, socialising, wonderful food and (perhaps most important of all) FUN! Amazing tutors including Lucy Engels and Gary Mills!
Find out more about all their retreats here.
The Quilt Retreat – Battle East Sussex
The Quilt Retreat is located in East Sussex and offers relaxing residential quilting retreats in their all inclusive packages. They can tailor the course to suit your needs and you get to use their light, spacious fully equipped quilting studio. Their quilt retreats are designed by quilters for quilters.
Get more information on their website: http://quiltretreatuk.co.uk
The Thread House – Malham, Yorkshire Dales
Launched in 2016, The Thread House is the brain child of quilters Lynne Goldsworthy, Jo Avery and Karen Lewis. Their retreats will focus on sewing and screen printing. See the website for details of the next retreat. These sell out fast, so you can add your name to the waiting list if the retreats are full.
Get the full details at: http://thethreadhouse.co.uk
Sewing Tuition with Sue Hazell – Italy and Oxfordshire
Sue runs UK residential sewing holidays in the Cotswolds as well as sewing holidays in Italy too. The retreats are focused on getting to know your sewing machine and making gifts to take home. You can choose what you want to learn from a list on her website including free motion embroidery, bag making, using an overlocker, soft furnishings etc
For full details please visit http://www.sewing-tuition.co.uk/
Quilt Sandwich – Bridlington, East Yorkshire
The Royal Bridlington Hotel in Yorkshire run several affordable sewing and quilting retreats throughout the year with well-known tutors such as Jennie Rayment.
Find out more by visiting http://www.quiltsandwich.co.uk
Stitchtopia – Various locations in the UK & Worldwide
Stitchtopia run patchwork, quilting, textile and embroidery retreats and tours in the UK, Europe and worldwide. All are accompanied by an expert and an Arena Travel Tour Manager. They deliberately keep group sizes small in order to ensure the best experience for guests. Single travellers are welcomed and catered for. For your confidence and security Arena Travel as members of ABTA.
Cost: Prices vary depending on location, duration and tour type but all include accommodation in good quality hotels (usually 4 star), and tuition. Europe and worldwide tours include flights.
Full details can be found at http://www.arenatravel.com
Purple Stitches – Shepperton, Surrey
Enjoy a weekend escape with like minded people in the modern and spacious Holiday Inn Shepperton with Purple Stitches.
They run themed retreats with expert tutors – bag making and foundation paper piecing retreats are coming up.
Find out more here: www.purple-stitches.com
ECT Travel – Various international locations
ECT Travel offer fascinating tours to key events in the textile calendar, using years of specialist expertise to offer you bespoke additions such as curator-led tours of private collections, inspiring hands-on workshops and exclusive studio visits. Trips include the Houston Quilt Festival and European Patchwork tours.
More details here https://www.ecttravel.com/tours/textile-tours
Sew Different – Halifax, West Yorkshire
Spend time browsing fabrics, chatting with fellow sewists and creating a stylish piece of clothing that is completely unique. Choose your project from the Sew Different range of sewing patterns and with the help of expert advice and tuition, create a dress or jacket that fits you beautifully.
Find out more and the available dates https://sewdifferent.co.uk
Japan Journeys – Kyoto & Tokyo, Japan
Japan Journeys offer the holiday of a lifetime to Japan for quilt, patchwork and embroidery enthusiasts and on tour you will be delighted and astonished by the quality of Japanese craftsmanship. You will discover Japan’s fascinating history, experience the astonishing culture and try your hand at some of Japan’s exquisite traditional fabric crafts – all topped off with a visit to the Great Quilt Festival in Tokyo, the largest in Japan. Also European cruises to Holland and Belgium.
Cost: Browse your chosen tour for price details.
Find out more details and to register for future tours https://www.japanjourneys.co.uk/
Gartmore House – Stirling, Scotland
Gartmore House offer a 5-night sewing retreat in the heart of Scotland’s Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Scotland.
Gill McBride will teach you all about sewing patterns, fitting your garment, proper sewing techniques and lots more besides. During your 4 days of tuition, you’ll learns how to make a toile or practice garment, how to get the fit just right for you and even how to best cut your pattern and get the most from your fabric. Choose from a number of workshops, like how to make beautiful dresses and blouses, to perfect your trouser fit, or to speed tailor a fabulous jacket. By the end of the holiday, you should be able to produce a simple toile, transfer your fitting adjustments back to your paper pattern and take home a wonderful final garment.
The courses suit beginners and experienced sewers alike, but the Tailoring a Jacket course is best suited to those with some sewing experience.
See latest dates on the website.
Studio Preniac – South West France
Studio Preniac in the Lot region of South West France offers week-long fully-catered creative textile holidays with a range of courses designed to develop your skills, confidence and expertise. Well-known tutors teach here including Mandy Pattullo and Amanda Hislop, amongst others.
Find out more https://www.studiopreniac.com/
The Creative Spirit
The Creative Spirit retreats provide a space centred around sewing, rest and relaxation in a truly luxury setting. No rushing, no blitzing three dresses in as many days, just slowly and methodically enjoying the practice of sewing with like minded crafters.
Choose from a three night or four night luxury sewing retreat with a gorgeous purpose built workshop space plus a gorgeous kitchen filled with tea, treats and more! Each person receives an Avid Seamstress sewing pattern to make at the retreat.
The retreat also includes a program of holistic experiences such as meditation and massage so that you can truly unwind. Come and sew for the whole retreat or embrace the holistic experience (think morning meditation to welcome the day) – you decide.
Size Me
Join Size Me for 5 fabulous days of sewing in France! Spend your days sewing in a converted barn studio, pottering around the historic town of Confolens in the sunshine, having afternoon tea on the banks of the River Vienne and browsing the many antiques markets and bric-a-brac shops.
Find out more here.
Creative Experiences
Join Creative Experiences for textile, embroidery and other crafts in small classes with expert teachers. Retreats and classes are held in European destinations.
Find out more about the workshops on offer here.
Merchant and Mills
Based in Rye, these sewing retreats are a chance to spend time away sewing and learning without the distractions of everyday life. Learn from experienced tutors and stay in a beautifully restored house just down the road which is decked out in all Merchant & Mills cloth and antique textiles.
Carolyn Forster’s Quilting on the Go
Well known quilting teacher, Carolyn, offers some UK and overseas retreats and tours. Prices depend on the venue and duration. Visit their website for up to date prices and locations.
Details https://www.carolynforster.co.uk/tours-stitching-holidays/
Stefanie Savary
Retreats for ‘Slow Sewing’ and pattern making in the Cote d’Azur in the south of France with Stefanie Savary.
Find out more https://stefaniesavary.com/sewing/
If you are planning to go on a sewing holiday or quilt retreat soon why not read our sew on the go feature to find the best ways to transport your sewing supplies?
