Who, what, when, where, why
Unique stitching retreats in Maine
Dive into your creative practice with the support and encouragement of some of our day's leading Makers.
Registration for the retreats is Open and Live
For the Summer of ‘24 I will be offering two Slow Fashion and two Slow Stitching retreats. The dates are below.
Slow Fashion July 8th to 14th
Slow Stitching July 15th to 21st
Slow Fashion August 5th to 11th
Slow Stitching August 12th to 18th
Here they are, my 2024 retreat offerings!
If you are interested in attending one of these retreats but the price is beyond your means, I offer two scholarships for each retreat.
Scholarship applications are now closed. Thank you to all who applied. I will makes decisions in the next week or so…. There is a form here for all four retreats. In the form there is a place to indicate which retreat you would prefer to attend. Please share with me as much as you feel comfortable, and as is pertinent. While also keeping in mind that I will have a number to read. I will close applications on Sunday February 25th, and alert the recipients before I open registration. Scholarship recipients will be added into the full registration pool and treated as any other attendee. They can choose to share their status, but if they prefer not to, it will be private.
Things to keep in mind regarding these positions:
The scholarship will include all instruction, housing, and meals.
You will need to take care of your own transportation to and from the retreat, as well as any supplies required for the workshops.
Please don’t apply if attending is within your means. I know the cost is still a stretch for many, but I seek to reach folks who really couldn’t come in normal circumstances.
Tell me as much or as little as you like about yourself. These retreats are about connecting, I like to know who you are! But do try and be succinct, this is not the moment for your magnum opus… Try and tell me what you think is important for me to know about you in a condensed form…?
To reiterate, these scholarships will be known only by myself and the recipients. If the individuals choose to share their selection that is totally up to them. But they will not be designated as such to the public.
Here is the link to the form. If you have any questions regarding this process, please reach out and I will try and address your concerns.
There is a scholarship fund to defray travel and supplies costs. If you would like to contribute, you can send a payment through PayPal to Info@agatheringofstitchesDOTcom. Just be sure to earmark the payment for Scholarships. Thank you to all the generous folks who have contributed in the past….
AGOS brings some of the top names in Modern Making to this grand corner of the country for a series of in-depth gatherings. Maine is off the beaten track, an oasis in the fast-paced life so many of us live. The speed of life is a little slower here, allowing your creative mind to wander where it will. With these retreats AGOS incorporates the best of both the quiet, and the stimulation, to create unique opportunities for Makers with some of the most creative minds (and hands) in the world of stitching. Bring your quilting and garment sewing practice to Maine and see what you go home with.
For any event at AGOS, you will work in small groups to foster deep practice, giving you the opportunity to ask all the questions you might have, with time and space to explore the answers. I take care of all the basic necessities so you can relax and focus on the making. There is a reason why so many artists and writers find Maine the perfect place to create. There is plenty of space - psychic and physical - for creating up here.
Making happens in all sorts of settings, creativity is sparked by our surroundings, conversations we have, vistas we see, meals we share. Maine is ripe for such inspiration with it's rustic beauty, the immersion in Nature, and the slower pace. I do all the advance work so when you show up, all this inspiration is just waiting for you.....
I believe that few experiences in life cannot be made better by stitching. Truly... Whether you do it to escape, or you choose it as your avocation, stitching is a way to connect us to our ancestors, our community, and ourselves. When we engage in these tactile analog traditions we connect to our agency. We remember our ability to create, to make, to change, to connect. The retreats are about stitching but ultimately they’re about connecting to others, about recognizing and acknowledging the humanity in all of us. Centering that knowledge, and taking it with you back out into the world. AGOS gives you the opportunity to turn off the day-to-day noises (or at least turn the volume way down) and turn up your creative voice. My retreats combine a good mix of structure and epiphany. There is always time to process what you're learning in the moment. And if you really just need to go for a walk, that's totally cool. I want you to return to your daily life feeling renewed, energized and maybe a little jazzed about a new skill.