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.
“Quite literally, you’re a magician/guru/organizational genius/inspiration and camp is heaven. Thank you for bringing so much joy and relaxation and peace to my life for a week every summer. Your teacher selections are always fabulous, the nightly hangouts are fun and foster friend-making across groups, and there’s a perfect amount of free time to explore. ”
“It’s always nice to learn something new, but this was a different learning experience. There was a freedom there, a way to be vulnerable and creative without judgment. It is not hyperbole to say my life was changed. ”
“There’s a special kind of sewing person that comes to camp- I felt valued and able to just be at ease with myself. It gave me the time, space and safety to allow myself to really process the year or maybe the place I’m at in life. Thank you for providing a space/structure like this that is for kindness, making and nurture. It’s no wonder so many people come back year after year. ”
“This is one of my favorite weeks of the year and I look forward to next year the minute I leave. I love the location, all the teachers and fabulous makers that attend and the wonderful positive vibe that you set from the start. ”
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.....
“Coming solo to the retreat, knowing no one there—it was a little bit of a leap for me. But it took virtually no time to feel right at home. And by the end of our time there together, I had made friendships that I feel sure will last for many years to come.
While I was mainly drawn to the retreat to learn from Chawne Kimber, I ended up finding a huge amount of value in the other classes as well. Simply being in the company of such approachable, knowledgable instructors made those subjects come to life for me in a way I didn’t expect. And doing so in the company of my wildly creative classmates was pure inspiration!
I really can’t say enough about this whole experience. It has impacted my life as a creative person, my approach to the textile arts program where I work, and me personally as a human (not to mention as a progressive woman living in 2019 America).”
“This experience is so emotional for me it’s hard to put into words. I look forward to this retreat all year- I’m already excited for next year. This retreat is so much more than sewing- it’s about community, life long friendships, self care and affirmation, and self actualization (the ultimate goal in my humble opinion). Because this was my second year I was able to connect on a much deeper level with the other attendees. This is also because this retreat gives you the gift of TIME. So many other retreats I have felt rushed because of lack of time, and here I know that I’m able to not only accomplish one project, but multiple ones. The schedule and pace of the classes is just right. The clothing swap always ROCKS! Sam, I can’t thank you enough for what you do- I luv u!!!!
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“I’m a firm believer in lifelong learning and Slow Fashion Camp/Gathering of Stitches embodies that. I learned not only from the instructors and hosts, I learned from my fellow campers. We shared stories of our lives and experiences and techniques for making. It was magical. It’s not often you can go to a place where everyone speaks your language and it was really cool to experience that.
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“I was a little nervous coming to the retreat but everyone put me at ease. I really appreciated the different skill levels present because you could learn from a breadth of experience. Breaking down the group through rotating days and then having a last recap day was great.”
“I expected to like it, but I did not realize how much I needed to slow down, and how that slowing down could work its way inside me, giving me a chance to reflect, to reset my priorities, and to plan ahead for continued calm. It was so much more than any quilting retreat I’ve ever been part of, because it was all-encompassing: heart, soul, mind, and strength. I was nurtured in all of those ways. I am inspired. I feel connected to this community. And I can’t wait to come back for more! ”
“You have achieved the perfect formula for retreats:
Outstanding organization + great teacher + nurturing space”
“Many of us have “real jobs”, and even though my real job challenges me to think creatively and solve problems on an every day basis, the reward is not as personally fulfilling to me as exercising my creativity and challenging myself as a maker. Making is even better when shared...creating within a community with encouragement and inspiration is an awesome experience. Everyone is so generous with their time and their spirit...sigh...so wonderful!”
“The people were the best part. And I would come back just to hang out with them... it was a pleasure to get a new take on these skill sets - you always learn new tricks from others! And your teachers were gems, but you already know I think that. Another bit of awesome was four whole days of time where I was required to sit down and make, rather than being continuously distracted by the laundry or the groceries or the flooding basement.”
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.
“Camp was much more than I could have imagined. It was incredibly inspiring and affirming to be among creative makers who were so willing to share their own lessons, experiences and stories. The dynamic of the multi-generational group is fantastic, and I experienced camaraderie that can feel so rare in our digital and often remote world.
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“Slow Fashion 2018 was an incredibly enriching learning experience. I have already begun to use what I learned at home. To be in the company of so many makers who are committed to “slow fashion” was truly inspiring. I loved how the “teachers” were also active participants in the daily activities, meals, and “porch time.” I spent one-on-one time with them all and I am so grateful for their generosity of spirit to answer questions and to share their knowledge even in the “off time” of their classes. ”
“The days were a beautiful blend of structured and unstructured time; the camp, staff, and food at Medomak were fantastic; the instructors were unfailingly generous and kind. The whole experience was a pleasure and absolutely enriching.”
“This year was amazing, but in it’s own different way. I am so happy to have shared the experience with my Mom <3 and open her up to a whole new group of like minded friends. I feel like every year I learn a bit more about myself, I feel so validated by this community and feel like I can ‘settle into’ my honest self with this community. For me it is less about the sewing, and more about the community that surrounds this unique craft that we all share.
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“The retreat and the experience exceeded my expectations. In the days and weeks leading up to the retreat I was tired and needed a break from work and my life. Before I got to the retreat, I hoped it would be a place to unwind, relax and that it would help me regain my creative mojo. I experienced all of that and more. ”