Sew, Eat, Sleep, Repeat — Our Ashbourne Sewing Retreat - Nov 2025
- Sew let's Sparkle
- Nov 26, 2025
- 4 min read
If you’ve ever even briefly considered going on a sewing retreat… just go.
I’ve just returned from the most uplifting, inspiring, laughter-filled three days, and my sewing cup is absolutely overflowing.
First Stop: The Fabric Boutique
For a lucky handful of us, the weekend began with a meet-up at the gorgeous Fabric Boutique — an independent fabric, haberdashery and sewing pattern boutique located in the historic market town of Ashby de la Zouch, Leicestershire.
The shop itself is light, spacious and beautifully curated, sitting right on Market Street. They stock mostly dressmaking fabrics, but their collection of crafting and quilting fabrics is constantly growing. One of my favourite touches is the way they style the fabrics: colours are arranged together, and you’ll often find a print laid out next to a matching suiting fabric so you can instantly visualise a whole outfit.
It was the perfect spot to start our retreat weekend, and they made us feel so welcome with tea, biscuits and a much-needed loo break before we carried on to the resort.
Welcome to Our Sewing Home
We stayed for three nights at an H&F holiday resort in Ashbourne, complete with full board and full access to the Ballroom — which we immediately transformed into our Sewing Studio.
Machines humming, scissors snipping, chatter floating across the room… it was heaven.
And the best part?
No cooking
No washing
No dishwasher duties
No chores at all
Just sewing, laughing, learning, eating, and repeating.
Every morning, a plate of perfectly poached eggs and endless cups of tea were placed in front of me — pure bliss.
Katie: The Not-Organiser Who Organised Everything
Although she insists she’s not the organiser, our retreat simply wouldn’t have happened without Katie’s quiet care and hard work.
At the beginning of the retreat, she surprised every single one of us with a personalised mug.
Here’s mine — it couldn’t have been more perfect:
“If found empty, please refill and return to Sam’s sewing table.”
And on the other side, the retreat logo:
SEW, EAT, SLEEP — RETREAT 2025
Adam — Our Overlocker Whisperer
We were lucky enough to have Adam with us — the one man among a sea of sewists, and an absolute hero all weekend.
Kind, patient, and talented, he rescued more temperamental overlockers than I can count. He kept us stitching and smiling the whole time.
Little Gifts & Shared Joy
One of my favourite parts of the retreat was how many of us brought small gifts to share. It created this gorgeous atmosphere of generosity and excitement.
I brought some of my Sew Let’s Sparkle labels — and seeing people pop over to my sewing table to proudly show me they’d added one to their make? Honestly, it made me feel on top of the world..
SWIPE to see...
If you’d like your own sparkly sewing labels, they’re always available at:
Endless Sewing (and a Bell to Ring!)
We enjoyed long, uninterrupted stretches of sewing — the kind you dream about when life gets in the way.
Projects made across the room included:
Pants
Presents
Quilted mats & quilted vests
Bags
Pyjamas
Sequin dresses
…and so many more inspiring creations
And yes, we had a bell to ring whenever someone finished a make.
Strike a pose like you’ve caught a prize fish? Optional, but highly encouraged!
Adele & Bec’s Pop-Up Shop
Just when we thought things couldn’t get better, Adele and Bec from The Fabric Obsession and Jazz and Wow brought along their pop-up shop.
Beautiful fabrics, patterns, notions, buttons — all in one place.
Let’s just say: we shopped.
A Handmade Thank-You for Katie
On the final morning, after our last breakfast together, we surprised Katie with a thank-you card I made using free-motion embroidery. The card featured a felt “Good Egg” with a glittery crown. Katie’s version had a simple heart label — made just for her.
It felt like the perfect way to end a perfect weekend.
Heading Home (With Overloaded Cars & Full Hearts)
After hugs, laughter, and the final cups of tea, we packed our very overstuffed cars and drove home — to all corners of the country — tired, inspired, and already dreaming of next year.
Because the true magic of the retreat wasn’t just the sewing.
It was:
✨ the community
✨ the laughter
✨ the shared skills
✨ the support
✨ the friendships
If you’re thinking about going on a sewing retreat…
Do it. Truly.
It’s everything you didn’t know you needed.
SWIPE for all the fun!
💛
A Final Thank You
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To all the wonderful sewists who joined the retreat — thank you for the laughs, the inspiration, the hugs, the shared skills, and the joy you brought into the Ballroom. You helped make the weekend truly unforgettable.
To the lovely folk group staying at the hotel — thank you for the fabulous impromptu concert on our final evening. It was the perfect soundtrack to close our weekend.
And to the amazing hotel staff — thank you for looking after us, feeding us so well, and keeping us topped up with endless cups of tea.
My heart, Mandy's car, and my sewing cup were all full as I headed home.
Here’s to next year! ✨
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