For The Love of Stitch Luxury Retreat 4th – 7th June – Anne Kelly, Victoria Merness and Ailish Henderson The Grange Hotel
Join us for a luxury stitching retreat like no other!
The Art and Craft Retreats Company is excited to announce a stitching experience set in the breathtaking Lake District. This is a wonderful opportunity to immerse yourself in expert-led workshops, stunning scenery, and the joy of creating.
Whether you’re new to sewing or a stitching pro – this retreat promises to have something for everyone!
We’re also pleased to confirm that the venue is fully accessible, so all guests can enjoy the retreat comfortably and without limitations.
With limited spaces available, this is a rare opportunity to treat yourself to something truly special. Don’t miss your chance to be part of it!
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What to Expect (Full Retreat Stay) –
What to Expect (Non-Residential Stay only 4 spaces left) – Please email for further details
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Discover your expert tutors for the retreat:
Anne Kelly
UK based textile artist Anne Kelly is an award-winning artist, author and tutor. Her multi-layered and densely stitched textiles have been described as ‘small worlds’. Trained in Canada and at Goldsmiths College in London, she creates wall hangings and objects using a mixture of mixed media collage and hand and machine embroidery. Her inspirations are taken from travel, memory, nature and especially folk art.
Anne tutors and teaches fine art and textiles to a variety of groups in the UK and abroad. and is a member of the Embroiderers Guild UK, the Crafts Council Directory and the Society for Embroidered Work. She also exhibits and curates group exhibitions nationally and internationally. Her six books for Batsford are widely collected and studied by students of all ages around the world.
Project reveal:
Grange Owl – Anne will lead one of our workshops where she will be guiding you through creating a unique textile collage on the theme ‘Grange Owl’ using a printed template and hand stitching techniques. You can personalise it to make it truly your own – you can add it to a larger piece or finish it at your leisure!
Victoria Merness
Victoria Merness is an artist and teacher who is fine art trained, having an MA in Contemporary Fine Art, and a PGCE Masters in the teaching of Art & Creative Practice.
Victoria first started off her creative life at degree level as a painter and paper crafter, but since 2020 has incorporated embroidery into her work. Victoria has now completely fallen in love with stitch, due to its therapeutic nature and aesthetic appeal.
In Victoria’s workshops, the emphasis is on enjoyment over perfection, and time and space are allowed to be able to make the work your own, rather than everyone producing the same piece.
Victoria’s business name is Little House of Victoria, for which she designs her own branded embroidery kits and accessories, and you might have spotted her on the TV craft channel, Sewing Street.
Victoria can quite often be found in her studio, which is housed in an old cotton mill, overlooking the canal in Mossley, near Saddleworth.
Project reveal:
In Victoria’s session, you will create a stitched piece of work that reflects who you are, and what is important to you. There will be examples to follow if needed, so that you can create the same as Victoria, or create something completely personalised and unique. Victoria will be on hand to demonstrate the stitches, and to give a guiding hand wherever needed. No previous experience is needed, and the project can be tailored to your skill level. The stitched item that you will produce would be perfect as a keepsake or heirloom.
Everything is included, and there will be a pack of lovely materials, threads and trims waiting for you, but if you would like to personalise your project and have any favourite threads, lace, and fabric scraps, or anything you would like to bring along, please do as this will add a very personal touch.
This project could stretch much further than the time in the workshop, if you would like to extend it, or it can be utilised as an addition to another piece of work if you would like.
Ailish Henderson
Ailish Henderson is a Narrative artist and writer, who quietly questions the impact life’s events have on our own individual story lines. Using a wealth of inspiration, including a specific interest in familial contexts, she creates visual moments of matter.
Having a strong education within the Fine Arts, she couples this with her later Textile and Mixed Media experience. In a threefold marriage, the plaits this together during her teaching and lecture sessions. In 2024 she published her first title Narrative Textiles: Tell Your Story in Mixed Media and Stitch (Batsford, 2024). She writes for FAIRE, Embroidery, Selvedge amongst others. She has had four solo exhibitions to date as well as traveling overseas to exhibit her work. In 2025 she began her studies again, an MSc in Narrative Futures within the arts to further strengthen her own practice.
Project reveal:
Whether we are aware of it or not, we all have a story to tell. Learn how to use inspirational collage resources, along with your own photographs, memorabilia, and any treasures you wish to bring along to inspire you and incorporate into your artworks created within the session. This is visual storytelling at its best.
Before you arrive, you may wish to contemplate all that inspires you personally. Is it family? Pets? Friends? Life experiences? Maybe a simple garden gander. Within this workshop, you will be using a narrative pack, prescribed and gifted to you by Ailish with key materials (imagine lace, silk offcuts, collage particles and fibres with meaning). You will use these, along with any items you wish to bring along which are personal to you, such as collage materials or even a photocopied letter from a loved one, even grandmothers lace. What is lovely about this class, is that no perfection is intended; the piece you make is to be a moment, a memory, for you to curate. Ailish’s book Narrative Textiles: Tell your Story in Mixed Media and Stitch describe thematically much of Ailish’s work and can be a source of support for your learning. You may wish to view this before the workshop, if possible.
Ailish Henderson is a narrative-based artist, most recognised for her Stitched Collage Portraits. She spends her time developing her work, in tandem with writing for such publications as Embroidery, published by the Embroiderers’ Guild.
All materials will be provided, however the ones stated below are for reference if you wish to bring any along to the session yourself.
• Reference photographs of your subject
• Personal source material, such as travel memorabilia, tickets, or old clothing
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Payment & Booking Information
To reserve your spot, a £300 non-refundable deposit can now be paid either by Bank Transfer or via a secured PayPal link (details below)
Bank Transfer Details: (If paying by bank transfer, please email enquiries@artandcraftretreats.co.uk to confirm payment has been sent. We will reply with confirmation.)
Account Name: Arts and Crafts Retreats LTD
Sort Code: 04-00-03
Account Number: 04487572
Payment Reference: Your Name
PayPal Link:
https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/27QKFBBZNAVFQ
New for 2026 – Payment Plans
If you’d like to pay for the retreat using a payment plan, we can offer monthly payments via bank transfer. Simply email us and we’ll be happy to arrange this for you (enquiries@artandcraftretreats.co.uk)
Enquiries / Further Information
If you have any questions or require any further information, please feel free to contact us at enquiries@artandcraftretreats.co.uk, or visit our website www.artandcraftretreats.co.uk for details on all future retreats and featured tutors.
The Art and Craft Retreats Team
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**Terms and Conditions**
To secure your place, a £300 non-refundable deposit is required.
The final balance is due 10 weeks before the retreat.
Cancellations after the final payment are non-refundable.
Payment plans can be arranged on request.
*A full list of T+C’s are available on the company website*
We advise all guests to purchase adequate travel insurance at the time of booking. This will ensure you are covered in the event of illness, unexpected travel issues, or the need to cancel.
