Come sew with me in northern New Mexico! Take a long weekend away to work on your sewing projects, connect with new (or old!) sewing friends, and, if you would like, join us on the suggested optional outings to enjoy the scenery and sites near Santa Fe, NM.
General Info
When: October 13-17th, 2022
Where: Jacona, NM. This location is about 20 minutes north of Santa Fe, New Mexico. The rural setting will give us a chance to relax and focus on our sewing, while still giving us access to many of the best views, museums, art, and shopping in northern NM.
The retreat will be held at the beautiful and historic Rancho Jacona. We will be renting one or two houses with options for both single and double occupancy rooms. The houses have a full kitchen and nice large living areas for sewing. We have space for up to 10 people.
What is provided? While planning this retreat, I tried to keep a mindful balance of affordability and practicality. I will be providing the accommodations and the sewing space, but I am expecting you to bring your sewing machine as well as all the tools, patterns, and fabrics needed for your projects. If this is a problem, please get in touch and I will try and track down a rental or loaner for you. I will have some spare tools on hand in case you forget anything, and I will be providing both my serger and coverstitch for group use so that you don’t have to bring a variety of machines (although you are welcome to!). I will also set up some ironing/pressing stations for us to share.
In terms of food, I will be providing dinner the first night and shared lunches so that you don’t have to take a long break in the middle of the day. I will also have snacks, coffee, and drinks. I will take into account any preferences or dietary restrictions, I am both lactose and gluten intolerant, so I understand how important that is. For breakfast, you are welcome to prepare something for yourself in the shared kitchen space or grab a breakfast burrito or tacos at the nearby taco stand. For dinner, you will see below that I am suggesting outings (cost not included) with dinner at a local restaurant so you can experience some of our local NM fare. Or, if you are local to the area or just don’t want to stop sewing, you can use the kitchen to prepare something for yourself or order in.
Inclusivity: Who is welcome? I am aiming to create a retreat where sewists of all skill levels, sizes, races, genders, and orientations feel welcome. I have done my best to make sure our space is accessible and comfortable for a variety of people, but this is my first year running a retreat, so please do contact me if you have any concerns. There is one ADA accessible room, please contact me for more information so we can make sure it meets your needs. While I believe this will be primarily a garment sewing focused event due to my sewing community, of course you are welcome to bring any sewing project you would like to work on!
Schedule and Optional Outings
Thusday, October 13th: Arrive after 4 PM. Dinner will be provided and available anytime after 6. Settle in and set up your sewing space.
Friday, October 14th: Sewing all day! Breakfast on your own, lunch will be provided. Around 3 PM, anyone who wants to take a break from sewing can head into Santa Fe to stroll around the plaza, visit my favorite local fabric (and yarn!) store Hacer, and meet up for dinner at Santa Fe favorite, The Cowgirl. There is also a Joann’s in Santa Fe in case your forgot any major items that Hacer doesn’t stock (its a small store). If you are in the zone and want to keep sewing, you are welcome to stay at the house and get dinner from one of the local nearby restaurants (I suggest the Sopaipilla Factory for New Mexican fare), or use the kitchen in the house to cook.
Saturday, October 15th: Sewing all day! Breakfast on your own, lunch will be provided. The suggested outing for the day is a field trip to Bandelier National Monument, so we will leave a little earlier in the afternoon, probably around 1 or 2 PM. I suggest a trip around the Main Loop trail to view the archeologic sites and enter some restored cavates, but there are many more things to do at the park. We will get dinner at Pig and Fig in White Rock, NM on the way home. If the weather isn’t good for an outdoor outing, I have several more options in mind that we can decide on closer to the date! And of course, you are welcome to stay in and sew!
Sunday, October 16th: Sewing all day! Breakfast on your own, lunch will be provided. If you want to end your trip with a relaxing trip to the hot springs, we will head about 40 minutes north to Ojo Caliente for a soak and for dinner. I suggest heading that way around 3 PM, but you are welcome to spend longer there if you would like. Both the hot springs and the restaurant on site are exceptional. Check out their website for more information on pricing or if you would like to book a massage or other spa treatment. Once again, this outing is totally optional, stay in and sew if you would like!
Monday, October 17th: Check out by 11 AM.
A few more details: The retreat is October in New Mexico, it may be 70F and sunny, but it also might snow. I will send a suggested packing list of weather appropriate clothing and any non-sewing related items closer to the retreat date. With any luck, we will hit the peak of the aspen leaves changing colors, it is truly a magical time in New Mexico. Other than the attractions I’ve listed in the above section, there are many more things to do in the area including wineries, a day trip to Taos, or endless museums in Santa Fe. Feel free to break away for a day if you want to do more site seeing and less sewing. The cost for the optional outings are not included… because they are optional! I hope this provides a more flexible cost for everyone- you only pay for what you want to do, directly to the restaurant/business/park we are visiting.
Pricing Structure
I’ve considered several pricing structures while planning this retreat and have settled on a sliding scale structure as a more equitable option. I recognize that my participants come from a variety of financial backgrounds and have experienced a variety of privileges thoughout their lives, based on the intersection of their identities. What may be affordable to some may not be affordable for others. With a sliding scale pricing structure, we all share the costs to make sure this is event is accessible to a wider range of folks.
| Tier | Description | Double Occupancy | Single Occupancy |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | This retreat is not a significant financial burden for me and I am happy for my fee to help offset the cost for someone with less financial security | $700 | $875 |
| B | I consider myself to be of average financial resources and have experienced an average amount of financial privilege | $600 | $775 |
| C | Paying the full price for this retreat would cause me financial insecurity | $500 | $675 |
Of course, the retreat experience will be the same across all three tiers and what price you chose to pay will remain confidential.
I will be accepting a 50% deposit until September 13th. At that point finally payment will be due and any new registrants must pay full price. Because of the size of the houses we are renting, I will take registration until the first house is full (4 for single occupancy or 6 for double), and then place any new registrants on a waiting list until the second house is full.