For years—about a dozen I think—I held fabric collage retreats here in my hometown of Harpswell, Maine. Back in 2019, I decided to take a break and regroup. Then, well, 2020 happened and so much for in-person classes for awhile. I pivoted to presenting classes online—for example, our upcoming July 2026 class—which has space still available. Online classes have worked very well, but just can’t satisfy the itch some students have to come to Maine—which is in my humble opinion—one of the most beautiful states to visit and inspire.
This past week, after seven years, we brought back the Harpswell Retreat—on an experimental basis. I contacted some of the old crew who came before and added a few others. It would be held, as usual, just down the road at the iconic Harpswell Inn (above).
In a coming week, we’ll do a complete post on this class revival, but for now, here’s a taste of how the week began and how it’s going.
Enjoy!
DISPATCH:
A message or report sent in haste, like a journalist’s report from a distant location.
Click on any small photos to view them larger and to scroll through the galleries.
Here’s what the classroom looked at the start of class—all neat and tidy.
And here’s what it looked like (below) after day one—getting wonderfully messier as the week went on. Caution, fabric collage in progress!
I usually bring a few friends to share with the class. Below, left, Kaloli Moondance and, right, Tickled Pink and Golden Temple of the Good Girls.
I asked if students could bring some of their work to share as well. Below, is LeahGrace Kayler’s absolutely amazing zebras. You may have noticed the pile of scraps beneath the zebras. That is the community scrap pile. When students are looking for a piece of inspiration they may find it here.
Time to get to work!
Not to toot our own horn, but this location is pretty hard to beat. Below, the view from the Adirondack chairs on the Harpswell Inn’s lawn.
Check back soon for more photos and stories from our week-long Harpswell Retreat Revival, here in Maine.
