Build a capsule wardrobe with Christine in the English countryside
Join Christine in London & the English countryside for an incredible 8 night / 9 day retreat! Choose between retreat one: from June 16-24, or retreat two: June 27-July 5, 2027. Your choice of any 3 PDF patterns from Christine’s collection is included in the price. You can bring any of those with you, or any of Christine’s other patterns! She will help guide you, based on your needs, through whichever patterns you decide to work on. Limited to 18 guests, you will be sure to get ample one-on-one attention.
Bring your patterns, instructions, fabric, & notions with you to the retreat & work on your garments in a light and airy tent at Goodnestone Park in the gorgeous English countryside. You are welcome to work on as many or as few projects as you prefer. If you focus on one pattern, you can anticipate that will leave with at least one completed garment. Your patterns will come with a full set of instructions, so you can complete your unfinished projects at home.
We will have 2 days in London with first class lodging & one-of-a-kind excursions. Next will be 6 days at Goodnestone Park for 4 days of sewing, plus the day we arrive, & an excursion day to Rye to shop at Merchant & Mills! Then on our final day we will have more excursions & our return to London. Nearly everything is supplied, including most meals, luxurious rooms, transportation to incredible outings, the use of sewing machines, & more. Join us!
The retreat schedule
First stop: London
The retreat begins in London with three days of visits guaranteed to excite and inspire you. We’re planning visits to the Fashion & Textile Museum for a curator-led tour of their vintage couture collection, a visit to a large textile print studio to see their screen printing process, a costume exhibition at a major gallery and a visit to the legendary Victoria & Albert Museum with access to their major exhibition, Punk to Pop that examines the rich and eclectic creative explosion across music, art and fashion from 1972-1985. Please note that final details on excursions in London will be confirmed closer to the retreat date.
We will of course visit Liberty of London & the west end for fabric shopping at spots like Joel & Sons, suppliers of quality fabrics to the Royal household, where you’ll find their array of fine fabrics a feast for the eyes. Your accommodation when we are in London is the 4-star Petersham hotel in Richmond-upon-Thames in southwest London, ideally situated close by Heathrow airport & with good underground & train links to the city.
Second stop: Goodnestone Park
On day three we travel by coach to Kent & to Goodnestone Park, the former home of Jane Austen’s brother Edward. This beautiful house dating from 1704 is surrounded by Goodnestone Park’s exceptionally beautiful 15-acre gardens, which are known for their ancient woodland, parterre gardens & classical English planting. Described as one of the top three gardens in Kent, we will have access to the gardens during our stay, including the recently restored Serpentine Walk, a favorite of Jane Austen.
Goodnestone Park underwent a large-scale renovation in 2016 when modern comforts were interwoven into the original design, resulting in a brilliant fusion of classical elegance with a sleek 21st century accent. It is here that we will stay for 6 nights of sewing, meals, garden strolls, & so much inspiration. The bedrooms are large & spacious, so if you choose a double-occupancy twin room, there will be more than enough room for you & your new friend to share. There is a cafe & gift shop on-site as well.
Day trip: Rye
After a couple days of sewing at Goodnestone Park, we will take a break & visit the medieval town of Rye, home to Merchant & Mills. With its timber buildings & cobbled streets, this charming town has an artistic vibe & lovely independent shops.
Here you can pick up fabric, patterns, notions, & tools for future projects, plus anything you've discovered you need for the projects you’re working on at Goodnestone Park.
Final stops: Sissinghurst Castle Gardens & London
On the final day of the retreat we visit Sissinghurst Castle Gardens which was created in the 1930’s by writer Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson around the ruins of an Elizabethan manor. Famous for its structured “garden room” - such as the iconic White Garden - it combines formal paths with romantic, abundant planting.
We arrive back at the Petersham Hotel in Richmond by late afternoon on the final day.
Retreat details
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£5150-£5600 per person single occupancy
£4900 per person twin occupancy
£2200 per person for a non-participating partner
£700 deposit on booking
30% due on 15 January 2027
Full balance 15 March 2027Please note that registration happens on the Textile Retreats website, not mine.
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2 nights in a Classic room at the Petersham hotel
6 nights at Goodnestone Park, Kent
Meals include: 8 breakfasts, 5 two-course lunches and 7 three-course dinners with wine. Snacks, soft drinks and unlimited tea & coffee
3 patterns of your choice designed by Christine Haynes, 4 days full-time tuition, use of sewing machines and accessories
Group Zoom call with Christine for personal styling, fabric and wardrobe planning advice
Several excursions in London including a pass to the Victoria & Albert museum's special exhibitions, a private tour of a textile museum, a visit to a textile printing factory and in Kent: a visit to Sissinghurst Castle Gardens, day trip to Rye and Merchant & Mills.
Return coach transport to Goodnestone, local transport and underground travel during excurions in London
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Airfare & airport transfers
Fabric, thread, & notions
1 dinner & 4 lunches on excursions
Travel and health insurance
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Please note that the final itinerary will be shared with you once we have all the visits confirmed.
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Our host, Lizzie Hulme founded Chateau Dumas near Toulouse in 2005 as a centre for residential creative workshops in southwest France. More than a decade later people come from all over the world to learn from leading artists & craftspeople and share a creative experience with other like-minded souls.
A love of all things creative and a lifelong obsession with textiles has brought Lizzie to where she is today & the journey continues in her home country where she has formed The Textile Retreat Company to offer curated textile-themed Tours and Retreats in Britain where there is a rich textile heritage to discover & enjoy.
Both Chateau Dumas & The Textile Retreat Company work in tandem offering the creatively curious an opportunity to enjoy a great learning experience, delicious food, lovely accommodation & some very special touches.
