Date: July 2025, Friday 11th 3pm onwards to Sunday 13th 4pm finish
The Project: We all have them! Our favourite (childhood) animated character from books and films or TV Shows. Which one is your favourite? A loveable famous bear that loves honey or an equally famous bear who is rather fond of a marmalade sandwich? Maybe you are a fan of a character from Wind in the Willows. It will be hard to decide no doubt but our lovely team of experienced tutors including Steffi, Colette and Carol will be there to support you with your individual choice of character. Together they have over 30 years of needle felting experience. The images will give you an idea to what standard we are aiming at and that we will enable you to sew very basic clothes for your chosen character. The size will be about 30cm tall (12 inches).
Venue: This year we will be holding the Retreat in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire right in the heart at the Makerss Headquarters (GL6 0BS). You will be working in our large upstairs workshop at our HQ, which is accessed by a flight of stairs with a handrail. We have a fully equipped kitchen on the premises and will be having most of our meals onsite. You will have the opportunity to shop onsite till your heart is content and the beautiful town of Nailsworth is only 3 minutes walk away from us.
We will be making use of local independent accommodation offerings such as B&B's and hotels for those who choose the full Retreat Package. Our Saturday evening meal and fun activities will be held at a local eatery! Whilst we endeavour to keep the distance between the accommodation and The Makerss HQ to a minimum (possibly even at walking distance) we cannot guarantee the time of travel. The radius of travel by car should not exceed 8 miles (12-15 minutes).
Retreat Packages: You can choose from five options, each option ALWAYS includes the tuition, support and all activities, all materials to make the project, our famously generous goody bags which also include all tools you need. All meals starting with a Friday evening meal, Saturday and Sunday breakfast, Saturday and Sunday lunch, and a Saturday evening meal are all included. Oh and not to forget all the tea and coffee, cakes and biscuits and healthy snacks you can eat!
Get in touch if you need help finding accommodation if you are booking the retreat package without accommodation. We have some great local recommendations from £32 per night.
Need a little help with paying for your space? We are pleased to let you know that we are able to offer a Down Payment option for any of the Retreat Packages. This money is non-refundable and secures your space subject to us confirming your preferences. We will get in touch with you to agree the remaining payments (up to 2 more instalments) with a final settlement 4 weeks prior to the Retreat. Please select this option and put into the comments before check out what package you would like. Please note that we are unable to give any discounts on this option and should you use a discount code we will have to add this back onto the instalment payments.
Testimonials: Our retreats have been tried and tested over the past 8 years and we are always delighted that we have a large number of 'Repeat Retreaters' who sometimes even attend both of our annual retreats. We go over and beyond to make everybody welcome regardless to their needle felting experience. We will do all we can to accommodate people with mobility issues too as long as the venue will allow.
What some of our Past Retreaters have said:
"I made this during the Winter retreat, can't wait for the Summer one. If any one is on the fence deciding whether to go or not, don't over think - just do it. This was my third retreat and they just keep getting better and better. The hard work that goes into the preparation must be exhausting because no stone is left unturned. The welcome is second to none"
"Everyone attending is encouraged to explore their creativity with the friendship, love, encouragement, skills, enthusiasm and nurturing spirit that we've all come to know and love from The Makerss. Thank you again"
"Throughout the whole weekend Steffi, Carol and Colette were always on hand to answer questions, give guidance, help and encouragement. Nothing was too much trouble for any of our hosts and instructors. The project we did was good fun and I believe we all came away from the retreat with a usable and attractive tote. The evening activities were great fun."
"It's always lovely coming to a retreat with the Makerss. Not only is there expert tuition who help you create your piece in your style but amazing food and stunning scenery. Felting can be a lonely craft sometimes so it's joyful to come to a retreat and be surround by other enthusiasts."
