This year marked a particularly meaningful moment for us. For the very first time, we had the opportunity to host two retreats beyond Europe — something we had long dreamed about. It felt like a significant step for our community, and when the time came to choose our destination, the answer felt wonderfully obvious.
We would land in Marrakech.
In the blog post linked here (link), we share more about the story behind this new chapter and why Marrakech captured our imagination so completely.
Yet above all, this project was about craft — and about the two remarkable tutors who brought their distinct creative worlds with them.
We were honoured to welcome Elizabeth Shown and Kate Barlow, two artists whose approaches to textile work could not be more different and yet whose visions complemented each other beautifully.
Their presence shaped the spirit of the retreat: a meeting of traditions, techniques, and artistic sensibilities.
For Kate, the journey held an additional significance. It was her first time in Marrakech, and she wished to mark the occasion with a design that would capture the essence of the place.
Kate’s first design, Moroccan Blue, draws its inspiration from the intricate geometric patterns that define Morocco’s architectural heritage.
Across the city, carved plasterwork, tiled fountains, and hand-painted ceramics reveal endless repetitions of pattern and symmetry. These motifs became the starting point for a piece that feels both timeless and luminous.
Worked in sumptuous silk threads in rich shades of blue, the design unfolds through a subtle interplay of counted work and refined surface stitching. Gradually, the geometry reveals itself beneath the needle.
Delicate bead embellishments introduce a final note of quiet opulence — catching the light much like the glazed tiles that shimmer across the courtyards and mosques of Marrakech.
Kate’s second piece, the Silken Souk Pouch, is a small object of charm and practicality, inspired by the graceful forms encountered in the city’s markets.
The design echoes the curved fronts of traditional babouche slippers and the plush elegance of Moroccan ottomans. Its distinctive outer “petals” mirror the soft silhouette of the slipper shape, cut from vibrant silk dupion and delicately embroidered with silk and gold threads.
Finished as a drawstring pouch, it can serve as a sewing accessory bag or a refined thread catcher — a beautifully crafted companion for the maker’s table.
Small in scale, yet rich in detail, it carries with it the quiet magic of the souk.
Where Kate’s work celebrates structure and pattern, Elizabeth Shown brought a spirit of exuberant experimentation.
Her project explored the world of passementerie, inviting participants to create tassels, rosettes, and ornamental elements that celebrate texture, movement, and colour.
Her approach is wonderfully intuitive. Rather than rigidly following tradition, Elizabeth encourages makers to experiment with colour, proportion, and movement, allowing each piece to develop its own personality. The result is passementerie that feels vibrant, expressive, and delightfully modern.
Colour, of course, is central to her artistic signature. Saturated hues, unexpected combinations, and playful contrasts are hallmarks of her work. In Marrakech, this language of colour felt particularly at home. The palette of the city — saffron spices, indigo tiles, terracotta walls, and jewel-toned textiles — seemed to echo through every tassel and rosette created during the retreat.
Hosting our first retreats outside Europe was a milestone for us but it was Marrakech that gave the experience its particular magic.