Welcome to Sew Surfside! There are lots of options for things and info that we need from you, so please make sure to read everything carefully before you sign up. Below is some basic information, but I will be sending a comprehensive information kit out by email in May with material requirements if you are not purchasing the fabric kit, some recommendations for dinner and other important bits and pieces!
When and where is the retreat?
The inaugural Sew Surfside retreat will take place Friday 23 and Saturday 24 August, 2024, in the Recreation Centre Annex at Avalon Beach, NSW (Sydney's northern beaches). The Annex is a little cottage in Dunbar Park. It's very spacious and has good lighting and nice big windows.
How do I get there?
The exact address of the classes is:
Avalon Recreation Centre Annex
Dunbar Park
3 Bowling Green Lane
Avalon Beach NSW 2107
There is free all day parking in the Bowling Green Lane car park behind the RSL but it does fill up quickly, so I recommend coming early and getting a coffee in Avalon before class starts if you're driving! There is also a larger timed parking lot and parking in the surrounding streets if you don't mind more of a walk.
Avalon is around 1 hour drive from Sydney airport outside of peak hour. If you are coming from interstate or overseas, you can obviously hire a car at the airport and drive here!
There is also a train and bus service from the airport that will take you to Mona Vale Beach, and we can collect you from Mona Vale and take you to your accomodation. The train goes from right at the airport terminal and then you need to transfer to a bus service that goes direct to Mona Vale.
Please make sure to tick the box if you think you will require transport while you are here. We are looking into options, and how many people will actually need the transport before we make anything concrete - its hard to organise without knowing how many people are already in Sydney and how many coming from afar. If you tick the box, we will contact you after all the places are filled and give you some options. If there are enough people requiring transport, we will look into hiring a mini bus and having two or three collections from the airport over the course of Thursday to bring everyone here, for a small fee. If there are only one or two people this obviously won't be feasible, but Damo will be able to collect you from public transport at Mona Vale in our car if needs be.
Where can I stay?
This is my own little corner of the world, and the whole reason I want to do this retreat is to show it off to all of you. Avalon is a charming little village filled with. great cafes, bars and restaurants, lovely shopping and a truly beautiful beach. Everyone who lives here is very passionate about it. I hope you all love it too! One of the reasons Avalon is so charming however is that it's remote, and therefore can be a little difficult to get to, and a little difficult to find somewhere reasonable to stay. Airbnb is your best bet.
There are a couple of hotels/apartment style rentals in the area that I know of:
https://www.reefresort.com.au/
There is also hostel - that's mainly full of young rowdy backpackers, but here is the link anyway!!
http://www.avalonbeach.com.au/
Unless you have your own transport, you will want to be looking for accomodation in the suburbs of Palm Beach, Whale Beach, Avalon, Clareville, Bilgola Plateau, Newport or Mona Vale. Those are the suburbs we can pick you up and drive you to class from. Most things in and around Avalon Village you would be able to walk to class from. Airbnb's are probably your best bet, so if you are travelling in a group a share house is the way to go! If you are travelling alone and would like to share a house with others, please check that option at check out and we will try to get people together so that you can organise that. If there's three or four people all alone, it would make sense to rent together and share the cost. If you're not sure how far something is from us, feel free to ask me before you book.
What is the price?
Friday workshop Tweedle Dee Project Bag - $200
Saturday workshop Tidy Town Project Tray - $240
Annette Gero Lecture Friday night - $30
What is included in the price?
The purchase listings here show everything that is included on the day, or for the lecture. Please read thoroughly before you check out. The price does not include accomodation, breakfasts or dinners.
Can I book just one day or just the lecture?
Yes you can.
Can I pay off cost in instalments?
Yes. When you go to pay, pay by PayPal in 4 - Pay in 4 is an interest-free instalment product that lets you split your purchase into 4 payments, with the first payment due at the time of purchase and 3 subsequent repayments made every 2 weeks thereafter.
What are the projects?
There will be two full days of classes, and each day is a different small project. They are brand new projects that I haven't ever taught or shown before, and they will not be available as patterns to purchase from me until well after the retreat and my subsequent teaching trip to Europe. They're completely hand stitched (so that no one has to bring a machine). You will not finish them on the day, there will still be work to do when you get home (but thats part of the pleasure isn't it?) There is a kit for the pattern, templates and stablizers etc needed for the projects included in the class price, and also the option to add a kit for the fabric at checkout.
Friday class: Tweedle Dee Rice Bag
First I must apologise that this isn't yet finished! Life is a little unpredictable at present and I just didn't quite get there, but I was conscious of time ticking away for people to get organised for bookings, so we have just opened with the photos I have of my progress so far. As soon as it is done I will send photos of the completed project to those enrolled in class.
The Tweedle Dee Rice bag is a spacious square project bag with a drawstring top, just right to keep your hand stitching safe and organised. Each panel is appliqued with motifs of birds, flowers and houses. The applique is then embellished with some simple embroidery stitches. A pattern for the Snippy scissor keep and a handy needlebook is included.
In class we will work on a panel for the bag, learning all the applique and embroidery techniques needed to complete the project and then discussing the construction for when you get home. The class price includes the pattern, pre laminated applique templates, stabilizers and press stud for the scissor keep and cord for the drawstring. There is a seperate add on for a kit for all the fabric and embroidery thread to make the bag, the same as mine
Saturday class: Tidy Town Project Tray
Tidy Town is a sturdy little project tray, made to sit next to you when you sew to keep everything in place. It's long enough to fit a glue pen or silver gel pen laying down, several spools of thread and more besides - including this sweet felt birdie pincushion and drawstring tulip pouch to hold your thimble or a few Wonderclips. The tray is constructed from sturdy card that is put together by hand. The class price includes all the precut cardboard for the tray, the pattern, pre laminated templates for cutting the bird, stuffing and a bottle top. There is a seperate add on for a kit for all the fabric, felt and embroidery thread to make the tray, the same as mine.
What is the classroom set up?
I've taught at a lot of events over the years and I know what quilters like! SPACE and LIGHT (and food! and good coffee! and shopping!) :)
There will be two people to a table so there is plenty of space, as we are hand sewing only and no space is taken up by machines. Class is capped at 30 people per day. Personal irons are not allowed due to venue restrictions, but I will provide several irons and mats for general use, and also some extra cutting boards and rotary cutters for those travelling.
I know that peeps often like to be able to sew at night after class ends - unfortunately due to the way the venue is hired and the lecture on the Friday night in the same venue, that option wont be available. More information about the venue and what to bring will be in the info kit in May. More about the shopping below, and recommendations for places to eat also will follow in May.
What is the lecture about? Can I come if I'm not taking classes?
On the Friday night between classes, there will be a lecture at the same venue, by Annette Gero. Annette is world renowned quilt historian and the author of several excellent books about antique Australian quilts and military quilts. She is a fascinating speaker and she will be telling us about (and showing us some of!) her incredible collection. The lecture is open to those who are in the classes and ALSO those who aren't taking classes and just want to come and hear Annette speak. The tickets are $30 and will include the lecture, plus a glass of wine or bubbles (or water of juice if you prefer) and some lovely snacks.
Is there shopping?
Of course there's shopping, I wouldn't do that to you! In the info kit will be info about some of the local delights that aren't quilt related, as well as the address of our local patchwork shops. Right in the classroom, and also set up for the Friday night lecture, will be a store from the lovely ladies at Tambourine to Tilba, and also my own shop so you can browse to your hearts content.
I'm coming alone, or arriving on Thursday!
If you are travelling alone and would like to join another group for dinner on Thursday or Friday night, please let me know and I will try to hook you all up with some company. Likewise let me know if you're a group and you don't mind a new friend joining you! I have also toyed with the idea of everyone meeting for a drink on Thursday night, nothing actually booked or paid for in the actual retreat package, just a time to meet up at a local bar and say hello before class starts on Friday. If you are interested in that also let me know and I will tee up a time for the group to meet at one of our fab little locals. I will come, and my work helpers Belle and Flo too!
Anything I didn't cover?
Please feel free to email me if you have questions, I will do my best to help you out! sarah@sarahfielke.com