Milan and the Italian Lakes Quilting Retreat

Meet Karin and your Arena Travel Tour Manager at the airport for you flight to Milan. Transfer to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Our excursion today will take us first to the Aurifil factory and then to Pino Grasso embroidery, a workshop that collaborates with the greatest names in French and Italian fashion. At Aurifil, through a guided tour and short talk we’ll learn about every phase of the production process. Some of the areas that we visit are not usually open to visitors.  Everyone will receive an Aurifil goodie bag and our visit will finish with a visit to their outlet store. At Pino Grasso embroidery we’ll learn how the embroidery pieces are designed and created and see images of some of the finished pieces from international fashion brands. Each step of the process will be explained, from preparation of the fabrics to how the designs are transferred. We’ll see the embroiderers at work and visit the company archive of materials.

We say arrivederci to Milan and start our journey towards Levico. On route we will stop in Como to visit the Museo della Seta (Silk Museum). The museum is the only one in the world to show the visitor the entire production process, from silkworm to colourful yarns, hand printing and fashion collections. The museum also displays machinery, documents and samples from the glorious past of the textile industry that still nowadays rewards Como as the “City of Silk”.

Enjoy four full day workshops with Karin with used of Bernina machines.

Transfer to Milan airport for return flight to London.