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Expert: Janice Gunner Janice Gunner

North West Quilting Retreat

Travel to Northwest England on a retreat to enhance and further develop your quilting prowess in quilting workshops with our expert Janice Gunner. Additionally, deepen your knowledge of the north west of England's textile history at the Quilters Guild of the British Isles Museum, Gawthorpe Textile Collection, and Halifax Piece Hall which is the only remaining Georgian cloth hall in the world containing history that dates back 250 years.

8 days from £1,695pp Departure Dates

Your Tour Includes

  • 7 nights' half board accommodation
  • 3 full days of workshops on the Bernina sewing machines with Janice Gunner
  • Entrance fees and excursions
  • The services of an experienced Arena Travel Tour Manager
Experts
Janice Gunner

Janice Gunner

Janice is an award-winning textile artist, teacher and author. Her most recent award being the inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award in Quilting at The Festival of Quilts 2019. She has published two books and has been teaching Textiles for over 30 years. Janice’s work is informed by the natural world and traditional textile techniques from many countries including Japan and Africa and her work is exhibited frequently. She is currently researching natural dyes as part of her MA in Textiles. Janice has a particular interest in traditional Japanese textile techniques including Shibori which was the subject of one of her books. When she is not travelling, Janice likes to visit museums and art galleries, listen to music, photography and reading.

More from Janice Gunner Read more

Itinerary

Overview

Meet Janice Gunner and your Arena Travel Tour Manager at The Old Swan Hotel in Harrogate. Enjoy dinner this evening at the hotel getting to know your fellow stitchers.

Includes Dinner

Overview

Today we will leave the hotel and drive to Halifax to visit the Grade I listed Piece Hall. This architectural and cultural phenomenon is the only remaining Georgian cloth hall in the world. Delve into its 250-year history on a guided tour with one of the knowledgeable heritage guides. There will be some time at leisure to explore and grab something to eat before we continue to Saltaire Village. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is named after Sir Titus Salt who built a textile mill, known as Salts Mill, and this village on the river Aire. The village was famous for producing high end luxury fabrics, samples of his cloth can be seen in Salts Mill. Enjoy a guided walk around the village and free time to explore at leisure.

Includes Breakfast

Includes Dinner

Halifax

Included Highlights

Piece Hall

Overview

A full day workshop with Janice at the hotel.

Includes Breakfast

Includes Dinner

Halifax

Included Highlights

Workshop

Overview

The walled city of York has Roman roots, a Viking past and is also home to the Quilters Guild of the British Isles Museum. After breakfast at our hotel, we will be transferred to York where we will begin the day with a guided walking tour. This tour will take you through York’s ‘Snickleways’ (passageways) uncovering the history and browsing some of its fabric shops. Enjoy some time at leisure for lunch before we walk to the Quilters Guild Museum to see some of their historic collection. With one of the curators, we see how the collection shows various styles and techniques across the ages.

Includes Breakfast

Includes Dinner

York

Included Highlights

Quilters Guild Museum

Overview

A full day workshop with Janice at the hotel.

Includes Breakfast

Includes Dinner

Harrogate

Included Highlights

Workshop

Overview

Today we will visit both the Gawthorpe Textile Collection and Burnley’s Queen Street Mill. The Queen Street Mill is the last surviving 19th century steam powered weaving mill in the world. During a guided tour we will meet one of the weaving technicians who will demonstrate weaving on one of the Lancashire looms. Enjoy exploring this Grade 1 listed building and relive the days when cotton was king. The Gawthorpe Textile’s Collection is an internationally renowned collection of global textiles. The collection accumulated by Rachel Kay-Shuttleworth consists of approximately 11,000 items. These items range from lace, embroidery, woven and printed materials as well as costume, tools and much more. We will enjoy a 1-hour guided tour of the Gallery led by a member of the curatorial team and some free time to browse the shop.

Includes Breakfast

Includes Dinner

Burnley

Included Highlights

Queen Street Mill

Overview

Enjoy a full day workshop with Janice at the hotel.

Includes Breakfast

Includes Dinner

Harrogate

Included Highlights

Workshop

Overview

After a leisurely breakfast check out of the hotel.

Includes Breakfast

Janice's Workshop Information: During your 3 full days of workshops with Janice Gunner you will work on projects inspired by visits on this retreat. One workshop is inspired by a Hockney painting and you will make a small piece of machine applique work. The second workshop is inspired by Gawthorpe Hall and you will make machine pieced Octagon/Snowball type traditional patchwork blocks, inspired by the shape of a table in the Gawthorpe Hall collection. To give the blocks a modern twist we will use African Fabrics - you can turn your finished block/blocks into a table mat or cushion cover. The third workshop takes inspiration from a log cabin quilt in the collection of the Quilter's Guild. You will have fun making a modern version of Log Cabin Patchwork working from Janice's book 'Liberating Log Cabin' using African Fabrics. The kit will include a copy of Janice's book and enough fabric to make a small wall hanging or table runner.

Tour Notes: You will need to have a reasonable level of fitness to get the most out of this holiday. On excursion days you will need to walk a short distance from the hotel to the coach and you should be able to board the coach unaided. On arrival at the excursion destination, you should be able to alight the coach unaided and there may be a walk between the coach drop off point and the excursion venue. By their nature, walking tours, museum visits etc involve being on your feet for a significant amount of time. Whilst our excursions are taken at a leisurely pace, for the enjoyment of everyone in the group you should be able to keep up with your fellow travellers.

Single Room Supplement from £130.00 (8 days).

Crafted for Quilters

Crafted for Quilters

Specially designed for quilters, this Stitchtopia quilting holiday is the ideal opportunity to indulge in your favourite hobby and pick up some new crafty tips and tricks. Our talented quilting expert will be on hand throughout the holiday and host inspirational workshops with a beautifully designed project to spark your creativity.

Accommodation

You will stay for seven nights at the Old Swan, Harrogate
Old Swan Harrogate
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Old Swan Harrogate

The Old Swan Hotel combines Victorian splendour with elegant contemporary style. The hotel has 136 bedrooms, along with the famous glass-ceilinged Wedgwood Restaurant and the Swan Lounge and Bar, making for a relaxing stay. The hotel is situated only 5 minutes from Harrogate town centre and train station.

Hotel Facilities

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General
  • 4 Star
  • Bar
  • Restaurant
Room
  • TV
  • Tea and Coffee Making Facilities
  • Hairdryer
  • Telephone
  • Shower or Bath
  • Free Wifi
  • Iron or Trouser Press
  • Ensuite Facilities
Service
  • Laundry Service
Hotel
  • Bar
  • Restaurant
  • WiFi Available
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