Virtual Retreats
GillyMac Designs is delighted to announce the Winter 2021 Virtual Retreat will open for bookings at 10am on Monday 19th July.
Winter 2021 Virtual Retreat
The next wonderful Virtual Retreat will take place from Friday, October 22nd to Sunday, October 24th. Once again, the Retreat will happen from the comfort of your sewing table
The project for this Retreat is the new Snowy Days Quilt. The Snowy Days Quilt is 55″ square and comprises four patchwork blocks, combined cleverly into this stunning Quilt. The design uses a hero/patterned fabric accompanied by two blenders, a solid and background. Should you want to use up your stash, the requirements are written to easily mix and match what you have with what you need. If you would like to start with a smaller project, Gill will show you how to combine the blocks into a gorgeous table runner.

What is a Virtual Retreat hosted by GillyMac Designs?
Over the past two years, the Retreats have become a regular Spring and Autumn feature in the GillyMac Calendar.
The Retreat is a weekend of sewing and laughter with 16 hours of mixed live tuition and personal sewing. There is a quiz and a highlight of the weekend is always our Bingo game! The event runs over Zoom with a supportive private Facebook group. The Facebook group opens ahead of the Retreat to allow participants to share photos of their fabric choices and stays open after it for final projects to be shared between the group.
During the weekend, Gill will be doing the project with you, demonstrating every stage in full. Furthermore, the pattern comes with fully illustrated notes, and there is a pre-recorded video tutorial for the project.

Retreat Box & Saturday Night Bonus Project!
Gill will send the carefully curated Retreat Boxes to you ahead of time.
On Friday evening, we try to kick the Retreat off by opening the Boxes. The Boxes contain a mixture of quality sewing supplies and mini gifts to get you buzzing from the very start.
It is one of Gill’s favourite jobs to build the box contents in the months leading up to the Retreat.
Each Retreat Box also contains a complete kit for the Saturday night project which you can either sew along with Gill that evening, or you can save it to complete at another time.
The Winter, Saturday Night project is something different. Gill will show you how to work with felt and cork to create unique coasters or stands.
What are the logistics of the 2021 Winter Virtual Retreat ?
The Spring Retreat will run from
7pm on Friday, October 22nd to
3pm on Sunday, October 24th.
The Facebook group will open to participants a week before the Retreat and will be available for a further six months after the Retreat is over.
The instructional videos will be yours to access from my website forever.
The Retreat Box will arrive by registered post in the week before the event.
Busy cutting/sewing/creative time will be from:
7pm – 9pm on Friday,
10am – 7pm on Saturday and
10am – 3pm on Sunday.
What’s included in the price of the Virtual Retreat?
- 16 hours of mixed live tuition and personal sewing over two days and one evening
- GillyMac Snowy Days Quilt fully illustrated pattern.
- Two different quilting plans for the Quilt
- Table Runner annexe to the pattern to use the blocks in a table runner
- Bonus Pattern & Kit for the Saturday Night Project
- A Bespoke Retreat Box full of quality goodies delivered to you for the weekend’s enjoyment.
- GillyMac Bingo & prizes.
- Instructional videos for all aspects of making the Snowy Days Quilt (including step by step guidance through the quilting), an ad on video for the table runner and another video tutorial for the feltwork.
What happens if I get stuck with the sewing, who will help me ?
There will be live instructional Zoom sessions and pre-recorded Video Tutorials covering all aspects of making the Snowy Days Quilt and the felt project throughout the weekend. Additionally, Gill will be online, answering your questions and cheerleading your progress. Gill and her small team will help you get the very most from experience.
What happens if I can’t be available for the whole weekend or miss a part of the retreat?
All the instructions video tutorials will be available in Gill’s website members for you to replay at your convenience. So there is no chance of you missing out on the tuition. If you need to pop out or do something else for a short time, you will be able to catch up with all the teaching when you get back. Just don’t miss the Bingo!
What you'll need for the weekend
- An internet connection, access to Zoom (you do not need a Zoom account) and Facebook account, if you would like to join the Retreat Group.
- Fabric – Gill will send you the requirements shortly after booking.
- Sewing machine, Sewing kit, rotary cutting equipment and enthusiasm.
How much is this Virtual Retreat and how do I book it ?
The price of the GillyMac Virtual Retreat is £135 and places are limited. An early-bird discount rate of £125 for the retreat is available for bookings taken from 19th – 26th July.
Will fabric kits be available to purchase?
Yes! For the first time, Gill has curated three different fabric bundles herself for this project. They are available to purchase here. Don’t forget that this project is also suited to using up your stash of fabric. Fabric packs are also available for the table runner option.
What Past Retreat Participants are Saying…
It’s always great to receive feedback on my classes




Sign up for classes
You can sign up for classes directly on our website. If you have any questions, we would be pleased to answer them. Questions can be emailed to the address below or by filling in the form below.
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Contact
07818 551232
mail@gillymacdesigns.com