5 days. 30 expert artists.
Endless possibilities.
Discover new techniques that inspire you to slow down & embrace mindful stitching,
whilst letting your inner artist shine
Relax, enhance your creativity, and gain confidence in stitching—regardless of your skill level or available time. Can’t attend live? You’ll get access to the replays during the retreat!
27-31 October 2025
GET YOUR FREE TICKET!Its time to refill your creative cup and connect with your inner artist - without doing it alone
Join a vibrant community with thousands of mindful makers in this FREE event, and embark on a journey so that you can bring playfulness and presence back to your daily life through art.
WATCH THIS VIDEO TO LEARN MORE
What is Making Zen?
Community, connection, creativity...
Making Zen is a five day online retreat that gathers 30 professional fibre artists to lead free workshops that will help you learn new skills and embrace the power of zen with slow intentional stitching whilst getting inspired by a community of creators just like you.
Join us and reconnect with your inner artist
27-31 October 2025!
Get Inspired
With 30 artists over five days, you'll learn new methods you can use to get creative and find that exquisite feeling of Zen.
01.
Get Out of That Creative Rut
The Making Zen Online Retreat offers a wide variety of workshops, allowing you to try new ideas and techniques. Open yourself up to be inspired!
02.
Make Some 'Me Time'
We all know and feel the benefits of sitting down and creating, and this Online Retreat provides the incentive to make some well deserved 'Me Time.'
03.
Learn New Techniques
With 30 workshops to choose from, you'll learn new methods and mediums to work with, with gentle step by step guidance as you create beautiful and meaningful art with joy.
"I have participated in every Making Zen Retreat, and at each one
I have learned about new artists, new techniques, and new ways to develop my own style to tell my stories. I am grateful for the inspiration and for the invitation to slow down and enjoy the power of slow, intentional stitching.
Thanks to Kate, the Zen Stitching Team, and all the talented instructors who shared their skill and resources."
- Mary Elizabeth O'Toole
The Artists' Workshops
NOW FOR THE PART YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FOR...
Here's the line up of amazing artists and their workshops to truly inspire you. These workshops cover a variety of techniques including intuitive stitching, ways to mend, telling stories with fabric, and
sooo many ways to use up our precious scraps in beautiful projects.
Snip and Stitch Lavender Bags
Karen Lewis
Enjoy mindful needle turn appliqué and the delightful aroma of lavender while creating these simple snip and stitch bags.
Fine Line Flowers
Amy Maricle
Draw and paint beautiful fine line flowers that you can use on art journal pages, on handmade cards, and more.
Microweaves for Darning
Skye Pennant
Learn how to create twill, herringbone and houndstooth weaves for visible darning on your favourite well worn knits.
Fabric Tales: Creating Mini Fabric Visual Journals
Rakefet Hadar
In this creative visual journaling workshop, you will work with a piece of fabric as your canvas, transforming it into a storytelling artwork that blends texture, colour, and personal meaning.
Hand Embroidered Rose Earrings Workshop
Lauren Weber
Learn how to stitch a sweet pair of floral earrings in this step-by-step embroidery workshop. This beginner-friendly project is perfect for making unique handmade jewelry you can wear, gift, or adapt into pendants and other fiber art accessories.
Wear It Again: Creative Repair with Decorative Stitches
Isabel Wilder
In this workshop, we’ll repair a pair of pants by adding a gusset to let out the side seams, and then turn the alteration into a design feature! Instead of hiding the repair, we’ll decorate it in a fun, creative way that makes your garment unique.
Honey Folk Mini Button & Loop Pouch
Heidi Iverson
This pattern can be created as a patchwork or made using plain fabric and incorporating an embroidery motif. It’s fully lined and uses simple stitches along with a few skill-building techniques. This project is a quick sew and can be completed in a couple of hours.
A Trio of Woven Paper Note Cards
Helen Hiebert
Explore paper weaving as you create a unique trio of note cards. Cut found or purchased decorative papers into strips, weave them together in three different ways, and frame your weavings or send them to loved ones as gifts.
Garbage Garland and Other Garlands
Deborah Fisher
Learn to make fun and whimsical garlands out of the odds and ends you find around in your studio! Plus, garlands from fabric charm packs, spools of thread, and more!
Textured Snippet Rolls
Brooke Henry
Create a stitched snippet roll brimming with dimension and texture. With just scraps, thread, and simple stitches, you’ll follow your intuition to stitch together a layered piece that feels joyful to make and hold.
The Art of the Tiny Treasure: Create a Stitched Amulet Necklace
Kristin Peterson
Create a scrappy stitched amulet necklace with thoughtful choices in fabric, thread and sari ribbon.
Mini Improv Fiber Art Collage
Shannon Fraser
Explore colour, texture, and composition while embracing imperfection as part of the creative journey. No sewing experience required - just bring your curiosity and a willingness to experiment!
Cyanotype Printing on Fabric
Madge Evers
Magical and simple cyanotypes are a camera-less technique that results in graphic blue and white prints. Developed in 1842, we will use this alternative photographic process together with pressed plants to make beautiful botanical images on fabric.
Mindful Embroidered Mandalas
Donna Davies
Slow down and enjoy the calming rhythm of stitches with this mindful mandala embroidery project, designed to help you relax while creating something beautiful. Personalise it with fabric and threads from your own stash, in colours that make you happy.
Stitched Bird Brooches
Michelle Hamill
Make joyful felt bird brooches from scrap felt, left over thread, and scraps of fabric. I use simple stitches and let the process lead me so the little characters are different every time. Your bird face won’t look like mine, and that is perfect - it’s your stitching, let yourself follow your joy.
Feeling Stabby, Finding Calm: Stitch the Gentle Gourd
Nichole Vogelsinger
Settle in with soft fibers, gentle stitches and a touch of whimsy. This workshop invites you to slow down, enjoy the soothing rhythm of needle felting and bring to life a seasonal-inspired gourd that glows with mindful making.
Hand-Stitched Red Poppies with 3D Elements
Darcy Hunter
Create this lovely floral artwork with 3D petals, using items from your stash! Practice your hand-stitching and embroidery to complete this project.
Paper in Motion: Create a Geometric Mobile
Paula Hartmann
Create your own geometric paper mobile in this beginner-friendly workshop! Using only paper, you’ll craft a diamond-shaped mobile that sways beautifully in the breeze, with endless options to personalize colours and shapes.
Geometric Photo Embroidery
Clarissa Grandi
Learn how to hand-stitch beautiful geometric grid patterns onto your old postcards and photographs, to create personal keepsakes to treasure and meaningful gifts for loved ones.
The Hit and Miss Tradition
Deanne Fitzpatrick
Learn how to hook rugs with acclaimed rug hooker, Deanne Fitzpatrick. In this fun and informative workshop you will be creating sweet "Hit & Miss" coasters.
Animated, Mechanical Cards
Kelli Anderson
Just in time for the holidays, or to attend a local protest! We will make performative and entertaining animated paper cards, with the option of taking it a step farther and scaling them up into an animating sign.
Stitched Creatures
Amanda Trought
From Scraps to treasures, making stitched figures using scrap fabric, beads and slow stitching to embellish on canvas.
Macrame Butterfly Workshop
String Theories Fiber Design
Learn the Clove Hitch and Gathering Knots, then use them in a variety of patterns to create a 3D macrame Butterfly.
Embroidered Jeans
Kasia Jacquot
Learn to easily embroider your jeans and turn them into a luxury fashion garment of your very own.
Playful Studies in Shape and Stitch
Rebekah Johnston
This workshop invites you to explore the formal elements of design through stitch by limiting yourself to a single shape and discovering its many possibilities with fabric and thread. Together we will experiment with fabric manipulation, fill stitches, line, appliqué, and positive and negative space to see how one simple motif can be transformed in creative and playful ways.
Zen Clay and Stitched Mixed Media Mandala
Kira McCoy
Learn how to create your own silkscreen patterned clay tiles, simple painting and stitching on canvas, and create a mixed media piece of art for the wall.
Upcycled Denim Pouch with Sashiko-Inspired Stitching
Kate Ward
Dive into the world of Sashiko-inspired stitching with this project that's practical as well as pretty! We'll create a sweet pouch with pockets on either side, and we'll embellish it with the Ajisai Zashi, or Hydrangea Stitch, scaled to two different sizes to give us surprisingly different results!
"This is a great format to experience a wide variety of techniques
that you might not have tried or even thought of, and often if not directly related to your interests/projects...they can be tailored to things you are doing."
- Bobee M.
Do you remember how it feels to get lost in making something with your hands?
To create just for the joy of it
with no pressure, just you and the process?
"Thank you so much for the amazing Zen Online Retreat.
The timing was perfect for me and helped me deal with a stressful week. It provided me with so many ideas and encouraged me to make everyday. Thank you, I can’t wait to watch everything available on the [VIP] Pass and find pockets of creativity everyday."
- Rachel Irving
Reconnect with your inner artist...
Say "YES!" to your creative self
You don’t need years of experience, a studio full of supplies, or hours of free time to enjoy the benefits of a creative practice.
At Making Zen, you’ll be introduced to a curated lineup of inspiring artists, explore new techniques to spark your creativity, and deepen your skills - all from the comfort of home.
With gentle guidance, useful resources, and space to experiment, you’ll rediscover the calm that comes from making with your hands and the joy of finding peace in the process.
"It made me enthusiastic about stepping away from screens
and spending time every day being more creative without worrying about being 'good' or 'perfect'!"
- Lizzie L.
5 days. 30 expert artists.
Endless possibilities.
If you’ve been craving a slower, more intentional way of living and making, but didn’t know where to begin, this retreat is for you.
Whether you’re...
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Struggling to find time for your creative practice and ready to finally make space for art that nourishes your soul...
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Longing to deepen your skills and connect with intuitive, slow-making techniques like hand stitching, natural dyeing, or mindful mark-making...
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Tired of rushing through projects and ready to embrace the beauty of imperfection and process over perfection...
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Curious about learning from expert makers who can show you how to bring more intention into your creative life, without overwhelm...
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Craving a deeper connection to your hands, your materials, and the simple joy of making something with love and care...
You’re not alone, and you don’t have to do it all by yourself.
Whatever your reason, it’s time to come back to the heart of making: creating with intention, connecting with like-minded makers, and crafting a life that feels truly yours.
GET YOUR FREE TICKET!Hi, I'm Kate!
I’m a textile artist with a passion for the creative process, and I believe that everything around us holds the potential for a new artistic project - whether it's a scrap of fabric or an idea waiting to be stitched into existence. My home is a testament to this, filled with ongoing projects that are constantly evolving.
For years, I’ve been helping makers and artists explore the transformative power of textile art, not just as a craft, but as a path to mindfulness, self-expression, and personal growth. Through the Sashiko Stitch Club, I guide you in discovering how simple, meditative stitching can unlock your creativity and bring you a sense of calm.
This journey hasn’t been linear. Like so many others, I’ve faced challenges finding time for creativity amidst a busy life. I’ve had my moments of frustration and self-doubt, too. But I’ve also learned that slowing down to create can be incredibly nourishing, both for the hands and the heart.
That’s why I’m so excited to invite you to the Making Zen Online Retreat - a place where you can reconnect with your creativity, learn new skills, and join a community of like-minded makers who understand the joy and importance of slowing down to craft a life you love.
Whether you’re just starting out or looking to deepen your practice, I’m here to support you every step of the way.
Let’s make something beautiful, together.
"My second Zen retreat and I can't wait for the next!
I'm in awe of the quality of presenters.
Thank you Kate for making this retreat so enjoyable."
It was a great opportunity to be exposed to such a diverse group of artists and to learn from all of them at such a bargain price. I will definitely join again."
- Sharon Walker
Create with intention. Stitch with heart.
Making Zen isn’t just another stitching class to add to the calendar - it’s a gentle invitation to slow down, reconnect with your creativity, and rediscover the joy of making with your hands.
We know there’s no shortage of online classes, summits, and tutorials out there. But Making Zen was created with something different in mind: a soulful space for makers, artists, and curious creatives who want more than just another project on their to-do list. It’s for those who crave connection, calm, and a deeper relationship with their craft.
Whether you’re picking up a needle for the first time or have years of stitching experience, this retreat offers something for you. Each workshop is led by a professional textile artist and designed to guide you through thoughtful, step-by-step processes, with no pressure, and no perfectionism. Just playful exploration, inspiring ideas, and new techniques to try on your own terms.
Inside this online retreat, alongside loads of inspirational workshops, you’ll find:
💙 A welcoming community of like-minded makers
💙 Easy-to-follow lessons that meet you where you are
💙 Creative permission to try, play, and discover without fear
And the best part? You can do it all from your favourite cozy chair, stitching alongside artists as if they’re right there in your living room.
Because this isn’t just about thread and fabric.
It’s about making space for what matters and feeling more like yourself again.
Join us for the Making Zen Online Retreat; you belong here.
GET YOUR FREE TICKET
Thank you for your support!
A percentage of the profits from Making Zen are donated to Care International, a global confederation working to fight poverty and social injustice in the world, with a specific focus on the empowerment of women and girls.
