Exciting news-CRAFT NAPA!

Whooop-

Something on my Wish List has happened-I will be teaching at an exciting new venture January 7-9, 2016, CRAFT NAPA. Registration is here and you’ll want to register soon if you are thinking about coming. Students were signing up even before the site was officially announced!

Pokey Bolton is the event’s founder.  Her concept focuses on high-end art retreats in various venues around the Napa valley. Topics will include quilting, sewing, fiber art, surface design, art journaling, and mixed media and will be paired with wine tastings at top wineries, savory cuisine from world-renowned chefs, gallery visits, and scenic walks for picture-taking and sketching. A complete description of each of the retreat’s workshops is here.

Pokey founded Quilting Arts magazine and also was formerly the creative force behind some of the fun events at the International Quilt Festival Shows in Houston, Chicago and Long Beach. She now lives in the Napa Valley and I am so excited to be a part of this new adventure.

CRAFT NAPA teachers include Carrie Bloomston, Jamie Fingal, Elizabeth St. Hilaire, Leslie Jenison, Lynn Krawczyk, Jane LaFazio, Judy Coates Perez, Melanie Testa and me. Bios for each teacher are here. Do you see why I’m so excited?

Early January is the perfect time to come to Napa and pretend it’s not winter! Pokey has secured a group of rooms at the Embassy Suites in Napa. That is peak season in Napa yet CRAFT NAPA rates are $139.00 Wednesday-Thursday and $169.00 Friday-Saturday. Rates normally run around $4-500/night in January so that a super deal.

If you’re not familiar with Embassy Suites, all the rooms include a 2-room suite with 2 double beds and a sleeper sofa, a mini kitchen, a true made-to-order breakfast, great indoor pool/spa and a happy hour. The location is fabulous, close to all that downtown Napa has to offer-world famous wineries and renowned restaurants.

The workshops will run Thurs-Sat from 9AM-noon and 2-5PM, allowing plenty of time to relax or explore during lunch. But there’s more. Pokey has some great evening events planned including:

A Thursday night Blend Your Own Vintage Competition and…

on Friday night an Artist’s Market where fabulous vendors will be offering their wares.

And I’ll be teaching all 3 days, offering my Intro to Fearless Free Motion Quilting, Fearless Free Motion Fills and Frills and Free Motion Stitching for Modern and Contemporary Stitching.  And you won’t have to lug your machine along either-the registration fee includes a Bernina machine.

On a personal note, I have long wanted to teach in a retreat setting. I have taught multiple days at Houston and the like, but not yet in a retreat setting. I am grateful to be teaching at the inaugural launch of this great venue.

And a Shameless Self-Promotion plug-come play with me! No matter what kind of medium you use, you probably have to quilt it at some point. Let me show you how you can confidently free motion quilt your own work with your own vision on your own domestic machine. I’m offering an Intro class, a fills class and a class for the Modern quilter and this is going to be fun!

To sum it up, here’s why you need to sign up for Craft Napa:

1.  It’s Napa. In January. Why not kickstart your creative new year with a trip to Napa to learn from world-renowned artists?
2. The beautiful accommodations are very reasonably priced, in the heart of Napa, close to restaurants and shopping.
3. There is an excellent choice of workshops ranging from quilting, journaling, and mixed media, to fiber art and more.
4. The teaching staff includes the best of teachers.
5.  The vibe of this retreat is unique-with a Napa backdrop there will be opportunities to enjoy all the Valley has to offer.
6.  Pokey knows how to throw a party! Every evening will have its own party: a Welcome Reception, a Make Your Own Vintage competition and an Artist’s Market.
7.  The venue will lend itself to impromptu gatherings to share ideas, mingle and get to know the teachers and fellow artists in a casual setting.
8.  This venue is like no other-classes are smaller, the setting bucolic, the teachers top-notch, the atmosphere is intimate.
9.  For classes that need machines, a Bernina will be provided-no need to lug your machine along!
10. I know several of the other teachers-this is going to be fun, encouraging and definitely inspiring. And I’ll bet it will be a little crazy fun at times!

The deadline to secure reservations at the Embassy Suites is Dec 7th. After that rates will rise to the $400-500/night range. And, the workshop you want might be filled by then. This is a high end, unique retreat-don’t miss out!