By Maggie Colpus, justhands-on.tv
Sentiments with Karen Crookes – 15 and 16 March 2025 – Horsley Estate
With most of our students taking the +Friday option for this weekend, we were fortunate to have access to Lecture Room 1 – our sewing room for the weekend – on Friday afternoon so students were able to set up their workstations ready for Saturday morning.
Karen, our tutor, was also able to set up her pop-up shop. Most ladies headed straight for the pop up shop and started to stroke the fabrics in the shop. You know what we are like with fabrics and threads!!!!!
As usual the staff at the Horsley Estate are some of the friendliest, helpful, and courteous people that you come across. Nothing is ever a problem, including portering everyone’s car contents from the car park to the sewing room.
Everyone loved the sewing room. It was bright and airy with good natural daylight and windows that opened. There is also easy access to some pretty areas to sit outside. Better still, it was next door to the Restaurant, the beverage station and opposite the bar and bathrooms. Convenient to the bedrooms too. What more could we all want?
All our meals were served buffet style, with a salad bar as well. There was something for everyone to enjoy.
What we didn’t know is that we would be sharing our weekend with a very large group (100+). However, our meal timings had been staggered so there was never a queue and food was regularly replenished.
After a good night’s sleep we were joined by the rest of the group who were arriving on Saturday morning.
Karen talked the ladies through the weekend and explained that she would be taking everyone through the weekend from there making the blocks, through to the embroidery and embellishment.
With tea/coffee in hand everyone started choosing, cutting and sewing their fabrics for their blocks with Karen on hand for guidance.
One of the ladies brought a suitcase full of a late family member’s shirts. Her aim was to make Sentiment cushions for the family. Karen spent time with her choosing fabrics.
Throughout the day Karen quietly visited everyone’s workstation to offer help as needed.
The class officially ended at 4 pm, but most stayed until dinner time making blocks. Karen stayed with the class even though she wasn’t teaching at that point, keeping an eye on the class whilst working on her own samples.
Of course, changing for dinner is an option on the weekends. Most went straight back to the sewing room after dinner – – some staying quite late chatting, exchanging information and sewing a few more blocks!! Last one locks up!!
On Sunday morning, everyone was up early for breakfast so Karen started the class a little earlier too.
During the day, the group assembled round a couple of workstations so Karen could show them various embroidery stitches and how to transfer individual designs onto their work, as well as several machine and hand sewing applique stiches.
Karen also showed the class how to make small fabric yo-yos, as well as other embellishment ideas. Karen was on hand to help anyone with the embroidery.
Before we knew it, it was the end of the weekend with many reluctant to leave.
Check out the pictures from the weekend in this post (below).
Karen is back at with us at the Horsley Estate on 21-22 September when she will be teaching Crazy Patchwork and Embroidery – click here for details.
Here’s what the students had to say about the Retreat:
Great to be able to set up workstation on a Friday afternoon. Very relaxed teaching environment and that Karen was happy for us to adapt class for cushion covers and other things. Brilliant weekend, thank you. Shame swimming pool was closed for maintenance next time!!
Loved the weekend. Very well looked after all weekend.
Very enjoyable weekend with no problems. Thank you.
Very good weekend with Karen who is an excellent teacher. Learnt a lot. Very happy with the hotel facilities and friendliness of all the staff.
Good hotel management = happy and friendly staff and it showed in every department – brilliant weekend, couldn’t fault anything, thank you.
Happy with the price of these weekends when you think of what’s included but can see some struggling – suggestion an easy payment plan could be very useful for some who are put off by the final price.
Lovely pop-up shop including just in fabrics – thank you Karen.
How to book a place at a retreat
Join us and escape for the weekend at one of our upcoming retreats – you’ll find full details here. For any questions, just click on the Contact Us button.
You can also pre-register your interest for any of our retreats. Just email retreats@justhands-on.tv.
Here’s what coming up:
Sashiko Quilt Block and Rice Bag with Sarah Soward and Terry Summerfield, 26-27 April 2025 at New Place Hotel, Shirrell Heath, Hampshire
Scrap Book Embroidery and Goldwork with Wendy Mansfield, 21-22 June 2025 at New Place Hotel, Shirrell Heath, Hampshire
Sewing Me Time: work on a special project or finish your UFOs, it’s your time, 21-22 June 2025 at New Place Hotel, Shirrell Heath, Hampshire
Crazy Patchwork and Embroidery with Karen Crookes, 20-21 September 2025 at DeVere Horsley Estates, East Horsley, Surrey
Christmas in October Stitching Weekend with Wendy Mansfield, 4-5 October 2025 at DeVere Horsley Estates, East Horsley, Surrey
Applique Techniques with Sarah Soward and Terry Summerfield, 25-26 October 2025 at New Place Hotel, Shirrell Heath, Hampshire
Sewing Me Time: work on a Christmas project or finish your UFOs, it’s your time, 8-9 November 2025 at DeVere Horsley Estates, East Horsley, Surrey
