Thursday 30th July - Monday 3rd August 2026
St Clement's Retreat & Conference Centre, Galong
We’re thrilled to introduce our second Sew Clusion Retreat, specially designed for you to take a break, relax, and explore your creativity over four enjoyable nights.
The Tutors:
Lorena Uriarte
Is an award-winning quilt artist and teacher with over 20 years of experience in both modern and traditional quilting styles, working across hand and machine techniques. She is known for her intricate designs, love for colour, movement, and texture, as well as her passion for sustainability - often repurposing quilts into wearable art such as coats. An active member of the International Modern Quilt Guild Lorena teaches workshops locally and internationally, including events like Quiltcon, AQC & Quilt Symposium. Through her work, she celebrates the value of creativity and craft.
Rachael Daisy
Is an Australian quilter who makes colourful quilts with a twist.
A “kangaroo on a pogo stick” is how I describe myself as I jump around in styles but a common theme is the interpretation of traditional designs and techniques presented in fresh new ways. I use many 3D elements in my work such as Yoyos, Prairie Points, wool felt, appliqued and pieced denim, RicRac, vintage fabrics and commercial fabrics.
Rachael loves teaching workshops in person and via zoom, with the aim of inspiring quilters to be creative with different techniques and to prove that patchwork and quilting doesn’t always have rules.
The Location:
St. Clement's Retreat and Conference Centre is a historic venue situated in the beautiful Hilltops region of NSW, along Kalangan Rd in Galong. It’s approximately 3.5 hours from Sydney and 1.5 hours from Canberra, nestled on 800 acres of stunning landscapes, expansive gardens, and a serene, tranquil environment.
The Accommodation:
Most of the accommodation features rooms with ensuite bathrooms.
We have a limited number of single rooms with ensuite facilities, but plenty of rooms with two king single beds that also include ensuites, perfect for sharing with a sewing buddy to save on costs.
Additionally, we offer six single rooms with shared bathrooms. While the rooms are basic, they are clean and tidy. Be sure to book early if you’d like a private ensuite room, as these are likely to fill up quickly!
The Timetable:
Arrive after lunch on Thursday, July 30th, for a meet-and-greet with the teachers and organizers, followed by nibbles and champagne, a trunk show, and dinner. You’ll then have free time to socialise and work on your own projects.
On Friday and Saturday, participants will be divided into two groups. Group 1 will work with Lorena on Friday and then switch to Rachael on Saturday, while Group 2 will do the opposite. Teaching hours are from 9.30 AM to 4 PM each day, and you're encouraged to sew before and after the workshops, so make the most of your time! Departure is scheduled for after breakfast on Monday, August 3rd, until mid-morning.
Sunday will be a free sewing day — a chance to relax, unwind, and sew at your own pace. You’re welcome to continue working on your projects from either tutor, or bring along something of your own to stitch away on. It’s your day, so make it whatever you’d like it to be! 🧵✨
We will have optional extra activities daily which include block lotto, trivia, walks, general fun & games.
And to make your experience even more special, each participant will receive a surprise goody bag and care package upon arrival. We can’t wait for you to discover the thoughtful goodies waiting for you!
The Workshops
Lorena Uriarte
Join Lorena Uriarte for a day of playful exploration and stripe bending magic! With over two decades of quilting experience and a love of colour, movement and meticulous detail, Lorena is known for transforming simple fabrics into dynamic, eye catching compositions. Her stripey quilts in particular have a habit of surprising people and now she’s sharing the tricks behind them.
Spend a day bending stripes to your will! In this hands on workshop, you’ll explore just how far a simple (or complex) striped fabric can go. Through three engaging exercises, you’ll learn to fussy cut with intention and use a mix of machine piecing, appliqué and English paper piecing to coax stripes into movement, direction and unexpected secondary patterns.
As you play, you’ll discover how small shifts in placement create rhythm, illusion and delightful surprises. Your samples can become a handy sewing caddy or project pouch or you can keep building on the ideas to design your own stripe inspired masterpiece. And throughout the day, you’ll be guided and inspired by Lorena’s own quilts, where stripes step out of line and transform into something truly special.
Rachael Daisy
Nothing makes a person happier than having a happy heart.” Celebrate all your favourite fabrics with this happy scrappy heart quilt under Rachael's direction discover a quilt that uses a mix of easy hand applique and machine piecing.
'Groove Is In The Heart' has a fresh, modern, vintage feel with lots of dots, checks, small geometrics, flowery florals and a few novelty prints for a whimsical touch. So perfectly pretty and cosy, the way a heart quilt should be, but then some other colour themes that I can imagine would be..
-A Valentine’s Dream - classic reds on low volume fabrics.
-Pretty Liberty fabrics on contrasting solids.
-Civil War beauties on shirting backgrounds.
-Bright popping colours on black/white backgrounds.
-Black and white hearts on an aqua background.
-30’s prints or feed sacks always bring smiles
-A colourful mish-mash of all colours, sometimes the more you throw in the better it looks.
The heart blocks are made with machine pieced backgrounds and easy hand applique for the hearts using freezer paper applique to help achieve easy crisp curves.
The original quilt is 77in x 85in however the size can be adjusted by adding or subtracting rows.
The Meals:
Enjoy fresh, country-style meals with morning and afternoon tea on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, plus tea and coffee anytime.
BYO is welcome, but we’ll be kicking things off in style with bubbles, local wines, and nibbles on Thursday night. 🍾✨
We’d love you to join us each evening at 5pm in the kitchen just off the Castle teaching room for a relaxed catch-up before dinner. It’s a lovely way to unwind and connect after a big day of stitching!
Please remember to note any dietary requirements on your registration form so we can make sure everyone’s well looked after.
Pop up Shop:
Mandy Schiller from Fabric Sauce, a local girl from the beautiful Hilltops region, will be joining us at the retreat and bringing her delightful shop along! This is a fantastic opportunity to explore a curated selection of fabrics, tools, and supplies that Mandy has thoughtfully chosen for our attendees. Whether you’re looking for inspiration, unique materials for your projects, or just want to browse, her presence will enhance your retreat experience. Don’t miss the chance to shop and chat with Mandy about her favorite fabrics and the latest trends in quilting and sewing!
What to bring:
Sewing Machine & your general sewing machine supplies eg: thread, needles, bobbins, quarter inch foot.
Rotary Cutter & Board
Hand Sewing supplies - thread, needles, thimble, scissors.
Full detailed list will be provided to the retreat attendees as the retreat gets closer.
The Cost:
Own Room with an Ensuite. - $1550
Sharing an Ensuite room with a sewing buddy. - $1180 each person
Own Room with a Shared Bathroom. - Price $1300
A $500 deposit will be required to confirm your registration. The remaining balance can be paid in instalments, with the final payment due by 30th April 2026.
If by some reason you cannot make the retreat it is your responsibility to sell your place as the organiser's cannot be responsible for a change in circumstances.
Registration Details
If you’ve received an email offering you a place at the 2026 SewClusion Retreat, please click the link below to complete your registration form, including your dietary requirements.
2026 Waiting List
We already have registrations from last year's attendees, so places will be limited. Please add your name to our waiting list if you would like to be offered a place if a vacancy becomes available
Contact us
Have questions? Get in contact with the organisers Lorena & Mandy via email.
sewclusionretreat@gmail.com
