May Craft: Sew a Makeup Bag

By Michelle Barry, Resident since 2018

Thismonth is a quick sewing project, a makeup bag. This was completed from start to finish in less than three hours. It is an easy, beginner project. The video is easy to follow. I love how they turned out.

Here is the link to the instructional video: https://tinyurl.com/bdemz9nj

I made some for friends and they really liked them.

Craft Retreats

I have met and made friends with the nicest people I meet at Craft Retreats.It is a great way to meet people with similar interests. People attend from all over the state and (depending on the retreat) from all over the world. Some focus on painting, others on hand sewing, embroidery, quilting, slow stitching and foraging. The food we enjoy at the retreats is usually local farm to table displays. Artists are curated to teach you their specialty. Some examples of Craft Retreats out there are held by the French General. They hold two trips in Vermont each year and many in France.

• The French General: https://www.frenchgeneral.com/

• There are many out there. Here are a sample:

• Curious House: https://www.curioushouse.net/courses

• Forage by Lisa Mattock: https://www.foragebylisamattock. com.au/

• Shiny Happy Art: https://www.shinyhappyartonline.com/

• Cathe Holden https://catheholden.com/events/

• Alisa Burke https://www.shopalisaburke.com/collections/ retreats-and-classes

I like the retreats that are held in other locations, because they usually tie in trips to the local shops, sites and experience the local specialities.

When I was in Vermont, attending the French General retreat, we spent a morning at a Sugar House where we learned how maple sap was extracted and then boiled and made into maple syrup and maple sugar.

I hope you have the chance to attend a retreat and meet the wonderful people that run them and attend them.

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