The Travel Stitch Journal: A Week in Thread in the South of France
Lot Valley, Southwest France | May 3–9, 2027
Artist Highlight
Elin Petronella is a Swedish artist, writer and mother of two who has spent nearly a decade at the forefront of modern hand embroidery. She has lived in seven countries, among them France, Portugal and Slovenia, and that wanderlust runs through her work. Her art has been commissioned by luxury houses including Hermès Paris and exhibited across Europe. Nearly 20,000 students have learned through her online embroidery academy, and more than half a million followers share in her practice today. She is the author of Mindful Embroidery (Macmillan), Embroidery Wanderlust and When Will You Get a Real Job? Her guiding belief: life is too short not to live it fully, creatively and on your own terms.
Insta: @petronella.art
website:
petronellaart.com
Retreat Highlights
Over the week, you'll learn to stitch words, turn a photo of a building into an embroidered design, and sketch with thread so it captures light and shape. Around a handful of friendly stitches, Elin teaches design and transfer, appliqué and slashing, and how to compose a page that tells a story.
Each day blends guided sessions, demonstrations, and one-on-one help, with open studio time to keep stitching. Whether you're picking up a needle for the first time or deepening an existing practice, you'll go home with something rare: a journal you made yourself, with your week in France stitched into its first pages and plenty of room to keep going.
- Daily workshops with Elin
- Exclusive private chateau estate not publically available
- Accommodations throughout the estate across the main chateau and three houses
- All Meals, aside from two during excursions; seasonal and prepared fresh daily
Retreat Outings
Inspiration for your journal is everywhere: at the château, in Cahors, and in Saint-Cirq-Lapopie.
- Morning at the Cahors market in Place Chapou, at the foot of the cathedral: local produce, walnuts, Rocamadour cheese, handmade goods and fresh flowers. The perfect page material.
- Guided tour of old Cahors in English: the Cathédrale Saint-Étienne, the winding medieval streets, and the iconic 14th-century Pont Valentré. Lunch in town, then a tasting of the region's famous Malbec, the "black wine" of Cahors.
- Explore Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France, perched high above the Lot River. Lunch with valley views, a guided walk through the cobbled lanes, and time to sketch, wander and browse the artisan workshops.
The Week at a Glance
Mon, May 3: Arrival, welcome apéritif and dinner
Tue, May 4: Make Your Journal · Stitched Words
Wed, May 5: Cahors market, guided tour, lunch in town, wine tasting
Thu, May 6: Capturing a Place · Saint-Cirq-Lapopie
Fri, May 7: Full studio day: Embroider a Building · Thread Sketching
Sat, May 8: Appliqué & Slashing · mini exhibition · farewell soirée
Sun, May 9: Breakfast and departure
Schedule subject to adjustments.
Retreat Package & Pricing
Single Occupancy Rooms Only:
- $4,200 - 4,600 USD: private bedroom with ensuite bathroom
- $4300 USD: private bedroomm shared with one other person
Maximum Participants: 13
Length: 6 nights / 7 days
Deposit: $1,500 at time of booking
Final Payment: 120 days from arrival
Retreat guarantee: once we reach the minimum number of participants, the retreat is guaranteed and dates and venue are confirmed. This happens no later than February 1, 2027. Please wait to book flights until then.
Deposit: a deposit of $1,500 is required to reserve your spot and becomes nonrefundable once the retreat is confirmed/guaranteed.
Balance Payment: The remaining balance will be due 120 days before the retreat start date. This final payment and the deposit is nonrefundable.
We required all travelers purchase travel insurance
What's Included
- Art workshops, demonstrations and individual instruction with Elin
- 6 nights of accommodation at a private château estate
- Exclusive use of the entire property: swimming pool, large spa, studio space, private gardens and terraces
- A gentle walk to the estate's vineyards, and a local wine tasting
- 6 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 6 dinners prepared fresh daily by a private chef, with wine at dinner
- Coffee, tea, water and snacks available throughout the day
- Arrival welcome with fresh juice, fruit and snacks
- Guided excursions to Cahors and Saint-Cirq-Lapopie with official English-speaking guides
- Full-time concierge onsite from arrival to departure, including all planned outings
- Private transportation throughout
- Roundtrip private transfers from/to Toulouse-Blagnac airport at prearranged times
- All local tourist taxes and fees
- Two Zoom meetings before the retreat, once it is guaranteed
- Private WhatsApp group
Not Included
- Airfare/transportation to Toulouse-Blagnac
- Travel insurance (required)
- Art supplies: a detailed supply list from Elin is sent three months before the retreat
- Two lunches in Cahors and Saint-Cirq-Lapopie
- Extra costs guests might incur on their own
The Property
Tucked into a quiet corner of the Quercy in southwest France, our home for the week is a private château estate with deep roots — a place that has belonged to the same family for generations. Its origins trace back to a fortified bastide and watchtower whose remains stood abandoned for centuries after the French Revolution, slowly reclaimed by weeds and brambles. Patiently restored, the château and old bastide have been brought back to life, and today the estate is a serene retreat of honey-colored stone, half-timbered façades, and gardens that open onto the rolling countryside.
Guests are accommodated across the château — home to six bedrooms — and four charming stone houses on the estate, each house with its own private terrace for morning coffee in the sun or a quiet moment with your needlework. Among the property's most enchanting features is a troglodyte house carved directly into the rock and finished in the medieval style — the kind of detail that makes this place feel like a story you've stepped into.
Set in the heart of vignoble country, the estate looks out over a patchwork of rolling countryside and distant vineyards — views best taken in from the terraces, coffee in hand, as the morning light moves across the hills. A gentle daily walk leads to the vines themselves, about twenty minutes away, where the family once produced their own organic wines.
Accessibility Note: Due to the historic nature of this property, accessibility is limited. Rooms are only accessible via stairs, and there is no elevator. If you have specific needs, please contact us before booking — we’ll do our best to assist.