Wearable Cartographies: Drawing with Thread in the South of France
Lot Valley, Southwest France | June 23–29, 2027
Artist Highlight
Saskia Jordá is an interdisciplinary artist and educator based in Phoenix, Arizona. Her work moves between site-specific installations, soft sculptures, textiles and drawings, and explores the relationship between body and space, cultural identity, and mapping a sense of place. She has exhibited widely in the United States and internationally, including at the Phoenix Art Museum, and represented Arizona in New Worlds: Women to Watch 2024 at the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. She is a recipient of an "Artists to Work" grant from the City of Phoenix Arts and Culture, and her work has been featured in Fiber Art Now and Southwest Contemporary. Saskia holds an MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York. Alongside her studio practice, she has taught drawing and textiles at the college level since 2012.
Insta: @saskiajorda
Website: saskiajorda.com
Retreat Highlights
Spend a week immersed in the landscapes of the château and the Lot Valley, letting their colors, textures and shifting moods guide your creative practice. Through close observation, reflection and textile art, you'll gather impressions of the places you encounter and translate them into an abstract, one-of-a-kind wearable map.
Bring a garment of your choice and discover how fabric can be reshaped, layered, stitched and embellished. Through hands-on experimentation, you'll explore embroidery, sashiko and a variety of appliqué methods, making samples along the way and developing them into a piece that feels uniquely yours. Each day blends guided sessions, demonstrations and one-on-one help, with open studio time to keep stitching. On the last afternoon, we photograph the pieces, worn or staged around the grounds, and celebrate with a relaxed showing of everyone’s work.
- Daily workshops with Saskia
- Exclusive private château estate, not publicly available
- Accommodation across the main château and four stone houses
- All meals seasonal and prepared fresh daily, with wine at dinner
Photography: Jason Silverman, Scott Duerstock, Grey Shed Studio, Nader Abushhab, Claire A. Warden for SMoCA, Peter Bugg. Artwork © Saskia Jordá.
Retreat Outings
Inspiration for your map 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. Colors and textures to carry back to the studio.
- 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 an afternoon winery tour and 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
- Wed, June 23: Arrival, welcome apéritif and dinner
- Thu, June 24: Introductions · Drawing with Thread: embroidery stitches, reading your garment's "terrain," first samples
- Fri, June 25: Embellishing & Pattern: an introduction to sashiko · afternoon in Saint-Cirq-Lapopie
- Sat, June 26: Cahors market, guided tour, lunch in town, winery tour and tasting
- Sun, June 27: Full studio day: Embellishing & Fabric Manipulation: appliqué and reverse appliqué, pockets, removable accents
- Mon, June 28: Connecting & Sharing: finishing touches, photographing the pieces, a relaxed showing · farewell dinner
- Tue, June 29: Breakfast and departure
Schedule subject to adjustments.
Retreat Package & Pricing
From $5,000 to $5,600 USD per person, depending on your room. Book by January 31, 2027 to save $200 on any room with our early bird rate.
Premium Ensuite: $5,600 USD · early bird $5,400
Ensuite Room: $5,200 USD · early bird $5,000
Château Room, shared bathroom: $5,000 USD · early bird $4,800
Château Ensuite Eaves Room: $4,200 USD · early bird $4,000
When you book, please tell us about any dietary requirements or foods you don’t eat (for example duck, veal, beef, fish, seafood, dairy or gluten). Our caterer plans menus well in advance and cannot accept changes later.
Retreat guarantee: once we reach the minimum number of participants, the retreat is guaranteed and the dates and venue are confirmed. This happens no later than February 15, 2027. Please wait to book flights until then.
Deposit: a deposit of $1,500 reserves your place. Before the retreat is guaranteed, it is refundable less a $125 administrative fee, and in full if the retreat doesn’t go ahead. Once the retreat is guaranteed, it becomes nonrefundable.
Balance payment: the remaining balance is due February 23, 2027. Once the retreat is guaranteed, all payments are nonrefundable.
Travel insurance: we require all travelers to purchase travel insurance once the retreat is guaranteed.
Booking from Europe? You’re welcome to pay by SEPA bank transfer in euros instead of by card. Email us at connect@fleurdelysretreats.com with your preferred room, and we’ll send you our bank details and a payment reference. Your place is confirmed once your deposit arrives.
What's Included
- Art workshops, demonstrations and individual instruction with Saskia
- 6 nights of accommodation at a private château estate
- Exclusive use of the entire property: large swimming pool, large spa jacuzzi, sauna, studio space, 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)
- Your garment and art supplies: you bring a garment of your choice to transform, and a detailed supply list from Saskia 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.