Wearable Cartographies: Drawing with Thread in the South of France
Lot Valley, Southwest France | June 23–29, 2027
Map Your Week in Cloth: Textile Art & Wearable Mapmaking with Saskia Jordá
Join contemporary artist Saskia Jordá for a week at a private château in the French countryside, where you'll turn a garment of your own into a one-of-a-kind wearable work of art. You'll gather impressions of the places we visit, from the colors of the Cahors market to the stone lanes of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, and translate them into an abstract map stitched onto fabric: a personal record of landscape, memory and experience. Along the way you'll learn to draw with thread, stitch simple sashiko patterns, and layer color and texture with appliqué. Whether you're new to textile art or have years of experience, you're warmly welcome. Come for the inspiration, and leave wearing your week in France.
Photography: Jason Silverman, Scott Duerstock, Grey Shed Studio, Nader Abushhab, Claire A. Warden for SMoCA, Peter Bugg. Artwork © Saskia Jordá.
A Week to Recharge, Create & Connect
Step into a slower rhythm in the French countryside, where art, rest, and reflection blend seamlessly.
- Daily workshops with Saskia
- Stitch on the terraces, swim, or rest by the large pool
- Relax in a restored château in a tranquil setting with views
- Savor chef-prepared, seasonal meals with local wine at dinner
- Enjoy curated outings to Cahors market, a wine tasting, and Saint-Cirq-Lapopie
- Build meaningful connections with a small group of fellow makers
- Carve out space for solitude, reflection, and joy
Whether you're deep in a row of sashiko stitches or gazing at Lot Valley skies, you'll be held by beauty, community, and intention.
What to Expect
The week is built around one piece: a garment you bring from home, reshaped, layered, stitched and embellished until it becomes a map of your time in France. You'll practice each technique on small samples first, which you can keep as mini works of art or sew on as patches.
Saskia's workshop is rooted in curiosity and shared discovery. She teaches drawing and textiles, and she brings an artist's eye to both: you'll look closely at the landscape and at the structure of your garment, find the lines already there, and decide where your map begins. With a small group, there is time to exchange ideas together and for one-on-one guidance.
Throughout the week, you'll be guided to:
- Draw with thread, using a range of embroidery stitches
- Stitch simple sashiko patterns
- Add color and texture with appliqué and reverse appliqué
- Reshape fabric and change the structure of a garment
- Turn what you see and feel into an abstract map on cloth
- Design or alter a pocket, and make a removable accent with needle felting