Not a single book, webinar or Youtube tutorial can ever replace a human connection: the energy of imparting knowledge, the excitement of receiving it, and those delightful ´a-ha!´ moments when an attentive teacher with one exact move or word reveals you the trick behind a seemingly undefeatable knot.
Now, imagine when learning face-to-face from an inspiring artist comes with a change of familiar surroundings and proximity to the Ocean; when you find yourself among people who share your passion; and when everything is thoughtfully organized and prepared so you can dive fully into the process.
This is what our Macrame Retreat is all about.
Let your mind slow down,
Let your eyes and body celebrate,
While you are tapping into your creative potential
One knot at a time.
the people
Your macrame instructor
Meet Fanny Zedenius, a Swedish macrame artist who began her journey back in 2014, before modern macramé had made its big comeback in Europe. Her extraordinary skills and creative ideas paired with original approach in sharing them quickly made her one of the most prominent macramé artists in northern Europe. In 2015, she began teaching macramé to an increasingly curious audience and went on to cater the fast-growing need for macramé supplies.
Tow years later, Fanny´s passion for macrame and for sharing her knowledge found their exit on the pages of her first book Macramé – the craft of creative knotting for your home which became the number one bestseller in different crafting categories on Amazon for several months straight. It has sold over 60.000 copies worldwide and has been translated into seven languages.
Your on-site Chef
Meet Joana Limão, the person with a very important, we´d say sacred mission for our retreat. Joana is our on-site chef, even though that is a rather boring way to describe this artist with outstanding cooking skills.
Joana´s path to her own project Please Consider restaurant sector is a wonderful example of a person following her passion and listening to her heart. From hectic tourism and restauration sector, she turned to recipe developing, menu consulting, food photography and blogging, all of which she sees as powerful media to share her broader vision that manifests slow, conscious living, full of love and gratitude.
Thus, Joana´s participation in the retreat is not only about spoiling us with thoughtful and delicious plates daily but inspiring us for something bigger.
During the Macrame Retreat, Fanny will not only go through dozens of technical aspects of macrame but also reveal her insights on something which is equally important to every creator: artistic integrity, finding own style and artistic voice.
Valeriya
Your Organizer & on-site Mama
Russian in her origins, has been living in Portugal for three years, and that's where her home is. At this stage, Valeriya is involved with longboard scene in Portugal and runs the project called Longboarding Days and Nights.
Valeriya went freelance last year to pursue her passions in longboarding, copywriting and translating as well as dedicate herself to organizing events and camps in Portugal. She strives to create fulfilling experiences where people connect, have fun, and grow together.
She will be your contact person online and take care of whichever it is that you may need during the retreat, Thus, on-site mama :)
.
A week of knots and fiber love
Macramé is an ancient craft that has made a major comeback over the last five years. With just your hands and some cord, you can create truly intricate and impressive art pieces. One of the reasons that macramé has stolen the hearts of so many people is that the practice of tying knots can be remarkably meditative and therapeutic. During our week together, we will be fully immersed in the magic of macramé with a great combination of tranquil crafting and extensive learning!
The workshop program is designed to ease you into your most creative self with six three-hour classes and access to plenty of quality materials. Your ambitions and skill level will be assessed to individualize the coaching before you begin learning every trick and secret to mastering macramé. You will learn how to plan your own projects, prepare your materials, use a variety of knots and techniques and ultimately find your own artistic style. During the retreat, you will create at least three macramé pieces including your own masterpiece and practice enough to become a skilled and confident knotter!
Who is this macrame retreat for?
Maybe you have already worked with macramé or perhaps it’s a new and exciting craft for you to explore – this week is for complete beginners and people with previous experience of macramé alike! Individualized coaching and guidance will make sure you get the most out of the experience whether you are planning on launching a macramé business or simply wish to join a week of tranquil and mindful crafting.
In other words, this retreat is for:
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Anyone who has always been attracted to the art of macrame but never gave it a try.
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Anyone who does macrame or any other crafts occasionally but would like to build a solid base and get more into the subject.
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Passionate macrame-makers in search of new knots, techniques, and fresh ideas! Perfect for those who want smth more and different but feels stagnated.
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Anyone who strives to make a living out of their hobby.
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Professional macrame-makers who need the time just for themselves to pause, get inspired and reset.
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Anyone whose work is connected with decor/interior design/event styling
macrame
workshops
week program
On the first day, we assess your current skill level (are you a beginner or do you have some prior experience with macramé?) and your ambitions for the retreat. We go through the basics of macramé: materials, tools, the most important knots and some useful tips for beginners such as calculating cord lengths.
We dive into practicing macramé by knotting beautiful
plant hangers. I will guide you as you make a basic
plant hanger or a more advanced plant hanger
design depending on your skill level.
On our second day we will dive deeper into the planning stage of macramé. We discuss different approaches to designing and I will guide you individually as you plan out and begin knotting a smaller macramé wall hanging.
Introduction
While macramé can look stunning and impressively intricate even though just one type of knot is used, it can be a thrilling boost to your creativity and inspiration by expanding your knot vocabulary and learn new techniques. On the third day you will learn more advanced knots
and ways to incorporate these into yourmacramé.
We will discuss artistic integrity and ways to find
your own personal style and artistic voice.
Macramé is a time-consuming craft, but at the same time extremely peaceful and meditative! You will spend the three final days of the retreat making your own macramé masterpiece. You begin by planning out your macramé and together we discuss your vision and ways to approach and achieve this vision.
Beginning your macramé masterpiece
Expanding your ‘knot vocabulary’
Continued knotting
&
Design improvements
As you continue working on your masterpiece, we will assess the progress and discuss any alterations or possible improvements to your design. The main objective of the day is to see your piece take form while allowing yourself to immerse completely into the knotting and find the peace and joy that macramé can bring.
Project planning
Finalizing your masterpiece
On the last day of the retreat, you will make the final adjustments to your design and finish up your masterpiece. As you work on the finishing touches I will individually consult you and evaluate your piece to see if there are any more details you can improve to perfect your design and express your personal style.k home.
´Living off your hobby´ Workshop
It´s not only what you do but also how you communicate it to the world that defines the success of your project. Captivating story-telling, interaction with the audience, eye-catchy visuals, unique style, and charisma - these are just a few of the factors that make an artist stand-out and be sought after amidst all the noise.
That said, we thought it would be crucial to speak about the branding of your project but from a personal perspective, like a case study. So Fanny will share some valuable insights she gained throughout the years of running Createaholic on vision, artistic identity, communication, styling, and much more. This workshop is also a perfect opportunity to pour out all the questions you may have that are not directly connected to macrame but with living by doing what you love.
Photo-portfolio of your works
Today, the quality of the product goes hand-in-hand with its visual presentation, especially if you make living with your creations and do it online. Professional photography allows to transmit all the beauty of the piece and create the desire to own it; it also adequately demonstrates your skills and competence when applying for the projects where the client has never seen your works before.
Having this demand for quality visuals in mind, we invited a professional photographer who will not only take decent pictures of the pieces you create during the retreat but also explain the key principles and give easy tips on photographing crafts so you can do it on your own once back home.
amar house
We will be staying in Amar, a spacious house with a garden and a host of terraces - all reserved just for us, so you can nestle comfily in any corner and macrame all day long! This traditional Portuguese villa, which dates back to 1933, was fully renovated and today is a fusion of tradition, modern simplicity and a touch of the coastal lifestyle. Amar, which by the way translates ´to love´ from Portuguese, is perfectly located in the center of the charming Ericeira, and just a short walk away from the beaches and world-class surf breaks.
Equipped
kitchen
Garden
Sunny terrace
Wifi
House reserved just for our group
P
On-street parking
FOOD
house
As we want that every element of the retreat calls for a more fulfilling life, food cannot be compromised and should be more than food. This is why we invited Joana Limão as our on-site chef to make sure what we eat isn't just delicious and aesthetically appealing but also carries the principles of conscious lifestyle.
Every meal will be carefully thought of and prepared with love while embracing sustainable and seasonal practices. Breakfasts will be packed with goodness from fresh fruit juices to homemade comforting dishes to start the day fully energized.
Dinners will be inspired by what nature has to offer and freshly made every day for our group, taking into consideration any food allergies but always avoiding refined ingredients and processed foods.
Some of Joana´s creations...
ACTIVITIES
The yin to our macrame yang is a fantastic program of activities to move, wind away, unfocus to the focus better, laugh and make the inner child happy! We will step into every day with a 1,5h yoga or meditation session that will help you relax but also keep your posture strong throughout macrame workshops.
Surely, not trying surfing in the Portuguese surf mecca would be a sin, just like skipping a SUP session with perfect views! The jewel in the crown after all these fun but nonetheless challenging activities? A full-body classic relaxation or Traditional Chinese massage by our experienced masseuse. Yes, you read it correctly!
Daily Yoga
Stand Up Paddle
Surf
Massage
ericeira
Ericeira was the first European surf destination to be awarded the World Surfing Reserve title in 2011. The award is a celebration of Ericeira´s beautiful beaches that include some of the best surf spots in the world.
Apart from being a relaxed surf town, this old fisherman’s village is known for its authentic Portuguese charm, breathtaking scenery, vibrant nightlife , and cozy restaurants - all at a doorstep from our house.
(vegan and other dietary options
available upon request)
Surf experience
Stand up Paddle session
1
1
Professional group photography & video
by Daniel Espirito Santo
+ 5 - 10 photos for your portfolio
1
1
Daily Yoga lessons
Full-body massage
Tour around Ericeira
and ...
Goody bag from Fanny
6
1
1
Yoga lessons
Stand up paddle on the river
Surf experience
Professional group photography & video
+ 5-10 shots of your works for personal portfolio!
1
full-body massage
prices
Not included: flights, travel insurance, and transfer from/to Lisbon
ROOM
TYPE
PRICE
single
1790 €
shared twin
1740€
triple
quad
1690 €
1640 €
LAST SPOT AVAILABLE
SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER TO STAY TUNED FOR ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY :)
5%
Discount if it´s
your second camp with us
12
Spots only
15 EUR from each booking
goes to PUSHING FORWARD.
With the money collected,
we will give longboard classes to those who
couldn´t afford it otherwise
*Not included: flights, travel insurance, transfers to/from Ericeira
**To book your spot, we require a non-refundable 30% deposit via a bank transfer or PayPal.
extra DETAILS
How to get to Ericeira
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By public transport
There is a steady and inexpensive connection by bus Lisboa -Ericeira. We will gladly send you all the necessary details upon request.
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Transfer from/to Lisbon airport
Once we gather the retreat group, we will create a WhatsApp chat to try to arrange one transfer for all.
1 - 4 persons - 65 EUR
5 - 8 persons - 85 EUR
Weather Conditions
As some activities such as surfing and SUP are dependent on weather conditions, they are never 100% guaranteed. It is very unlikely that throughout the week we won´t get an opportunity to run a session but if that´s the case, there will be arranged an alternative or you will receive a refund.