I had a wonderful stay and experience, and came home with a head (and heart) full of inspiration and ideas. Also the realisation that I do not have to rush! Waaah! Katie and Elwen are great teachers, I picked up so much! I must say I've eavesdropped quite a lot when you were explaining to the other students. I think the whole package was an ideal mix. We had lots of sewing time, but also enough downtime. The Grove is a very beautiful and inspiring place to stay - truly, what you have put together couldn't have been better. I would love to come back next year!

I cannot begin to express what a beautiful experience it was to attend this workshop. The company was so lovely, and the Grove was beyond my wildest dreams. Thank you for your willingness to work with a novice; Katie and Elwen are such talented, patient teachers, and you bring a lot of joy to your instruction. Because of you I feel empowered and inspired to continue sewing. I am so proud of my bag (it has already gotten a lot of action), and I can't wait to tackle the Florence dress.

I don't know if I can convey in words how much I loved my time there at Merchant & Mills and at The Grove. I'm sure I would be tempted to pile on with too many superlatives! So, I'll just say, it was the BEST and I'm hoping to be able to come again next year. Katie and Elwen were so patient with all of us, and I learned so much. Everyone at M&M was so pleasant and helpful and I loved all the shop dogs being there every day! The accommodations at The Grove were lovely and comfortable. Beautiful decor, linens, well-equipped kitchen, and the whole aesthetic of the house. As a group, we concluded that everything had been so well thought-out and considered.

From the moment we arrived on Monday to when we left you could not have made us feel more at home. No 4 The Grove was a delight, and we were just so comfortable there. Then came the sewing! The most patient and encouraging tutors, anyone who can work with me all week with fabric behaving like some sort of slippery snake and teach me how to cope with it. The lovely thing about the retreat is that I learnt so much about sewing from you all but also my fellow students. I have also made some wonderful new friends which has been an added bonus.

I absolutely loved everything about the retreat: the house, the lessons, the food, the great atmosphere and all the friendly people. For me personally this has given me a huge confidence boost in getting on with sewing at home.

I absolutely loved coming to the retreat. It’s a bubble of sewing happiness for me.

The shop and studio space are amazing and your tutoring extremely helpful. Seeing the other girls in their makes and doing their projects and of course all the delicious fabrics on display has only made me even more excited about sewing. The lunches and cake were so good and so was our ‘last supper!’

I really think it will end up being the highlight of my year, coming back into ordinary life is proving hard, I want to be back in Rye!

What an INCREDIBLE week, I loved every single minute! I'm still coming down from the joy and reflecting on so many details. You both utterly shine as we were nurtured and guided through the experience, with just the right amount of advice, help and humour. The perfect duo! Your gentle way of gliding in just at the right moment was uncanny! I learnt so much and felt in good hands the whole time. The lunches were sensational! The Merchant & Mills house is a truly beautiful and relaxing space, the attention to detail extraordinary.

My stay at Merchant & Mills was heaven, I enjoyed everything very much. Most of all, the classes and your help and patience. Also, of course, the joyful atmosphere you created and the many laughs we had. I am so happy and proud of my Landgate.

It was all such a special treat, so lovely to meet you and Elwen and the M&M team. The house, sewing tuition, lunches and huge cakes were all amazing. So nice to meet the other sewers too, what an interesting and diverse group.