OVERVIEW

SAVOR * STITCH * FLOW

Join Sherri for a restorative Savor, Stitch & Flow retreat to soothe your soul and give yourself a little oxygen. In our private boutique villa you will be surrounded with breathtaking views, mesmerizing sunsets, and a wonderful sense of peace - the perfect setting to nurture yourself and your creative spirit. Savor, Stitch & Flow is a retreat that is designed uniquely for creatives with daily textile workshops or simply time to immerse yourself in a tranquil space for stitching within a community of other creative minds. We’ll enjoy la dolce vita together, with just the right dose of local cuisine, culture, creativity and wellness.

HOTEL

Located on the border of the regions of Tuscany and Umbria, Porsenna Hotel & Spa is a grand country house resort hotel amid the fields and rolling hills of the countryside and a short distance from Lake Chiusi and Lake Trasimeno. Our group will enjoy an exclusive stay and private book-out of the hotel during our week together. The hotel boasts spacious and salubrious guest rooms, the newly opened on-site Restaurant and an outdoor pool as well as massage rooms. Beautiful gardens surround the buildings with various areas for us to meet, conduct our creative “stitch” workshops, as well as stretch out in our daily yoga classes which will be offered to guests. Here, we are surrounded by historic and ancient Etruscan towns, hilltop villages, and storybook scenery. It gives us a perfect home base to explore the area on our day trips and see what this green heart of Italy has to offer.

SURROUNDING AREA / ACTIVITIES

Our day trips will allow us to experience the many unique landscapes and activities that this area has to offer. We will begin our week with a visit to the nearby Etruscan hilltop town of Chiusi where we’ll enjoy a walking tour and a stop for lunch. Later that day we’ll head to another beautiful village to a award-winning design hotel for an olive oil tasting, learning from an olive oil sommelier about the nuances and profiles of this elixir. And perhaps (as this will fall near harvest season) get to taste some of the brand new oil for the year. The next day we’ll venture a little further afield towards the Val d’orcia with the iconic rolling Sienese hills to a cheese farm in the area of Pienza where the famed pecorino cheese is made. Then we’ll pass by the hill town of Montepulciano and enjoy an Italian coffee tasting in one of the historic cafes. By the middle of the week we will recharge with spa treatments on site and some down time before heading out that evening to explore a beautiful Umbrian town and have a cozy dinner out.

We will also fit in a visit to the town of Cortona, famed from Under the Tuscan Sun, and find an artisan workshop in the area to learn from and see how some of the quality products and crafts in this area are produced. We’ll have time to enjoy some time in the town for shopping as well and a lunch. Then we’ll round out the week with a wine tasting visit and lunch - how can we be in this part of Italy without partaking in its sacred potion! Finally we’ll partake in a cooking class to prepare our final dinner together.

CUISINE

Healthful food is part of the retreat, drawing on the in-season harvests from the local area. Daily breakfast is prepared on-site and the itinerary includes most dinner and lunches as well, many incorporating a visit or experience in the nearby area. We've carefully chosen delicious and fresh meals from renowned restaurants and chefs that will give guests an expansive experience of the cuisine. Throughout the week we will get to sample several of the regional specialties like olive oil, coffee, wine, pecorino cheese, maybe some truffle or porcini if we are lucky! We'll relish in a range of local eateries, like cantinas, family osterias, and award-winning chefs and have hands-on experiences with an Italian cooking class.

YOUR HOSTS

SHERRI NOEL

Sherri is a published author, teacher and quilt pattern designer, best known for her Dear Daughter, Dear Son and Dear Diary quilt series, as well as her Scandinavian designs and whimsical style. She believes that quilting is a form of creative expression, often calling herself an 'emotional quilter' for quilting her positive thoughts and messages of life into textiles. She loves to add wool, pearl cotton and hand embroidery to her quilts for depth and texture while also discovering that hand-stitching is a therapeutic form of meditation. Designs by Sherri have been published in several books and magazines, and she enjoys sharing her talents with the sewing community. In addition to her creative career, as an adult, she discovered yoga and later became certified in yin-yoga and Thai-massage. She has combined her love of stitching, yoga, travel, and mindfulness into one Italy retreat that will bring peace to your senses (la pace dei sensi).

ERIN LEWIS

Erin is the founder of EAT.PRAY.MOVE and now calls Italy home. She loves to share this area with guests and finds that there is a yogic spirit of connection (to oneself, others, and the present moment) by traveling and experiencing new things. Besides carrying this practice throughout the week and allowing our senses to be heightening with our activities, meals, and time together, Erin will also offer a daily meditation and yoga class to help us relax and restore and reconnect. Classes are open to all levels, beginner to practiced.

* Participation in classes and activities is optional throughout the retreat. All levels welcome!

DETAILS / PRICING

• 7 days / 6 nights (Oct 1-7, 2023)

• Inclusive Retreat Price = $2,895 Single Room, ($150 discount per guest for sharing room. 3 shared rooms available)

• Deposit to hold space = $950

• Max # Guests = 16
  ** Final balance due 60 days before retreat start date.
  Read full cancellation policy in our Terms & Conditions.

INCLUDED*:

• Private villa accommodation (spacious bedrooms each with private bathrooms, linens)

• Daily Breakfast

• Selected Lunches & Dinners

• Welcome Aperitivo & Orientation Reception

• Transportation to/from day trips

• Daily yoga/meditation class

• Daily creative textiles workshop or dedicated time

• Stitching and Textile supplies

• Use of yoga mats

• Use of hotel amenities (pool, gardens, etc.)

• Regional Tastings - winery, olive oil, coffee, etc

• Olive Oil Tasting / Aperitivo

• Wine Tasting Lunch

• Italian Coffee demo at historic cafe

• Walking tour of Etruscan hilltop town, Chiusi

• Afternoon in Montepulciano

• Cheese farm visit and lunch near Pienza

• Visit and dinner to Umbrian town

• Artisan craft workshop and demo

• Visit to Cortona

• Italian cooking class

• Spa day at on-site spa with Treatment

• Taxes

* airfare not included
**activities may change based on weather or unforeseen circumstances such as weather, etc

TRAVEL:

• Located just outside of Chiusi, Tuscany, Italy

• AIRPORTS: Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO), Florence Peretola Airport (FLR). From both airports there are easy train connections to the station nearest the hotel. Full details on how to best arrive will be given to guests.

• TRAIN STATION: Chiusi/Chianciano Terme

• We can provide recommendations for a private driver or public transportation. Taxis are available at any time from Chiusi Station, and private cars are available for door-to-door service from airports.

SUGGESTED PACKING:

Besides the basic packing and travel needs, here are a few things to think about bringing with you.

• STITCHING & TEXTILE SUPPLIES, AND PROJECT JOURNAL ARE PROVIDED

• YOGA MATS & STRAPS ARE PROVIDED

• Bathing suit (on-site pool, spa)

• Yoga clothes

• Plug adaptors / converters

• Comfortable walking shoes