Meaning Making Mothers' Retreats
Skillfully facilitated by Psychologist Dr Hillary McBride, and
Catherine Ford, Owner & Instructor of the Calgary Sewing School.
This retreat will be an opportunity to explore motherhood in ways that
undo aloneness, spark creativity, and build connection.
Welcome to Meaning Making.
Long before the myth of motherhood as a solitary and perfectionistic process emerged, there were circles of women who sat together in homes, community spaces, or gardens, to make. They knitted sweaters, wove household items, and quilted blankets to keep their families warm. Working with the materials of story, wisdom, humour, and tears, they also made new narratives, mended old ones, and pieced together connections with others to hold them in the places of motherhood which would otherwise be invisible, or alone.
This retreat will be an opportunity to remember the wisdom that lives deep in our blood memory, that when we make together, we ourselves are remade. Join 10-18 other women to make your very own version of the Clava Quilt. We will meet on Zoom in August to get to know each other, and offer some teaching around the role of quilting in navigating motherhood identity, as well as instruction on how to prepare your materials for our time together (including choosing fabric, beginning to cut your pieces out, etc).
Then, in September, we will meet together just outside of Calgary, Alberta in beautiful Springbank at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Together, we will learn about sewing and motherhood, reflect on our experiences and identity as mothers, and make something new, both with our quilts and between us as women. There will be the opportunity for 10 individuals to stay on site, with additional spaces available for those joining locally and sleeping at home, or participants finding alternate accommodations.
Who is this for
Mothers of any kind, at any stage. Mother through child loss? You are welcome. Mother through fostering? You are welcome. Mother with an empty nest? You are welcome. Mother of 8 children you birthed vaginally? You are welcome.
There will be sewing instruction and support for sewists at all levels. No matter what skills you come in with, you will learn something and improve your skill as you complete your project.
Note: Though beginners are welcome, this event will be more fun for you if you know how to sew a straight line, press fabric, use a quilting ruler and rotary cutter, pin, etc.
What is included
All meals and snacks, activities, professional sewing instruction, quilt pattern, sewing machine if needed, meditations, and group process/facilitation work led by a Registered Psychologist.
Option A (2 available): $1800, includes accommodation on site, private room. Contact us if you are coming with a friend and want to share a bed
Option B: (8 available) $1500, includes accommodation on site, shared bedroom, each person has their own bed.
Option C: (10 available) $999, stay at your own home or arrange your own accommodations
What is not included
Your fabric and notions
Travel to/from retreat location - YYC Calgary International Airport is a 40 minute drive away from the retreat venue.
Additional add-on activities like the famous Kananaskis Nordic Spa - an experience not to be missed!
Registration timeline and deposit:
A minimum $500 non-refundable deposit is required to guarantee your spot at the retreat. Upon receipt of your deposit we will contact you via email to share more retreat details, inquire about dietary preferences, etc.
You are welcome to pay for the retreat in full by selecting two tickets: the registration fee, and the bed/accommodation arrangement you'd like; this will complete your registration in full.
All attendees must make a prepayment of $500, and specific room and bed arrangements are booked separately on a first-come, first-served basis. Therefore, participants are encouraged to secure their desired room/bed arrangement as early as possible. When all on-site accommodations have been booked, out-of-town participants can contact meaningmakingretreats@gmail.com for assistance booking alternate accommodations.
All retreat payments must be completed prior to the online pre-retreat Zoom meeting in August. You will be sent a payment reminder in July if there is still payment outstanding.
No refunds will be given within 30 days of event start date.
