It is time to schedule our 5th annual Yulia’s Women’s Spring Sewing Retreat.
This time our inspiration is bright and colorful African culture!
APRIL 16-19, 2026. Cable, WI
Lodging, food and instructions are included in the package.
3 night/4 day weekend, where we can focus on the following:
Traditional Hand Sewing with Yulia
We will learn the tradition of creating beautiful, sustainable and natural clothing (basic dress) with a protective cut in mind. We will use our own measurements without relying on the measuring tape or patterns. We will learn how to create folding or tying designs on our fabric using real botanical indigo, and how it was done historically. We will seal our desires and wishes in every stitch, using our hands and intentions. We will discuss how modern clothing went so far away from mindful and practical ways, and how to get it back to wholeness. After you wear your first dress for awhile, you will realize how comfortable, feminine, wise, full of energy it makes you feel. It is like an all day long spa for the body.
With concentrating on sewing, you should be able to finish or almost finish your dress by the end of the weekend. Even if you only know sewing basics, you will be able to catch on and create something beautiful.
The idea is that we will use African design cotton fabric to create a fun colorful dress by hand.
Yulia will have some smaller African fabric pieces that you can purchase for a small fee of you need a coordinating or accent cuff or gusset.
African Dance/Drums, head wraps and waist beads with De’Ja
De’Ja is our guest speaker. She is an American of West African descent. She is a student of African herbalism and village culture. She will be leading the group to dance the traditional KuKu dance of Guinea, which is performed by women in a circle alongside drums when they return to the village after completing their daily fishing and harvesting.
She will also teach how to make waist beads and how to wear head wraps, both are centuries-old forms of body adornment used to honor the seasons of womanhood, self love, femininity, and body awareness used for fashionable and practical purposes.
We will also create bracelets with antique African glass and bone beads.
We will have African drums and will have drumming and dancing sessions.
Spring cleanse with clay and herbs with Yulia
We will discuss the importance and benefits of spring cleanse for your body. We will learn about the spring herbs and their properties for our bodies and health.
African Cooking
Yulia will cook homemade natural meals (that are beneficial for all blood types), and will feature some African inspired recipes, flavors, spices, and herbs.
We will have African card games to have fun time and inspirational cards to seek introspective thoughts and inspirations.
Morning Critical Alignment Therapy
All levels are welcome, we will mostly be on the floor doing supportive exercises with our equipment.
Back related pain, sore muscles & feelings of stress often originate from a stiff and unstable spine.
Yulia B will be online to help you get rid of back-related pain and stress, using the Critical Alignment Yoga technique to develop strength, flexibility and ease, both in your body and mind.
About Yulia: she has been a student of yoga for over 10 years trying and exploring different styles and techniques and was inspired to teach others after discovering how powerful and transformational the practice of yoga can be.
She completed a 200H Yoga Alliance Certification with internationally known teacher Nico Luce. But she never stopped exploring until she was introduced to Critical Alignment Yoga by a friend of hers.
After her first CA class with the founder Gert van Leeuwen, she realised how powerful the CA method is. It was a real life changer. This first class sparked her curiosity to fully understand the CAY technique, and lead her to follow CA Yoga and Therapy Teacher Training. She became certified Critical Alignment Yoga & Therapy teacher.
Each participant can purchase and take home a booklet on their particular type of blood diet.
IMPORTANT DETAILS ABOUT THE RETREAT
We can host 9-10 people WITH LODGING. The sleeping arrangements are queen and twin beds plus pull out beds, with a couple of cots as options. 4 bedrooms/4 baths.
Please let us know of special health/food related needs, that you would like organizers to be aware of.
Lodging and sewing instructions are included. Choose NO LODGING if you are local, and just want to come for the day, and go home at night. Local people, if you are interested in a discount, please message Yulia to negotiate.
All the food and beverages are included in the cost. You are welcome to bring NEUTRAL snacks of almonds, walnuts, pecans, raisins, figs, dates, apples, pears, prunes, apricots, cranberries.
All the bedding and utensils, 2 fridges plus laundry are on site.
What to bring:
1. NEUTRAL snacks of your choice from the above list (otherwise food is included). Or ask Yulia if your snack idea is neutral for all the blood types.
2. Headlight to sew by, or clamp lamp.
3. Thread of corresponding color.
4. Washed African design FABRIC of your choice of 4-5 yards. If you are tall, go with longer yardage. Natural fibers are best (cotton). Washed AND dried on a hot setting.
I got my fabric here, anywhere else online or Etsy has some fun choices. If you want, you can get 2 difference kinds.
5. Notebook to write things down.
6. Slippers/comfortable warm clothing if the weather is cold.
7. Dresses/skirts for our women’s circles.
8. Sharp fabric scissors if you have one.
9. Yoga mat is important. Yoga clothes. If you fly, let us know you need an extra YOGA mat, we will provide it.
10. Your own tea cup/mug if you like so we can tell whose cup it is.
