Retreats
Treat yourself to a
Sewing Retreat!
Join us for a cozy, fun sewing retreat in conjunction with Mission Springs Resort!
We accept groups of 4-10 people, so call your friends, choose your dates, and start planning your fantastic getaway!
You will stay in the Main House at Missions Spring Resort. It can accommodate 4-10 people. During the day, you will come sew here, at my lovely, Sewing School in the downtown Ashland. There’s even a view of the lake from my front windows!

STEP ONE
Choose Your Project
Choose between a variety of projects:
- Clothing: Simple, flattering Blouse; Cotton Bathrobe; EZ PJ pants
- Quilting: Tea Leaf wall quilt; Lakeside Patchwork Tote Bag
- Mix your skills with a Fish Collage!
- Accessories: Diva Wallet; Fun quick projects to fill in, such as, Bowl Cozies; Sewn Pottery; Cup Cozies; Fun Shoelaces; Reversible Placemats, Pinch Potholders, etc
- Bring your own projects: UFO’s (unfinished objects) are especially good for this.

STEP TWO
Pick your Date for the Retreat
We host our Sewing Retreats at Mission Springs Resort. They handle all of the registration, payment – everything!

Where is Mission Springs?
Nestled on the shores of Lake Superior’s Chequamegon Bay, and a stone’s throw from beautiful Bayfield and the Apostle Islands, the stunning setting and accommodations of Mission Springs leaves an indelible mark on all who visit.
The 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom Lake House is beautiful and comfy, located in a wooded setting, and offering a breathtaking view of Lake Superior.
How long is the retreat?
The retreats are three nights at Mission Springs lakeside house, in the company of good friends, learning and laughing and leaving a busy world behind.
How much is the retreat?
The total price of the retreat is $350 per person and includes the three-night stay.
Sewing class with Laura Wirkkala will begin daily at 10am and last approximately four hours. There will be a break for lunch.
There are sewing machines onsite, but you will need to bring your own basic sewing supplies.
You will be sent a detailed supply list after booking. Patterns and fabric costs are not included in the price.
We are accepting groups of a minimum of 4 and maximum of 10 people for each available date so find some friends and start looking forward to an amazing getaway!
Simple Blouse
This is a great pattern. It’s flattering to most figures. Easy to fit. No buttons or zippers.
No buttons or zippers. The sleeve is a raglan style, which flatters most figures. And it’s easier to attach than a set in a sleeve.
In this class, we can make a blouse from this pattern. You have a choice of sleeve style. The pattern comes in a wide range of sizes. You can see that on the back of the envelope.
I will show you how to:
- Prep the pattern (making sure you mark the right line or adjust the pattern to fit you before cutting out the fabric.
- Prepare the fabric for cutting.
- How to pin and some tips on using your scissors: your sewing is based on your cutting line, so we want to be precise.
- How to choose and apply your interfacing to the neckline facing
- How to sew and finish the seams
- How to adjust the elastic at the top of the sleeves so it fits you well.
- How to make minor adjustments as you sew.
- Plenty of tips and techniques to elevate your sewing skills
- People will ask you where you go your blouse, they will be so impressed.
I provide the pattern and interfacing. You purchase the fabric (according to your measurements, not your size. Retail sizing is very different than pattern sizes.). You will wash and dry your fabric ahead of class to preshrink it. And do not use any fabric softeners, as they will keep the fusible interfacing from adhering to the fabric. Suggested fabrics would be quilting cotton, cotton lawn, and chambray. If you are comfortable with sewing clothing, then you can consider a rayon challis.
Make sure you buy a quality, 100% polyester thread to match your fabric. It needs to blend, not stand out. Good quality thread brands are Gutermann, Mettler, and Wonderfil, which now make a quality, all-purpose polyester thread. Please do not buy cheap thread or cotton thread. They will fall apart in the wash.
You will need 1/4” elastic; I will provide that as part of the class.
The fee for pattern and elastic is $10
The Lakeside Tote
This is a beautiful patchwork tote bag, that can be used for many purposes.
This bag is a great way to combine fabrics. It’s a perfect size for so many things. Padded, with pockets, and a zippered top closure. You can carry a laptop and no one would know it’s in there.
I have taught this project for quite a few years, at least 14. Many people have made it. I’ve made it for gifts and more. My most recent one went to an auction to support the theatre group my niece has been a part of for a good number of years.
These bags take time to make. Someone who is right on top of things would be lucky to finish in 10 hours. I say to plan on 16 hours to complete it. If you do not choose to include the zipper panel on top, that can save time. But, having a zipper closure is so worth the extra hours it would take to make it.
I had a cutting die made, so we can cut all of your rectangles in one pass. We will talk about: use of color; piecing in an efficient way; pressing, and organizing your project. You will finish your project by the end of the retreat and can use it to carry items right away. If there is enough time, we could make a diva wallet to match. (That information is on another page.)
Cost of materials/zipper/my pattern =
- $15 Thermolam Plus $12/yard, I got it at a discount, needs 1 1/4 yds (maybe a little more when you consider the zipper opening and the handles) = $15
- $17 Shapeflex $7.50/yard Exterior/interior, and back of zipper panels, need 2 1/4 yds = $17
- $3 Decorative thread, Sulky Blendables, $9 per spool, optional
- $5 Jacket zipper for top, $5
- $2 Peltex for bottom panel, or corrugated plastic, $12/yd, need 5” x 15” = $1.70, I would charge $2
- $10 pattern
- Total with bringing your own fabrics = $55
Fabrics to purchase, Can use a layer cake, and get 10 blocks from each layer, you need approximately
Sides need 40 each = 80
Zipper panel needs 15
Handles need 6 x 4 = 24
Total blocks needed is 120 or more
Charm squares, you need minimum of 60
Layer cakes, each square makes 10 rectangles you need 12 squares, or if you use of 3/4 of each square in a stack.
Fat quarters, you want, at least, 8 different fabrics
Fat 1/8’s give you 12 rectangles, so you would need, at least, 10 of them
Bathrobe
This is an easy robe pattern, with sizes from kids to plus sized adults.
Using a basic robe pattern, we will make a robe out of quilting cotton or flannel. It’s preferable if we do not need to match plaids. You can do the robe out of one fabric, or add a contrast for the front band, belt and pockets. Since the pieces are simple and large, it’s a great way to use large prints and fun colors.
You will learn:
- Pattern prep, including any adjustments for your height and size
- Pattern layout and cutting (including pinning)
- Multiple sewing techniques that will have your sewing look professional
- If you are using quilting cotton, I can show you how to do French seams to finish them. (Even how to do French seams around curves and in seam pockets!)
- With flannel, it would be best to overcast the raw edges.
- I have gravity feed irons, so we will learn how to use them, and techniques that improve the outcome of your sewing.
- The plan is for you to finish your robe within 3 classes
You can see the photos in the slideshow above.
There are 2 pattern, which I have available. The first pattern is for larger sizes. The second is to accommodate smaller women.
Following the chart on the back of the envelope, purchase enough fabric for your size and preshrink it by washing it. Do not use any fabric softeners, as they will prevent the fusible interfacing (which I provide) from adhering to your front band. It’s best to use a high quality, 100% polyester thread for stitching. Cotton or other threads will fall apart after a 2-3 washings. Brands I recommend: Gutermann; Mettler; Wonderfil. These will be labeled, all purpose polyester thread.
Additional cost of $10 for pattern and interfacing.
I place all of the photos in the gallery below. If you click on a thumbnail, you can scroll through the photos and get full height pictures of them.
Tea Leaf Quilt
It gives the impression of a cathedral window quilt, but much much easier to do.
This is a fun project, using a technique you may not know. We can make a wall hanging, or a tote bag.
Additional fee for this project is $11 for the pattern, and if you need to buy batting from me, that is $12.
The original pattern will be included in the class fee ($11) We DO want to pay the designer, they are owed that much. And, we can jump off from there. I made my wall hanging quilt with 3.5” squares. We could do it with 5” charm squares, or layer cakes if we want. Fat quarters work well, too.
I do have an Accuquilt Studio cutter, so we will be able to get right to the fun of stitching and arranging the blocks.
We have a lovely quilt shop here in Ashland. It is called Quilt Elements. If you don’t feel you can pull what you need from your stash, they are located less than a block from my sewing school.
I will give you the materials list for doing the wall hanging, which is 31” square
- 5/8-3/4 yd of background fabric, that is the teal that is revealed in my wall hanging. 5/8 is almost exactly what you need, and that depends on how straight it is cut at the fabric store. You can do white, as they do in the tote. Or, you could do black for a different contrast. I did a color that contrast enough to show the shapes, but close to the printed fabric in the color wheel
- For the front squares, you want at least 8-10 different fabrics to make it interesting. A mix of fabrics in a similar color range. High contrast between the front fabrics doesn’t work well for the squares on top of the background. Use the photos for ideas. You can search for the pattern name, and see a variety of pictures of projects made, for ideas. You could use fat quarters
- 35” Square of batting. I have batting, or fusible fleece, on hand, whichever you choose for the project. You just pay me for what you use. Or, bring your own.
- 1/2 yd for a 3.5” border. If you want to miter the corners, I am a mitering expert!
- 1/4yd for inner border is plenty. I used black for mine.
- 1/3 yd, cut WOF for Binding
- 1 Yd Backing Fabric
- 1/4yd for hanging sleeve.
- High quality 100% polyester thread to match front fabrics.
- Neutral poly thread for piecing.
Diva Wallet
It’s the Diva Wallet. For this class, we can make the wallet within 2 days. It’s a beautiful wallet that will have people asking you, “Where did you get that?” It has 2 larger pockets for bills and such. 6 slots for cards. And, a zippered compartment for change. It’s a fun way to pick 3-4 fabrics you really like and put them together. I have all the interfacings, the zipper and the metal clasp frame at the class. You provide 100% polyester thread to match your fabrics.
Materials/frame/pattern cost additional $25
I was having trouble uploading photos into the slide show. So, I am trying a gallery of photos. You can click on the thumbnails to get the photos to expand.
Fish Collage
The in person workshops are a one-time, 4 hour session. You will get the fish made and fused to your background fabric. You can then take it home and do the hand stitching and finish it there. If you need more help. We can schedule a second meeting for those who want it.
The embroidery can be as simple as you want, or more elaborate. I will print up a guide to simple embroidery stitches. I can demonstrate those to you. And, we can meet a second class to embellish your fish. It would take about 2 hours to finish the fish with a backing and a string for hanging.
What do you need tor bring? Not much. I’ll have a bin of fabric scraps, but, I am asking people to bring in fabric scraps, quilting weight, or the weight of a dress shirt, if it’s not quilting cotton. And, cotton is the best fabric to use. Then, if we want, we can share and swap scraps for the fish.
What is included?
* Pattern, the original by Jane Haworth, and then my interpretation and method
* Paper-backed fusible
* Blue Background fabric
* Piece of batting
* A variety of embroidery floss and Pearl cotton if you want to take a bit to do your hand-sewn embellishments.
* Lots of fun and clear instructions. I can’t help myself, I often changed what a pattern tells you to do. Of course, it’s always for the better………”doncha” know?
* Bobbins the sewing school dog
* View of Chequamegon Bay (Lake Superior)
* Great sewing space
Cost of patterns, and supplies listed additional $25.
I’ve loaded a gallery of the photos from the slide show, below. Just click on a thumbnail to get the full sized photo.
Pajamas
These are a great way to enter making clothing. I have a way to make these very quickly. You can finish them in one class. Or, they can be to the point, in that time, where you can finish them at home.
You will find your size on the pattern, use your measurements as retail sizing is different than pattern sizes. For the PJ pants, you need your hip measurement, as the waist is cinched in by the elastic. We can adjust the length of the pants when we cut them out, or after they are done.
This is the pattern I will have available. If you are doing this class in conjunction with making the Bathrobe, you can use the PJ pant pattern that comes in the same envelope as the robe.
What you will learn:
- How to measure yourself. Make changes to the pattern to fit you better.
- How to prep your pattern and make changes to the pattern to fit you better
- How to layout and cut your pattern
- How to sew curves
- How to efficiently sew the PJ pants
- If wanting to use a drawstring, I will show you how to make buttonholes
- Pre-pressing the hems and casings before sewing the leg seams
- What I will teach you, is not in the pattern instructions. Do not do anything before the class, except prewashing your fabric.
This is a project that, on average, would be completed in one 4 hour class. Most of the photos I can find, of past students making PJ pants are the young people. But, I have had adults make them. In fact, I recently made a pair for my mom, and my sister, and forgot to photograph both of them!
That is an additional fee of $10 for the pattern, elastic, and drawstring ribbon, if needed. This would take about 4 hours.
BYOP, bring your own projects
Having time set aside to sew is a wonderful thing. And, knowing that you won’t have the usual daily distractions means that you can make great headway on those projects that haven’t gotten finished. It’s a great time to bring your UFO’s, UnFInished Objects.
The space at Laura’s Sewing School is roomy, and well appointed.
- 2 large, 5′ x 9′ cutting table
- 2 Gravity feed irons
- 1 large press
- An Accuquilt Studio Cutter with many cutting dies
- A Ditto Pattern Projection system
- Good quality Janome or Brother sewing machines, if you do not want to bring yours, check ahead to make sure there are enough available.
Should your group choose this option, Laura is available to help as needed. It is expected that you will already know how to work on your project, as having a group larger than 5 makes it hard to get to every person in a timely manner, if you are trying something new.