November 30th – December 4th 2026 – Stays Edition
***SOLD OUT***
The Corsetry Retreat - SOLD OUT
Tutors – Ruth Watkin and Emma Brackenbury
The Corsetry Retreat – Stays Edition will be held in Caer Beris Manor, a grade II listed building in Wales, UK.
The Corsetry Retreat, stays edition, includes a full schedule of workshops with experienced tutors, as well as time to relax in the historic surroundings, meet with like-minded people, and unwind in the manor’s hot tub and gardens or cosy up by an open fire.
Each day will be focussing on a different skillset.
• Day one will be pattern drafting using historical methods and creating the iconic shape of stays bespoke to your measurements.
• Day two will consist of toiling and fitting to ensure your stays fit you perfectly.
• Day three will focus on construction techniques where we will look at a range of methods from hand sewing to machine sewing and you can sample all the techniques you might want to use, or you can simply use the time to start constructing your stays.
Around the scheduled workshops Emma and Ruth will also be on hand to help troubleshoot your existing projects so please bring along your problem children if you’d like advice on what’s gone wrong (don’t worry they don’t judge).
Included in the price of your room will be a private bathroom, four evening meals, three days of workshops, two experienced tutors on hand for guidance throughout, and a swap table for the exchange of materials and embellishments.
In the evenings Ruth will be doing a talk on her research – be prepared to be totally blown away by her well referenced geekery with spreadsheets, pie charts and lots of pictures!
Emma will be doing a hand sewing around the fire workshop, where you can have a go at a few historical methods of hand sewing with a hot chocolate (pjs and fluffy slippers are totally encouraged.)
On the final evening we will have a finale dinner and an opportunity to dress up.
You’ll also have use of the hall’s hot tub and the communal areas for socialising.
In addition, we will provide all materials needed for the workshops including coutil, boning and busks, flossing threads and eyelets.
Prices and booking information
The price per person ranges from £650 (for triple occupancy of the family room) to £1,475 (for single occupancy of the Penthouse Suite).
We will need a non-refundable deposit of £200 per person to secure your room. If you are booking a room for double or triple occupancy, you will be prompted to enter the other occupant’s contact details during checkout after which we will provide a link for them to pay the additional deposit.
Please Note: Until we have the additional deposits for your room we will treat your booking as single occupancy. The remaining balance will be due 8 weeks before the event start date – 5th October 2026. A link to provide payment can be found here or in your receipt email.
Bursary
We are delighted to be able to offer a fully funded bursary position on this retreat due to the generosity of donations we have received.
If you would like to know more about eligibility and applications please click on the following button:
What To Bring
• Your own trusty, sewing machine (please contact us if you are coming from overseas)
• A basic sewing kit
• Additional fashion fabrics and embellishments if you’d like to use them
• Any fabrics, embellishments, or haberdashery for the swap table
• Swimwear and a dressing gown for the hot tub!
• Your lovely self of course
Closer to the event we will send you a detailed recommended packing list.
Catering
Our wonderful caterers are adept at providing delicious meals for all dietary requirements from coeliac to FODMAP. You will be asked to give us details of your requirements at sign-up. All catering listed below is included in the price of your room. We will provide a detailed menu close to the date of the event.
• Breakfasts – a buffet of toast, crumpets, cereal, fruit, milk, tea, and coffee will be provided so you can help yourselves.
• Lunch – a lunch incorporating leftovers plus other light bites will be available.
• Snacks – You are more than welcome to bring your own snacks for throughout the days, however, we will have a selection of fruit and other snacks.
• Alcohol – welcome drinks will be provided but beyond this please feel free to bring a drink for your evening meal (but no sewing after booze!)
Want to ask about booking, or just got a question?
Just drop us a message below and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.