This year, I attended Crafty Sewing Camp, hosted by the wonderful team at Crafty Sew and So.
Freya and Sarah pull together this amazing event every year on the second weekend of August, creating a vibrant, welcoming space for sewing enthusiasts of all levels.
"5 out 5 stars for a must attend event for any passionate sewer!"
What follows is a day-to-day recollection of sewing camp - unforgettable moments, creative projects, and the new friendships that made the weekend so special.
4 weeks before Camp
I initially planned to head up to Crafty Sewing Camp with the simple intention of sewing, relaxing, and taking a well-deserved break from the business. However, just four weeks before the event, an email landed in my inbox—Freya and Sarah were still on the hunt for a fabric retailer for their pop-up marketplace. It was clear my services were needed. Without much hesitation, I signed up to bring my fabric shop along for the ride. With only a short month to get everything ready, the countdown began. Was I going to be ready in time? I was definitely feeling the pressure!
Days leading up to Leaving Day
Preparing for camp for the last few weeks, all while squeezing in a much-needed week off in Wales with the family. As lovely as that as, it meant that the week leading up to camp turned into a whirlwind of activity. My schedule was jam-packed, trying to juggle everything including my housekeeping job and managing the fabric shop. In the end, I had two full days to make all the finishing touches needed.
Image Above: Mocking up the stand in my living room, getting it ready for Sewing Camp. I disassembled my shelves from the stock room to build a smaller version to see how I would set it up at camp – saved a ton of time when I was setting up the real thing.
By the time the night before rolled around, I was still at it- working tirelessly into the early hours, finishing label barcodes and making last-minute preparations. It wasn't so much that I had left it to the last minute, I had just set my expectations for myself so high, I wanted everything to be perfect. At 2 a.m. I finally called it a night, exhausted but determined to make it the best first-in-person event.
Camp Day One
Friday - The Journey Begins
Google Maps optimistically suggested a 3-hour 12 minute drive from Highcliffe to Loughborough. The reality? A solid 5 hours and 10 minutes, with a couple of necessary toilet breaks thrown in. But let's rewind a bit.
The night before, I was so busy getting the shop ready that I hadn't prepared much of myself for camp. Packing was last minute and it's required to pre-cut your projects before arrival due to limited space. 9am on Friday morning (I was meant to leave at 8:30am) I sitting on my hallway floor cutting out my Selvedge Helene Shorts.
I didn't hit the road until 11:30, after a quick stop at Halfords for a phone mount and leisurely breakfast -don't judge me- of mac and cheese from Costa, I was finally on my way. The drive was uneventful, apart from my phone almost dying (thanks, Google Maps for draining more battery than my car could charge). The plan was too leave 8:30am and get there just after 12, giving myself plenty of time to set up the shop without overwhelm. Meanwhile, with the late departure I found myself driving through the gates past 4:30pm.
Image Above: The Main Hall, where you leave your camp chair so you can chill anytime with your flask of tea, eat lunch and browse the market place.
Upon arrival, I was warmly greeted by Peri, the perfect welcome committee at sewing camp. Despite my exhaustion from the drive, her cheerful reception instantly melted away my anxiety about attending alone, especially since my sewing buddy Gemma couldn't make it due to a last-minute illness.
After signing in, I was directed to my dorm room. At sewing camp, you’ve got a choice: go for the full camp-like experience with dorm accommodation or stay off-site if you prefer a bit more comfort. I chose the dorms—think bunk beds, communal showers, and all the quirks that come with a camp set-up. I tossed my stuff on the top bunk (always the top for me!) and head straight off the main hall to set up the shop.
The main hall is where the magic happens. This spacious, lively hub buzzes with activity throughout the weekend. The hall is where everyone mingles, eats and can browse the pop-up market place.
Image Above: The stand all set up with fabrics, sewing labels and fabric remnants.
Image Below: The stand covered with the posters I had made up to promote the shop.
It didn't take long before I had the fabric shop up and ready to sell. Although I stressed over it, I knew the time I took to make it look great would be worth it. I finished setting up the shelves, positioning the fabric, sewing labels and all the other goodies I took with me. With everything ready to go, I took a moment to soak in the atmosphere before heading to my designated sewing room—Sewing Room C, conveniently located closest to the hall.
The sewing rooms at camp are simple but functional—just four walls, tables, chairs, and lots of enthusiastic sewists. There’s something so calming about setting up your machine in a room full of like-minded people, all focused on their projects. On arrival day, the sewing rooms are open from 4-6pm, giving you just enough time to get your space set up before heading to dinner.
That evening, dinner was a hearty chilli and rice, catered by a local company. I opted for the vegan chilli, and let me tell you, it was delicious! I’m a fussy eater, so the fact that I’m raving about it says a lot. After dinner, we had a ‘get to know everyone’ session—a relaxed evening of chatting, browsing the swaps table (and the new wardrobe swaps rail), and soaking up the friendly vibes. The evening ended with a fun sewing trivia quiz. Our team didn’t win, but we blamed it on our small team size, haha!
After a long day, I was ready for bed. Little did I know, the dorm experience would be... eventful. Let's just say our room bonded over the lack of sleep, squeaky mattresses, hallway lights linked to kitchen lights and the inevitable noise from fire doors slamming as other campers move through the building. But hey it's part of the experience, right?
Day Two
Saturday - Sewing, Selling and Beach Fun
Despite the rough night, we dragged our tired bodies out of our bunks and headed for some much-needed coffee and breakfast. The sewing rooms opened at 9am, and they were buzzing with activity as everyone set up for a day of sewing. The sewing rooms stay open from 9am to 1pm before everyone breaks for lunch.
However as I bought the shop with me, my plan was a little different from everyone else's schedule. I gave myself until 11am to sew before I headed over to the hall to start selling.
My Sewing Projects: I brought two small projects and one large project to camp, thinking they would keep me busy for a while. However, I ended up finishing both small projects much faster than I anticipated.
First, I made a peg bag for Mum, as she had requested one after seeing the one I made for my Nan. It took me only 30 minutes to whip it up. Next, I moved on to an upcoming kit for the shop—the ice cream cosy. This cosy is perfect for any Ben & Jerry's ice cream tubs or anything of a similar size. I was particularly excited about this project since I was fine-tuning the pattern and working on getting the dimensions just right. However, it turned out a little too big, so I'll need to make some adjustments to the pattern. Even so, it was another quick and easy sew, and I found myself project-less just in time for my 11 a.m. deadline.
Image Below: A tester of the first Ice Cream Cosy Kit. Abi kindly bought me an ice cream tub on the lunch run so that I could test my ice cream. The pattern still requires some tweaking.
That left me with my big final project to work on for the rest of the weekend: the shorts I mentioned, which I had pre-cut on the hallway floor before I left.
11am and I'm off to the hall to open the shop. This was it, first in person selling and I was feeling ready. My first sale was to the wonderful Clare, who bought some handmade pin cushions. The POS system and barcode paid off-everything ran smoothly and it was thrilling to see people snapping up my sewing labels and fabric ID tape like it was going out of style.
Lunch at 1pm was a relaxed affair- sandwiches, fruit and snacks. After lunch, I headed back to the Sewing Room to start working on my Helene Shorts. It was blissful just to sew without any distractions. Though my seam ripper got more use than I'd like to admit.
The sewing rooms were open from 2-6pm, before we head back over to the hall for dinner and to get ready for the beach party. Dinner was again delicious, this evening we had Fish and Chips. Perfectly suited to the theme of the night.
Image Above: The finished 'Beach Dad' outfit for the beach themed party. Tropical Tee with shorts. White crew socks and Crocs and finished with a baseball cap.
Even though I hadn't finished my Helene Shorts that was originally intended to complete my beach themed outfit, I had a back up of retail shorts. The party was a blast! There was a candy floss machine, a beach backdrop for photos and a disco with great tunes! Some of the outfits were incredible, a lot of people put effort into their beach themed outfits. The YMCA got me on the dance floor, and before I knew it was 11:30pm. I was exhausted but happy and after a quick shower, I was out like a light.
Day Three
Sunday - Last Sewing Moments & Go Home Day
Early wake up call this morning, our room was certainly eventful this weekend. One of the ladies had a choking scare (but she was okay) We decided to start our day early, use the time to pack up and get our stuff ready for when we were to leave later on.
The sewing room was open again from 9am, by this point I had already packed my belongings in the car and said goodbye to the dorms. I headed back to the sewing rooms to try and work more on my shorts. The zipper had been giving me trouble, but after unstitching and restitching, I FINALLY got it right. By 11:10, my sewing machines were packed up, and I was heading back to the hall for some last minute selling. It was safe to say, I was much more organised and relaxed packing the car this time around.
I spent from 11am - 3pm selling in the main hall whilst the rest of the group continued sewing. We stopped for lunch again between 1 and 2 pm.
Above Image: Me wearing my tropical tee, the day after the beach party. I loved how the top went so well casually too!
After a successful weekend of sewing, I slowly started packing down the shop and joined the camp clean-up crew. At 3pm it was group photo time and time to say our final goodbyes to all the new friends made.
I continued to help the clean up crew once I finished packing away the shop back into the car, and left around 4:30 - which is what time I had estimated leaving, so it worked out perfectly. It was long drive home, but quicker this time. Arriving back at home around 8pm, it was the final push to unpack the car and destroy my living room whilst knowing I had to sort all out again tomorrow, to get it back into the stock/sewing room. (If you didn't know already, I run the business from the spare room)
Final Thoughts
Crafty Sewing Camp is a truly unique experience - and one that didn't break the bank! The sense of community, the creativity, and the shared passion for sewing make it a must-attend event for anyone who loves to sew. 5 out 5 stars for a must attend event for any passionate sewer! Whether you’re looking for a UK-based sewing retreat, a place to make new sewing friends, or simply a weekend away with your machine, this camp has it all.
Whilst the dorm experience was… interesting, but next year, I might book that Premier Inn down the road for a slightly more restful night! I still wouldn’t trade this weekend for anything—well, maybe just a few extra hours of sleep.
Top Tips for Attendees to Crafty Sew and So:
- Try to arrive just before 4pm to check in, unpack your bits and get into that sewing room early. Take advantage of that swift sewing time if you want to get lots of sewing done during the weekend.
- Staying in the dorms? bring yourself a single fitted bedsheet, light duvet and pillow to make it more comfortable for yourself. As it's Summer it was very hot, so if you run hot - light layers are a must!
- Showers are lovely and quiet the earlier you get up. Make sure you bring some shower slippers. There isn't much room to get changed, you'll have to get changed for privacy within small toilet cubicle. Make it easier for yourself with a shower bag of all your things.
- Bring lots of random projects pre-cut, don't just stop at one. You might yourself unmotivated to sew it when the time comes.
- Bring Cash if you're planning on buying from the market place - just in case. Internet is spotty and my POS system flaked a couple of times. It didn't affect anyone to badly, but when sewists had cash rather card, it made the whole thing less stressful.
