Black Cat Makerie Retreat Booklet Imaginative Embroidery
October 23 - 25, 2025
Black Cat Farm | Boulder, CO
Imaginative Embroidery with Adriana Torres
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome Pages 4 - 5
Venue Pages 6 - 7
Materials Pages 8 - 11
Daily Schedules Pages 12 - 15
Inspiration Pages 16 - 17
Notes Pages 18 - 21
Boulder Local Favorites Pages 22 - 23
Our Team Pages 24 - 25
The Warmest Welcome!
We’re so excited to gather with you in late October to ignite our imaginations with masterful embroiderer Adriana Torres. We can’t wait to share cozy, joy-filled days at Black Cat Farm—surrounded by autumn’s beauty and the rhythms of farm life.
Something special happens when we work with our hands. We find a slower pace, feel our feet on the ground, and begin to notice little things we might otherwise overlook. Drawing with thread and choosing colors you love is simple and magical all at once, inviting us to pay attention, to play, and find meaning in unexpected places. This retreat is designed to do just that. To make (imperfect!) things, to try something new, and to share the experience with a wonderful, supportive community. After all, the best kind of creative energy is contagious!
Inside this Retreat Booklet you’ll find everything you need to get ready for our time together. We’re always here for your questions or special requests, and we’ll do our very best to make them happen for you. We have just one ask of you, and that’s to leave the most important thing behind: your expectations. When we show up to an experience with a blank slate and beginner’s mind, without a preconceived idea for how it will be or how we’ll feel, we create space for delight, surprise, and maybe even a bit of magic to unfold.
Every retreat is its own unique experience, bringing together a beautiful mix of returning participants and brand new friends joining our Makerie family. The creative community we build together is one of the most cherished parts of it all, and we already can’t wait to create this with you and our own two hands.
We’re so happy you’re coming.
Ali, Eric & Jill
Venue
Black Cat Farm 9889 N 51st St Longmont, CO 80503
Parking
As you turn onto 51st Street, drive past the farm entrance and you will see the parking area on your left.
Take Home Kit Materials
Materials we’ll provide for you to keep
Printed Fabric with Alphabet
Hand-drawn Fabric with the Sweater Chair Outline
Embroidery Needles
Embroidery Hoop
Two Printed Booklets with the Stitches We'll Learn
Card Holders for Threads
Select Yarn and Threads
Shared Workshop Materials
Materials we’ll provide to use during the retreat
Yarn and Embroidery Threads
Scissors
Drawing Paper for Idea Sketching
2B Pencils
Erasers
Tracing Paper
Student-Supplied Materials
Optional materials for you to bring
Journal for Sketching and Note Taking Any Images to Inspire Your Personal Alphabet Letters or Sweater Chair Design Your Wonderful Imagination!
Gentle Movement & Breathing with Caitlin Rose Kenney
9:30 AM Morning Snack
9:45 AM - 12:30 PM
Begin with A Game to Inspire Your Sweater Chair Design
Stitches: Split Backstitch, Towel, Colcha
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Farm-to-Table Lunch
1:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Sweater Chair Stitching and Designing
Stitches: Twisted Buttonhole, Crow's Foot
3:15 PM Afternoon Snack
4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Optional Open Studio Time 6:00 PM
Black Cat Farmstead Dinner
Saturday, October 25th
9:00 AM
Morning Tea & Snack
9:15 AM - 10:00 AM
Black Cat Farm Inspiration Walk - Look for Leaves, Branches, Seeds, Etc.
10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Adriana to Share Images of her Process to Design Alphabets
Sketching Farm Finds into Letters
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Farm-to-Table Lunch
1:30 PM - 3:10 PM
Embroider a Word with the Stitches Learned 3:10 PM - 3:30 PM
Student Sharing, Wrap Up & Farewells
*schedule subject to slight changes
FOR THIS RETREAT AND BEYOND
ADRIANA’S CURRENT INSPIRATION
THE GENESIS EXHIBITION
DO HO SUH
TATE MODERN
LONDON
@DOHOSUHSTUDIO
Farm Life, Dress and Comfy Shoes, Gates and Doors
What a treat to be on a working farm! Depending on the weather, (which can be very unpredictable in Colorado) we may work and play outside so please plan to bring appropriate clothing for various conditions to keep you cozy and comfortable - warm hats, sun hats, jackets, scarves, fingerless mittens, etc. Wear comfortable shoes for walking around the farm, where there will be uneven surfaces and potential muddy spots. This is definitely a ‘no-heel’ zone. Being on a working farm, please be thoughtful about closing gates and doors you encounter. Thank you in advance.
Open Studio Time
On Friday, October 24th from 4:00 to 6:00 pm, you are welcome to cozy up in the barn and continue your creative work and play. There will not be an instructor present so this quiet time will be yours.
Farm Dinner Notes
For those of you joining us for dinner on Friday night, the evening begins at 6:00 pm on Friday evening. The dress is comfy and casual. Please note that other guests with reservations will be dining at the farm on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, but our group will be seated together. The barn/workshop space is reserved exclusively for us throughout the retreat.
Cell Phone Usage
We encourage you to use your phones as little as possible during workshop time so you can immerse yourself in the experience and be present to the learning. If you do bring your phone into the workshop place, please put it on silent mode and step out of the room when you need to make a phone call during class time.
Photography Release
We might have a photographer capturing parts of the weekend. Some of these images may appear in print publications, promotional videos, or other marketing purposes. If you opted out of being photographed during the registration process, please make sure to remind us upon arrival so we know not to include you in images or video footage. Thank you!
Social Media Sharing
If you share this experience on instagram, please tag our team at @themakerie, @blackcatboulder, @caitlinrosekenney and @soymigadepan so we can celebrate what you’re posting.
Local Boulder Favorites
BOUTIQUES
Cedar & Hyde
well-curated modern day mercantile with thoughtfully made women’s apparel and one-of-a-kind decor
Common Threads great women’s clothing consignment
Liberty Puzzles gorgeous locally made wooden puzzles with the most uniquely shaped puzzle pieces
Lula Faye Fiber
loveliest local yarn shop founded by my dear friend
Süti & Co. Scandinavian goods you can’t resist
The New Local beautiful collection of local art made by women and non-binary artists
Two Hands Paperie locally owned paper & creative goods haven
EATS
Avanti
upscale food court; amazing rooftop views Basta
wood-fired goodness; do not miss the campfire ice cream
Bramble & Hare
Black Cat’s sister restaurant; the coziest farm-to-table restaurant with an ever-changing exciting menu
Cozobi contemporary Mexican cuisine deeply rooted in tradition; try the sweet potatoes!
The Kitchen gorgeous seasonal American bistro; garlic fries for the win!
Local Boulder Favorites
COFFEE SHOPS
Boxcar Coffee Roasters
a sunny, energetic vibe with excellent lattes
Creature Comforts
sweetest cafe serving all day coffee, beer, & wine
Süti & Co.
the coziest cafe in town, this Scandinavian-style cafe makes the most beautiful desserts
Trident the very first cafe in Boulder and still going strong, attached to the loveliest small independent bookstore
Check out our Google map with these local Boulder favorite spots!
INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORES
Boulder Bookstore
dreamiest local institution in the heart of downtown; look for an author talk while you’re in town
Trident Booksellers
book lovers haven with new and used books emphasizing art, culture, poetry and spirituality
HIKES
Anemone
newly redone, this mildly challenging 3.4 mile loop takes you into the foothills
Bobolink
lovely, flat 2.4 mile out & back trail along a creek in east Boulder
Boulder Valley Ranch just north of Boulder, this 4 mile flat loop has majestic views
We very much look forward to sharing this special creative experience with you.
