Professional Custom Bra-Making Retreat

The Black Swan, 21 High Street, Marton,
Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, DN21 5AH

24th to 26th October, 2025 – £395
7th to 9th November 2025 – £395

Near Gainsborough, Lincolnshire

Q – Do you find commercially-made bras don’t fit properly and are uncomfortable?

Q – Do you have a generous front and a narrow back, or maybe a wide back but a small ribcage so you can’t find something that suits your body-shape?

Q – Do you find that perhaps one or two elements of a ready-to-wear bra are fine, but other areas aren’t?

You are very definitely not alone! Many women struggle to find a bra that is supportive enough without digging in, making unsightly bulges, cutting into shoulders and generally being a pain to wear in more ways than one, without even giving the support and separation they’re looking for. 

You can always resort to having your bras custom made, but that’s very expensive and not always satisfactory either. 

The solution?? Easy – make your own!! 😊 

There are two basic elements to making your own custom bras –

1. Learning to measure yourself properly and accurately and
2. Using the right type of pattern and the right type of fabrics for the support you need – and that doesn’t necessarily mean uncomfortable underwires, although they can become totally unnoticeable if you know how to measure for them in the first place.

**This retreat is a little different from many others in that actually making a bra isn’t the total point of the weekend, although you will indeed make at least one. The focus is on learning new skills that you will be able to use on all the bras you make in the future that will really fit you!

We have our own ‘Retreat Suite’ of rooms, including a pleasant airy sewing room which is equipped with a display screen so everyone can easily see demonstrations from a working viewpoint. We also have our own bathroom and kitchen facilities. If you wish, you are free to continue work after dinner and until as late (or early!) as you like.

You will need to bring your own zig-zag sewing machine, fabric scissors, zipper foot for narrow bits and any other favourite sewing tools, but everything else is provided. Do bring a couple of neutral threads and a black if your machine is picky about the thread it uses and don’t forget spare needles. Each sewing station has its own adjustable LED light.

**Important – You will also need to bring a t-shirt or similar loose-ish fitting soft top.

If you have dietary requirements, please tell me before you book, so I can be sure we can meet your needs.

All meals are included in the retreat fee, as are Saturday and Sunday lunches. Tea and coffee are available whenever you need, but you do have to make it yourself! 

Every room has its own en-suite and there are 2 downstairs rooms for those who find stairs annoying – let me know when booking if you’d like one of those. The sewing suite is ground-floor too, so very accessible.

If you’d like to stay an extra night or two, maybe to arrive on Thursday or leave on Monday if you have a long drive, let me know and I’ll check availability with our host.

If you’d prefer to travel by train, we are happy to ferry you to and from the station, just ask.

Please aim to arrive no later than 2pm as we have a lot of measuring and fabric choosing to get through on Friday!

Friday

The fun starts here as you arrive at your weekend home-from-home… a beautifully refurbished, 4-star 18th century coaching inn with all the comforts you would expect. You’ll have time to settle into your own delightfully comfortable en-suite room which has all the anticipated little luxuries,  before an introductory get-together with me and your companions in the sewing room at 2pm.

You’ll be given your own copy of the professional basic bra patterns, which have all the features needed but which are easy to adapt and sew, making this an excellent springboard to any bra you want to make.

Then you can wallow in the plentiful stash of fabrics to choose from. All the outer, lining and specialist fabrics, elastics and hardware you need are supplied. As soon as you’re settled in, you’ll begin with learning how to measure yourself properly and accurately so we can hit the ground running in the morning.

After a superbly-cooked and substantial evening meal at around 6pm or so, you are welcome to continue working in the sewing room or to simply relax and chat there before bed.

Saturday

After an excellent breakfast, we can really start work on adapting your bra pattern. You’ll work at your own pace from around 9am with no pressure – I want your weekend to be fun and not stressful! We will walk through the techniques together and I will be there the whole time to answer questions and troubleshoot any tricky bits.

Refreshments are freely available all day and you can take a break whenever you wish. A light lunch (with homemade cake!!) is also provided and we’ll have a short break in the middle of the day.

The rest of the day will be similar to Friday – sewing, dinner at 6ish and more sewing if you wish to before bed. Do feel free to have a walk or just sit outside for a breather if the weather is kind.

Sunday

How can it be Sunday already??

Breakfast over, we’ll get back to work. You will need to allow a few minutes to pack and check out of your room, as it has to be made ready for Monday’s guests. Apart from that, it’s uninterrupted sewing (with refreshments and lunch breaks!) until your bra(s) is finished. We’ll be heading off for lunch at 12.30pm or so, but we have the sewing room for the rest of the day.  If you don’t quite get done, there’s absolutely no need to worry as you’ll easily be able to complete your bra at home with the instruction sheets to help you. If you finish earlier feel free to head home whenever you’re ready.

Amongst loads of other hints and tips, you’ll learn  –

• How to measure yourself properly
• Adapting the basic pattern to suit your measurements
• Which fabrics to use where
• How to use the more specialist fabrics and haberdashery
• How to fit elastics and hardware, including underwires
• Finishing touches
• Some suppliers of the specialist stuff

You’ll have handouts on all the techniques to take home.

And I hope you have a lot of fun and make new friends while you learn!! 

I never abandon my students at the end of the course so if you get stuck on anything at home, you are welcome to give me a shout on Messenger and we’ll sort out your problem together.

The not-so-small print

Book your place using the simple booking system below – just click on the retreat date and go from there. The fully inclusive price is £395.00. The deposit of £60 is non-refundable if you cancel but can, however, be credited towards a future retreat booked within the next 6 months. It is completely refundable if I or the venue cancel. In the event of inclement weather and as everyone will make the individual decision whether to attend or not, no refunds will be given but, again, another retreat can be chosen.

The balance of £335.00 is payable before the retreat date and an invoice will be emailed to you in good time. Once paid, the balance amount follows the same refund protocol as the deposit.

*Don’t worry that your booking confirmation may be headed Unicorn Studios –  it’s just the site that I’ve run my booking system from for years… it’s not a scam!! *