Exclusive Sewing Retreats with Bronwyn

River Rock Retreat, Sunshine Coast

10 acres of subtropical rainforest bushland to frolic through, an infinity pool in case we want to play at being mermaids, and a house so big it practically has its own postcode. That’s River Rock Retreat, our home base in the Sunshine Coast Hinterland for 7 magical days.

It’s tucked into the hills near Mount Ninderry, with sweeping views over the tree canopy that makes you forget the real world exists. We’ll enjoy golden hour from the balcony, watching the gorgeous sunset over the hinterland. It’s the kind of view that makes you want to down tools and just stare for a bit. This is our escape, even though civilisation is only a short drive away!

Inside, it’s home-away-from-home luxury. You get your own room with your own ensuite, a comfy little sanctuary to retreat to at the end of a big creative day. Coming with a friend or family member? Just let us know, and we can set you up in one of the rooms made for sharing, with your own bed and your own space to unwind.

We’ll have one big shared workshop room for the sewing, plus a covered outdoor area for the messier stuff like leather stamping and dyeing. And when it’s time to eat, all you have to do is sit down. Meals are entirely taken care of, tailored to whatever dietary needs you have, and served up while you gather around one big table together. Some nights that’s outdoors on the covered balcony soaking up the view, other nights it’s right where you’ve been sewing all day, machines tucked away and swapped out for something delicious.

Walking paths wind through native trees and rock pathways, perfect for a clear-your-head-and-stretch-your-body stroll between stitches. And rain won’t wreck our plans either. There are gorgeous indoor spaces on site we can use as a backup for the big photoshoot, so nothing’s left to chance.

River Rock is set up for exactly this kind of retreat, and their team is excited about what we’re doing here. It’s the perfect backdrop for a week of making, laughing, and coming home with a badass outfit you’re proud of.

And of course, plenty of room for us to frolic in our completed outfits with our new friends!

The “I’m a Badass, but I’m also a Princess”  Outfit

You’ll be making a gorgeous, flowy, fantasy-style shift dress with a dramatic sleeve, paired with your very own hand-tooled leather corset belt. Same silhouette for everyone, but the colour, fabric, and finishing touches are all yours to choose. By the end of the week, no two dresses in the room will look the same.

Never picked up a needle before? You’re exactly who this is for. The dress is built from simple shapes and gathering, no fiddly fitting, no complicated pattern pieces, so it comes together beautifully even on your very first go. And you won’t be figuring it out alone. I’ll be right there walking you through every step, one on one.

Been sewing costumes for years and worried you’ll be bored? Fair question, and here’s the honest answer. If you can whip up a bodice in your sleep, the dress itself might not push you. But there are 2 things worth showing up for anyway. First, the leatherworking. You’ll be hand-stamping and dyeing your own belt from scratch, and unless you’re already a leather nerd, that’s brand new territory. Second, and honestly the bigger draw: a full week where someone else does the planning, cooking, and organising, and you get to just create alongside a group of women who are just as obsessed with frolicking through the woods in a costume as you are! That’s hard to come by anywhere else.

For anyone who wants to push the design further, there’s room to play. Tweak the sleeves, adjust the train, make it as dramatic or as understated as you like. Your dress, your rules.

By Friday afternoon, you’ll be standing in the middle of a tropical rainforest in your own one-of-a-kind creation, camera focused on you, feeling like the badass main character!

Because you are.

The Escape from Reality…

This isn’t just a sewing week. It’s a full-on escape from your every-day life, sorted down to the last detail so all you have to do is show up and frolic! As one of our founding guests, here’s what’s included:

• A professional photoshoot: full costume, wig, props, the works. You’ll walk away with stunning, professionally touched-up images to remember your magical week away.
• A welcome gift bag: just for being one of the first ever to say yes to this thing. Founding member perks, because you took a leap on something brand new!
• A trip to Eumundi Markets: for a morning of wandering, browsing for little accessories to add to your outfit, and soaking up the Sunshine Coast with your new retreat sisters!
• Morning and evening extras: to round out your days. Mindful stretches to start things off, evening games and chillout sessions, and little walks through the surrounding rainforest whenever you need to stretch (because you’ve been hunched over your machine all morning!)
• All meals, drinks, and snacks: prepared by a real, qualified chef and tailored to your dietary needs, so you never have to think about food once.
• A week away from real life: with a group of women who get exactly why you’d want to wear a badass costume and frolic around a rainforest and love every second of it.
• A fully wearable outfit to take home: not a prop, not a “nice try,” a proper finished dress and leather belt you made with your own two hands, ready to wear whenever you want to feel like that badass princess again!

And the biggest inclusion of all? The people. This is a small group, made up of the ones brave enough to be the first. You’ll leave with new lasting friendships with women who just “get” it.

Go forth and frolic!