Stitching Lake Como: A Creative Journey Through Italy
Create, explore, and slow‑stitch your travels with Kristin Williams on the shores of beautiful Lake Como
Dates: April 25-May 1, 2027
Duration: 7 days / 6 nights
Start: Milan, Italy
End: Lake Como, Italy
Sites: Milan, Varenna, Bellagio, Lenno, and more
Cost: $3595 double / twin occupancy, $4195 single private room
Max Class Size: 14
All prices are in US dollars. Land only. Program subject to change. Non-art particpant rate available.
Slow Stitching Workshop on Lake Como
Imagine exploring the timeless beauty of Lake Como with needle and thread in hand, capturing memories not in a sketchbook, but in fabric, stitches, paint, and treasured found objects. This immersive stitching workshop combines the pleasures of travel with the joy of creating — a unique way to experience one of Italy’s most inspiring landscapes through the eyes of an artist.
Our journey begins with an evening in Milan before we settle into the lakeside village of Varenna for five nights. Ferries and walking paths carry us to villages around the lake, gathering textures, colors, and small treasures along the way. In daily sessions, Kristin guides you in transforming those experiences into richly layered textile works using fabric, thread, paint, paper, and found objects — meaningful keepsakes made from the places you’ve been.
Kristin’s mixed media approach to fiber arts and embroidery opened up a wonderful creative adventure. Her stitching workshop has influenced my art journaling and other mixed media experiences. Incorporating traditional techniques with new textures and thought processes has enabled me to tell my story with textiles along with paints, inks, and all the mixed media! This is not your grandma’s needlework!
Slow Stitched Travel Journal Gallery
What to Expect
Stitched Mixed Media Art Workshop
Join us for a perfect blend of inspiring travel and art classes. Every day blends exploration with hands-on stitching sessions. During our adventures, you’ll gather visual inspiration and small treasures from the places we visit. During class time Kristin will guide you in transforming these experiences into richly layered textile artworks using fabric, thread, paint, paper, photographs, and found objects. Working both outdoors and in our informal studio space near the hotel, you’ll learn techniques that help translate the sights, sounds, and emotions of travel into meaningful stitched keepsakes.
Read on to know more.
Travel Sketching with Stitches
Think of this workshop as “urban sketching” with a needle and thread.
Travel stitching allows you to create anywhere—on a ferry crossing the lake, at a café overlooking the water, on a garden bench, or back at the hotel reflecting on the day’s discoveries. Instead of filling a journal with words and sketches, you’ll build a personal textile record of your journey, one stitch at a time.
Whether you’re an experienced embroiderer or someone who simply knows how to thread a needle, you’ll feel welcome here. This workshop is about curiosity, experimentation, and creative expression—not perfection. There are no rules about what the back of your work should look like, no pressure to stitch a certain way, and definitely no “Stitch Police.”
What You’ll Learn
Throughout the week, Kristin will share techniques designed to help you tell your travel story through textiles, including:
- Creative embroidery stitches and fresh variations on familiar favorites
- Techniques for incorporating found objects and meaningful mementos into your work
- Simple methods for translating what you see into stitchable designs
- Ways to combine embroidery with paint, paper, stencils, and photographs
- Color and composition strategies for creating visually engaging pieces
- Building layered textile elements that add depth and interest
- Finishing techniques and ideas for continuing your project once you return home
A Week of Inspiration
Lake Como has inspired artists, writers, and travelers for centuries. During this workshop, it becomes both our classroom and our muse. You’ll return home with new skills, lasting friendships, and a deeply personal piece of art that captures not only what you saw, but how it felt to experience this extraordinary corner of Italy.
Join Kristin for a week of creativity, exploration, and stitching in one of the world’s most beautiful destinations.
What You’ll Love
Stitching Workshop in Italy
1. Planning with Care
We take care of the details. You enjoy your vacation.
2. Small group classes
With a maximum class size of 14, expect quality time during art classes. Additionally, we travel places large tour groups can’t.
3. Movable studio
Develop skills and techniques to use whenever you travel. Specifically, learn to pack light, work efficiently, and create as you go.
4. Capture Your Experience
Immerse yourself in the beauty of Italy and return home with a soul-nourishing experience, newfound inspiration, and a stunning handmade journal filled with memories of your journey.
I have taken several classes from Kristin, and each one has helped me grow as an artist. Her fiber arts and hand stitching classes, in particular, helped me step out of my comfort zone, where I learned new skills that I can carry forward into mixed media applications. As an instructor, Kristin is welcoming and quickly puts everyone at ease. Her classes are well organized, and she is adept at helping students of all experience levels excel. Kristin’s fun personality always shines through — she is a joy!
What’s Included
Mixed Media, Stitched Journal Workshop in Italy
- Kristin Williams’s Daily Workshop Sessions
- Assistance of your host / guide throughout the program
- 1 Night at our hotel in Milan
- 5 nights at select boutique hotel on Lake Como
- All hotel taxes and service fees
- Daily full buffet breakfast
- All transport per the itinerary (start Milan Hotel and end at Lake Como Hotel)
- Vintage street car trip to Piazza Duomo and gelato
- Transfer from Milan to Lake Como
- Orientation walk to get to know your neighborhood
- Lakeside aperitivo
- Ferry passage on Lake Como to visit neighboring villages per itinerary
- Admission to Villa Monastero
- Guided walk along the Lake Como Greenway
- Guided walk and admission to Villa Balbianello
- Optional cooking class
- Optional pre-night(s) at 4-star hotel near Milano Centrale
- Programs are subject to change.
Example Itinerary
Mixed Media Stitching Workshop in Italy
Actual daily schedule may differ
Day 1
Meet at our Milan hotel for a welcome gathering and overview of the week, then hop on a classic streetcar to Piazza Duomo for an evening stroll and first taste of Italy.
Day 2
Enjoy a morning stitching session with Kristin before taking the train to Varenna. Check into our family‑run lakefront hotel, visit Villa Monastero, and gather for a welcome dinner.
Day 3
Ferry to Bellagio for an orientation walk and free time to explore. Return to Varenna for an afternoon mixed‑media stitching session by the lake.
Day 4
Cross the lake to Lenno for a guided walk to Villa Balbianello and time to enjoy its iconic gardens—perhaps even some peaceful stitching—before returning to Varenna by ferry.
Day 5
Today will be a day to spend as you wish. After class you can continue developing your slow stitched pieces inspired by the beauty of beautiful Lake Como.
Day 6
Begin with a final stitching class, then walk a scenic stretch of the Lake Como Greenway to a lakeside trattoria for our farewell lunch. Back in Varenna, we’ll gather in the early evening for a special journal share and aperitivo.
Day 7
It’s time to say goodbye to new friends. No group activities are planned; depart whenever you wish. The hotel will hold your bags if your departure is after checkout.
Mixed Media Stitching Workshop in Italy
Create memories that last a lifetime.
Art Walk Memories
An art filled day on Lake Como.
Where in the World?
Italy has left a powerful mark on Western culture and cuisine while remaining utterly true to its traditions. Our art retreat in Italy will tour Italy’s northern regions. First, our small group spends one night in Milan for an orientation meeting and trip to Piazza Duomo. The following morning we transfer to the serene foothills of the Alps and stunning Lake Como for the remainder of the week.
Airport Information
Three international airports serve Milan: Malpensa, Linate, and Bergamo. Malpensa Airport (MXP) is the largest. It usually has the best connections for North American cities. Also, MXP is well connected to Milano Centrale Station by both train and airport busses. You may find information on how to get to Milan from the airport on our blog.
Linate Airport (LIN) is the closest airport to the city. It is located just 7km away from Milano Centrale. From LIN an airport bus can bring you directly to the station.
Bergamo Airport (BGY) is a great choice for anyone traveling on low cost, regional airlines. Specifically, Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air offer regular flights to and from Bergamo. Bergamo is also served by shuttles and public transport to Milan’s center.
For departure, Malpensa is located closer to Lake Como than Linate. From Como, Malpensa enjoys more frequent and better connections than Bergamo.
Generally speaking, you will find it most convenient and cost effective to fly in and out of Malpensa Airport.
Important Notes
Art Workshop in Italy
Deposits
Your place on a tour is secured once we have received and confirmed your deposit payment. Before the final payment date, a non-refundable deposit of $500 for walking vacations and $750 for art vacation workshops is required. After the final payment date, the entire tour amount must be received to hold a space on a program.
You may cancel for any reason up to 90 days prior to departure and your non-refundable deposit may be forwarded to a future tour. Any balance on your account will be returned. For complete details please see our Terms and Conditions.
Solo travelers and single supplements
For our guests who are traveling solo... for your comfort we offer private rooms. Whenever possible singles will be placed in the same room category as our double or twin rooms.
Twin / Double Rooms
Please be aware twin beds in Europe may have very little or no space between beds. Also, for double beds, instead of a king or queen mattress, double beds are often two adjoining twin mattresses secured together and made with double bedding.
Fitness
Walking is a part of this program. It is both a means of visiting locations and a way to immerse yourself in a place. Our scheduled walks are usually 1-2 hours long at a casual pace. Participants should be able to comfortably walk 2 miles in an hour. We provide a general description of our walks here. It is your responsibility to know your own physical and medical condition with respect to the advisability of participating in a chosen trip. Please be realistic about your physical abilities when booking an active walking vacation. We suggest you prepare by doing at least 1 hour of walking several times per week, and a longer walk at least once per week. Ideally, include walks with elevation change and stairs. (There are always stairs.) If you have compromised knees, hips, back this tour will be challenging and perhaps not appropriate.
As with any exercise program, we recommend you consult with your physician prior to your arrival regarding the suitability of a walking tour.
Some of our guests find trekking poles helpful on steep or uneven terrain. In Europe they are quite common. Before using them on a vacation, please practice at home. We strongly advise you get comfortable using trekking poles on familiar paths first.
For additional information on these topics and more, please see our FAQ page.
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