Handwork and Spiritual Insights

Saturday, January 17 - Monday, January 19
Facilitator(s): Martha Ross-Mockaitis, Vicky Curtiss
graphic for quilting retreat and sewing retreat in Wisconsin

Overview

Description
Sewers, quilters, weavers, and knitters often need to adapt as we create.  Perhaps we don’t have enough material, or need to rip out seams or rows, accept imperfections, or improvise a new design.  This retreat will provide blocks of time for retreatants to work on your own individual embroidery, quilting, sewing, or other handwork projects.  It will be interspersed with guided group reflection and journaling on the themes of moving from scarcity to abundance; self-forgiveness; embracing change; and trusting one’s own creativity. Please bring your own journal, and if needed, your own sewing machine or hand loom.

Dates and Details
Saturday, January 17 – Monday, January 19
This retreat begins on Saturday at 10:00am and ends on Monday at 4:00pm

Sustainer Cost: $625
Advocate Cost: $500
Partner Cost: $375
(all levels include overnight accommodations and 7 meals)

New for the 2025-2026 program year: We are offering a voluntary three-level registration fee structure for our sponsored retreats in order to support both accessibility and sustainability of our retreat ministry. For more information on our three-level registration fee structure, visit our Frequently Asked Questions page.

Registration Information
You may register and pay online by clicking the yellow “Register Here” button above, by calling the Registrar at (262) 898-2582 with a credit card number, or by mailing a check made out to Siena Retreat Center to 5637 Erie Street, Racine, WI 53402. Payment must be received to complete registration. Please see our FAQ page for our cancellation policies and other helpful information.

If cost remains a barrier even at the lowest level, you are invited to complete our Scholarship Request Form. While we cannot guarantee that all requests can be fully accommodated, and we do ask that you contribute a portion of the fee, we will do our best to assist as many participants as possible within our available resources.

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About the Facilitators

Martha Ross-MockaitisMartha Ross-Mockaitis

Martha Ross-Mockaitis has been quilting since high school. She studied studio art and K- 12 education at the College of Wooster, OH, completed a year of graduate school in art and education at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and taught art in Baraboo WI, all the while designing & making machine pieced quilts. Martha attended seminary, started her family and worked as a pastor as she took classes at quilt shops in Chicago’s suburbs and discovered quilt guilds in 2009. After retiring in 2014, she began to quilt in earnest. She also enjoys knitting, embroidery and sewing for  three adult sons and four grandchildren.

Vicky CurtissVicky Curtiss

Vicky Curtiss is the Program Director for Siena Retreat Center, which involves leading retreats, arranging for programs, and offering spiritual guidance. She has an M. Div. from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago and served the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) for forty years as an ordained clergy in the roles of pastor, spiritual director, and presbytery executive. She has also been the director of three faith-based non-profit organizations. Vicky has been trained as a spiritual director, SoulCollage® facilitator, labyrinth facilitator, grief support companion, and grief coach. Vicky has also been a consultant to many organizations for envisioning and discernment which she included in a booklet she authored called “Guidelines for Communal Discernment.” She began quilting in 2000.