Macrame Retreat, Sevilla 2025
- Gemma Gilbert
- Jun 7
- 9 min read
Welcome back to my blog, where today I'll be diving deep into the enchanting world of the Isabella Strambio Macrame Retreat! I had the most amazing time in Spain, and the experiences I gathered during this retreat are truly worth sharing. From the breathtaking landscapes to the intricate art of macrame, every moment was filled with inspiration and creativity. So, grab yourself a cup of tea, perhaps your favorite herbal blend, and find a cozy nook to settle into, because I have a feeling this is going to be a long and engaging read that you won't want to miss!
As I reflect on my time at the retreat, I am reminded of the vibrant atmosphere that enveloped us. The location itself was nothing short of spectacular, nestled among the rolling hills and picturesque views that Spain is known for. The combination of natural beauty and artistic expression created a perfect backdrop for our macrame journey. We were surrounded by fellow enthusiasts, each with their own unique styles and stories, which added to the richness of the experience.
In addition to the macrame, we had ample time to connect with one another, sharing tips, ideas, and encouragement. The camaraderie among participants was heartwarming, as we all bonded over our shared love for macrame. Evening gatherings were filled with laughter and storytelling, creating lasting friendships that I cherish to this day. The sense of community fostered at the retreat made the experience even more special, as we all supported each other in our creative endeavors.
And let’s not forget about the local culture! Spain's rich heritage added another layer to our retreat experience. We had the owner of the villa cooking delicious local cuisine that tantalized our taste buds. Each meal was a celebration of flavors and traditional Spanish dishes, making every dining experience a memorable one.
As the retreat came to a close, I found myself reflecting on how much I had grown as a macrame artist and as an individual. The skills I acquired, the friendships I forged, and the memories I created are treasures that I will carry with me forever. I hope to share not only my experiences but also some tips and insights for those who might be interested in attending a macrame retreat in the future. So, stay tuned as I delve deeper into the specifics of what I learned and how you can embark on your own macrame journey!
The Location - La Siesta del Naranjo
Located an hour from Seville, La Siesta del Naranjo is nestled in the stunning Spanish countryside just outside the small town of Monesterio. It is a old farm house which has been restored and extended and it is cozy and welcoming. Inside the main house, you walk straight into the main dining area and kitchen, it is cool inside and beautifully decorated and a welcome area to sit in and escape the hotter hours. Just off the dining area is a laundry room and bathroom, then three of the bedrooms which each slept two people but I believe you can fit one more in at least one of the bedrooms.
Outside the bedroom is a large metal spiral staircase which made it feel like you were heading up into the stars! Once at the top you find another beautiful common area along with a hot tub. There is also a beautiful outside terrace area where we sat and watched the stars and listened to the frogs singing at night.
The other side of the kitchen/dining room is a beautiful room which the owner, Marina uses for yoga and other classes; we used this room for our morning mediation and journaling as well as the surprise creative class I'll speak about later.
The other side of the yoga room leads to the outside terrace which overlooks the pool, and this is where we spent the majority of our time making our macrame pieces.
Walking outside the front door of the casa you see steps in front of you leading up to a dining area where we had the majority of our evening meals. There are absolutely stunning views from there and it was a beautiful place to watch the sunset.
Over to the side is two pods which are additional bedrooms; I had one of these! It was comfortable but a little chilly at night.
Then you follow a track up the hill which lead to a casita where our retreat hosts slept.
The location is remote and peaceful. You feel like you're in the middle of nowhere, just surrounded by hills and nature. It's the perfect place to switch off from the real world and really immerse in the experience.
And one of my favourite things about the location, was the two absolutely adorable cats!
Our Host
Our host has to have her very own section because she is so wonderful and put together an absolute dream of a retreat for us all!
Isabella Strambio is a renowned macrame artist, having worked with some incredible brands, such as Louis Vuitton! She has created an amazing community of macrame artists who go to her for workshops, masterclasses, bootcamps and more. I have completed several of Isabella’s online courses and can certainly say that a lot of my skill and knowledge has been learnt from her. She has an amazing eye for design and creates the most incredible designs.
Also Isabella is such a warm, welcoming and friendly lady. She is compassionate and hyper aware of making sure everyone has their needs met. My life is richer for having her in it!
She created two beautiful projects for us to create during the retreat, one for beginners and one for intermediates. She also arranged all the lunches we ate plus the morning meditations, plus a surprise workshop. I don’t know how she did it all!
The work she put into this retreat was incredible. When we arrived we all had little gifts waiting for us, she arranged all the travel to and from the airport, there was tonnes of delicious and nutritious food for us to enjoy. It was such a treat.
To find out more about Isabella and her upcoming retreats, visit her website.
The Macrame Projects
I arrived later than the other ladies, and bless them, they all waiting so patiently for me to arrive before seeing the macrame projects we would be making during the retreat!
As soon as I arrived and introductions were made, they could wait no longer and Isabella finally revealed the two projects we would be making.
You’ll have to forgive the quality of the next photo as it was getting quite dark when the projects were revealed!
The beginner project was a macrame clutch bag. Once revealed there was a lot of oooo and ahhhs and much excitement.
The design was, of course, beautiful! A stunning small clutch bag with a daisy design on the front, the perfect summer accessory. The ladies making the bag were able to pick their own colours and they also made a strap for it.
Lotta and Kimberly were both new to macrame, but were both so enthralled with the project that they would take it to bed with them to carry on with it before sleeping!
Kimberly (@that’s me.kimberly) and Lotta (@prelovedlotta) working on their beautiful bags and showing off the end product! Photography by @lovingyellowphotography
Then we have the intermediate project… the macrame rug!
This project was designed as a macrame rug, but actually, most of us loved it so much as a wall hanging that we actually kept it like that!
An absolute stunning design, the pattern looks like petals falling down. Let me tell you, I could not wait to get started!
There were a few different variations we could try, and many of the ladies actually made their own tweaks to the design so that each one ended up looking different and individual.
A selection of pictures taken during the retreat by myself, @lovingyellowphotography and @losil77
The Run of the Day
Each morning started with breakfast in the communal dining area. We could get up when we wished and help ourselves to lots of lovely breakfast foods.
Then the first activity for the morning would be meditation and journaling. A beautiful peaceful hour or so writing down what we were grateful for and setting our intentions for the day.
After this, we would jump straight into macrame, mostly working out on the terrace over looking the pool. We were able to take breaks whenever we needed to, go for walks, have swims, it was very easygoing and laidback. However I think most of us were enjoying our macrame too much to think about doing anything else!
Then came lunch, which was always incredibly delicious and homemade by Isabella and Laura (@drawingknots) and centred around salads and breads and tortillas.
Once lunch was finished, we could then return back to our macrame or whatever we wanted to do. I made sure to make the most of the pool and got in every day.
There were a couple of funny stories from the pool actually. On the Sunday, myself and another lady Sarah were enjoying a lovely chat whilst swimming a few length when suddenly I could see something coming towards me. I thought it was a sponge but suddenly I realised it was actually a toad having a swim!! I screamed, and Sarah quickly came to the rescue, swum over and chucked it out the pool into the lavender bush! I actually managed to catch it on film so we laughed a lot when we watched it back.
Also on the Monday, Isabella arranged for a local professional photographer to come and take some pictures of us working and with our final pieces. The last picture taken was of us all sitting with our feet in the water! A few of us mentioned it would be lovely to get in, and before we knew it Sarah was in still fully clothed! We all quickly followed suit and we captured some of my favourite photos from the retreat! I love funny spontaneous moments like this!
Business Masterclass
On Saturday evening, we had a business masterclass with a gorgeous Nghi from @missknottie.macrame. I have followed Nghi since I first found macrame and always looked up to her and admired her. When I found out she was coming to the retreat, I was so excited! She has a stunning Instagram account so I would really recommend checking her out.
She spent time chatting to us all things You Tube and Instagram and answering any quiet rooms we had, plus shared lots of tips to help our businesses.
Surprise Creative Workshop
On Sunday afternoon, we were surprised and treated to a candle making workshop run by @kumerabrand where we all got to make our own candle and wardrobe hanging scent.
Such a lovely and excited surprise and the products we made were so beautiful. We could choose our own scents and the gentleman running the workshop helped us make decisions of which scents went well together. We also were able to decorate our wardrobe hanging scents with dried flowers.
It was so much fun! We were like children in a sweet shop. And I have to say the company who provided the workshop went all out for us with our own printed stationary which was such a special touch.
Surprise additional workshop
An extra additional workshop was held on the Monday, courtesy of @macrame.spaghetti
This is the company who provided the majority of the cord for our macrame work, and she actually sent some rhinestone cord so we could try it out and make a bracelet! It was a little tricky to use at first but eventually we all made something really cute, and how gorgeous is the cord!! Definitely bling, and I want to make more!
Evenings were spent eating delicious meals, drinking wine, watching the sun go down and chatting with all the lovely ladies. Then we would go to the upstairs terrace and continue chatting, or use the hot tub or if feeling very brave, dip in the pool.
There was just a constant sound of chatter, laughter and joy. It was honestly so wonderful. The connection we all made was instant and one that I hope will never end.
My my my, this has been the longest blog post I’ve ever written! If you’ve read all the way to the end I thank you so much! I felt that I really wanted to make sure I shared as much as I could so you could really share how incredible the experience was. I feel so lucky that I was able to attend this year and I definitely want to attend more.
The absolute highlight for everything though was the women I met. I feel emotional thinking about them now. It’s crazy how 10 complete strangers can connect so quickly and emotionally. But it’s because we were all on the same wavelength. Everyone had incredible stories to share and it was a honour to get to know them all. There’s something very important about women’s circles, they are powerful and a force to be reckoned with.
Magic happens when women come together, and I really hope you get to experience it one day.
So to Isabella, Laura, Lou, Kimberly, Lotta, Lorna, Frederique, Sarah, and Nghi, I love you all, and I am so glad to have experienced this retreat with you.
❤️
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