Honouring Two Centuries of Tradition
From the 12th to the 18th of September 2027, a small community of stitchers will gather in the Loire Valley to celebrate Au Ver à Soie and more than two centuries of French silk, colour, craftsmanship and creative heritage.
Created as a once-in-a-lifetime experience, this intimate event brings together Au Ver à Soie, exceptional embroidery artists and passionate stitchers from around the world for seven remarkable days of embroidery, history, friendship and French art de vivre.
This is far more than an embroidery retreat. It is a celebration of a story that began in Paris in 1820, and of the creativity that continues to carry that story forward today.
Why This Celebration Matters?
1820 - 2020
Au Ver à Soie reached its bicentenary in 2020, an extraordinary milestone for a family company whose name has become synonymous with French silk and embroidery.
The original plans to celebrate those 200 years were disrupted by the Covid pandemic, leaving an important chapter in the company's history without the celebration it deserved. For Nathalie Boucher-Bothorel, allowing such a milestone to pass quietly was never an option.
This event has therefore been conceived as a long-awaited celebration of Au Ver à Soie's remarkable heritage, not simply looking back at two centuries of craftsmanship, but celebrating the people, skills and creative spirit that continue to define the company today.
It is a chance to honour the past while creating something entirely new.
Four Exceptional Tutors. One Exclusive Design.
Creativity and heritage
At the creative heart of the event are four internationally respected embroidery artists:
Jenny Adin-Christie, Julie Romero, Alison Cole and Ekta Kaul.
Guests will be divided into small groups and rotate between the four tutors across four teaching days, experiencing a different artistic approach, technique and perspective with each class.
Each tutor will create one element of a specially commissioned commemorative embroidery, with the four individual designs coming together to form one complete work celebrating Au Ver à Soie.
The finished design is being created exclusively for this event and will not be reproduced, released as a commercial kit or made available after the retreat.
It is a project designed for one place, one gathering and one unrepeatable moment in the story of Au Ver à Soie.
The Loire Valley
A Place of Meaning and Inspiration
The Loire Valley was chosen not simply for its beauty, but for its personal significance.
For Nathalie Boucher-Bothorel and her family, this part of France is deeply connected to childhood, family life and many enduring memories. It is also home to Julie Romero, one of the four artists at the heart of the event, giving the region an even stronger creative connection to this celebration.
Bringing the event here creates a meaningful link between the story of Au Ver à Soie, the people shaping this special week and a landscape that has played an important part in their lives.
It is also a setting of rare beauty and significance for a celebration of French craftsmanship. The week will unfold between two remarkable historic venues: Château Royal de Blois, where our embroidery workshops will take place, and Château de Chambord, where we will gather for a special day of discovery and later return for our final gala dinner.
Together, the landscape, architecture, personal connections and creative heritage of the Loire Valley make it an especially fitting setting for a celebration of more than two centuries of French silk and embroidery.
Staying in the
Loire Valley
Three carefully selected four-star properties:
Auberge de la Caillère, Le Relais des Landes and Château de la Rozelle.
Each hotel has been chosen for its individual character, warm hospitality and peaceful setting, offering a comfortable and intimate way to experience the Loire Valley throughout the week.
Rather than placing everyone in a single large hotel, these smaller properties allow the accommodation to feel more personal and in keeping with the spirit of the event.
Each day, guests will come together for embroidery, shared meals and special experiences before returning in the evening to the calm, charm and relaxed atmosphere of the surrounding countryside.
The accommodation is designed to feel like part of the retreat itself — not simply somewhere to stay, but another way to enjoy the character of this beautiful region.