Chateau Dumas

Chateau Dumas, in the south of France has been offering unique weeklong workshops since 2005. Run by Lizzie Hulme and a team of friends and family, she provides an amazing experience to anyone that signs on. The workshops are different each season and I had the chance to attend a wonderful week of Shibori, indigo and woad dyeing with Jane Callender and Denice Lambert. The location is beyond wonderful. It’s everything you’d expect of a manor house in Provence. Each meal is exquisite and happens three times a day, not to mention tea time and cocktail hour. We dined at the large table in the front garden area of the chateau or on the side terrace. Each time I had to pinch myself. I felt like I was in a scene from a film. You know the ones where all these lovely people are enjoying food and wine together in the most perfect European setting and you say “I want to live like that”. Well I did for a week.

There are also some day trips, picnics and a swimming pool to break things up. But most importantly you go there to create. If the setting and the food alone don’t spoil you, add a wonderful learning experience with no distractions. It’s a true blessing to dedicate the time to a creative endeavor. We had lessons in a workroom above the carriage house where Jane showed us her own work and an abundance of stitching techniques. Outside in the “Faerie Circle”, a large clearing surrounded by trees, we had plenty of space for our dye vats, clothes lines and more instruction.

People come from all over and I’m happy to say I also made some dear friends, in addition to that I came back with a renewed spirit to MAKE. It was a luxury to be in a totally different and inspiring setting, let my brain just concentrate on creative problems and work them out, while being taken care of by a wonderful host and crew at the Chateau. I hope my photos do it all justice.