Casa Julfa Presents…
Bug Clothing: One of a Kind Textiles
Thursday 16 July - Tuesday 21 July 2026
2595 euros per person (limited to 8 participants max )
It’s with great pleasure that we host Bug's inaugural retreat and invite you to develop your creativity whilst enjoying the delights of the french countryside to the fullest under the summer sun…
Drawing on Bugs anti-waste practice of creating one of a kind pieces from off cuts…
..lucky participants will create their own unique patchwork pieces from french linens and vintage fabrics that we will source together from local brocante´s, flea markets, the Casa Julfa archives and Bug´s personal collection of materials.
This retreat is open to anyone regardless of their experience working with textiles.
Those with little or no sewing experience will be supported to create simpler pieces such as quilted coasters, scrunchies, bread bags and patchwork wall hangings.
Those with more experience can make a pair of beautiful patchwork trousers, a simple dress or explore their own ideas under her gentle guidance.
The trip includes …
Accommodation: Private room/ apartment at either Casa Julfa or in the charming nearby bed and breakfast. All participants have use of the pool and gardens this property. (N.B: all rooms/apartments are ensuite except from two rooms that are available for a cheaper rate with the option to be selected from the down menu at the time of booking)
Workshops, materials and equipment: 24 hour access/ use of the studios at Casa Julfa and of course guidance and support tailored to the needs of the participants and the pieces that they wish to make.
Meals: Our time together starts with a welcome dinner and ends with closing dinner, in between we will savour the beautiful local produce that this region is so famous for through abundant picnic spreads and lovingly prepared meals against Casa Julfa’s frescoed walls. All meals are included except for three dinners in the middle of the trip, where we leave you to explore from a list of recommendations of the various charming restaurants in town or to cook in your apartment or in the kitchen at the Casa.
Additional experiences including: A visit to Spa at La Roche Posay & it´s healing mineral waters. Visits to local brocantes and flea markets. Wild swimming and country walks.
Transportation During our outings and of arrival pick up / departure drop off at Montmorillon train station. (If arriving before the trip start date and/or after the trip end date, please let us know in advance if you need assistance with hotels and transportation.)
Translation and general support for organising your trip and travel arrangements.
What´s not included: Flights and transport to Montmorillon, Travel insurance (obligatory) Spending money for antiques and flea markets!
This trip begins and ends in Montmorillon, France please see here for further information about travelling to the Casa.
Our schedule
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Arrivals from 12:00 - 18:00
Everyone will settle into their rooms/apartments and we will show you through all the spaces and places that you will call home for the week. We will then take you for a walk around town to get to know everywhere before heading for a Welcome Dinner at our local Guinguette (riverside music bar)
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After a leisurely breakfast around the pool we will leave for some local brocants and flea markets where you will be able to source textiles for your projects at very reasonable prices. After a lunch full of fresh local produce and a wild swim we will head back to Casa Julfa. We will begin to set up our workstations and you will be able to compliment your materials from the Casa Julfa stock whilst we begin roughly planning out ideas ready to begin our projects in full-swing the next day.
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After a hearty breakfast, we prepare to immerse ourselves into a full day of making using the materials we have collect. Bug will lead us each in our creative projects. So as not to disturb our creative flow, a buffet lunch will be available at the Casa so that we can continue in our flow at our own pace. In the afternoon we will take a break for a countrywalk where we collect flowers for experimenting with hapa zome (flower leaf dye - hammer printing). In the late afternoon we continue with our projects or take time to rest. In the evening, we make our own dinners or eat out at one of the local restaurants.
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After breakfast we will visit a nearby vide-grenier. Vide-grenier´s, literally translated as empty- attic are a sunday institution in the region and could be described as a mix of flea market / carboot sale and a village fair. There is homemade food, music and a lot of bargains to be had. Here we will search for more textiles to compliment our collections/ pieces as well as other pieces for mending. after a local traditional lunch, we return to the Casa where will continue our creative projects with Bug´s support before winding up to break for Dinner and then we will be lead in a mending circle with pieces we have brought with us or sourced in the morning.
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After breakfast we will have a few hours in the morning to finish our projects for those that wish. Late morning we will depart for a visit to the abbey of San Savin (unesco listed) with it´s fresco´s created from local natural pigments, then on to Angles-sur-l'Anglin (unesco listed and selected as one of the prettiest villages in France) where we will enjoy a cinematic picnic in the chateau ruins. After lunch we will continue to enjoy the healing waters at The Roche Possay (includes entrance fee which includes use of the pool filled with the healing mineral waters used in their products, as well as the hammam, sauna, jacuzzi and relaxation space. Relaxed and resourced we head back to the Casa for a final dinner and wrap-up.
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Final Breakfast - Departures before Midday
More about your hosts…
This workshop is led by Amy (Bug) Ward of Bug Clothing and supported by Casa Julfa founder Corinne Aivazian. Corinne has been wearing Bug clothes since 2018 - her only pair of trousers are a pair of Bug´s famous Magda Pants.
Bug and Corinne have many things in common, like being in charge of a small human, a hound and a business that is run through authenticity and intuition as opposed to traditional capitalist modalities. They have many friends and collaborators in common and are therefore delighted to be finally working together on this special offering.
Bug graduated from the University of East London in 2014 with a degree in pattern cutting and design. After a handful of internships and London Fashion Week experiences she realised she wanted a more intentional and less wasteful future in the world of making clothing.
Bug clothing was born out of that realisation, buying only natural materials from dead stock suppliers to produce items as and when and not to the seasonal fashion cycle. After a few years as an on-set and celebrity tailor Bug began focusing fully on the brand in 2019, turning away from working for brands who are big contributors in harming the planet and creating a pathway that allowed for flexibility whilst in the depths of mothering a small child.
Bug Clothing has always been small and as sustainably focused as can be and Bug is now turning her attention more towards one off pieces and one of a kind garments, making use of every last scrap.
