Creative Retreat in Portugal
Alentejo, Portugal | October 5 - 11, 2026
Join us on a creative journey in Portugal, led by the Designers of Ruby Star Society.
Imagine a week where creativity isn’t scheduled between obligations–it is the sole focus of the day. Where you’re surrounded by artists who inspire you, landscapes that awaken your senses, and uninterrupted creative time that lets you truly explore what your hands and heart want to make.
For the first time ever, join the Designers of Ruby Star Society–Melody Miller, Sarah Watts, Jen Hewett, Rashida Coleman-Hale and Kim Kight–in a six-day, hands-on creative retreat in Portugal’s serene Alentejo region. You’ll move between sketching, collage, punch needle, and block printing–not as separate skills, but as interconnected pathways to understanding how you see, what excites you, and how your personal styles emerge through repetition and play.
Limited to a maximum of 36 guests, this unique experience brings together the playfulness of summer camp with the artistic focus of discovering, nurturing, and trusting your creative voice.
Each morning, we’ll start the day with a fireside chat with the Designers of Ruby Star Society. They’ll share their expertise and stories as individual artists and as a collective brand. We’ll have discussions about their approaches to color, pattern, artistic voice, and sustaining a creative life.
Then, each afternoon will feature a hands-on workshop where Melody, Sarah, Jen, Rashida, and Kim will teach their approach and favorite techniques, as they guide you in translating inspiration into artwork you can hold, wear, and carry home. After our daily workshops, you’ll have time to rest, relax, and breathe. You might take a dip in the pool, wander scenic nature trails, or simply sit under the shade of a tree with your sketchbook.
Come and experience this rare opportunity–an invitation to learn from the Designers of Ruby Star Society, a chance to immerse yourself in a creative community, and the space for your inspiration and creativity to flourish.
This Ace Camps Travel Creative Retreat is open to all skill levels and limited to a maximum 36 participants.
Trip Itinerary, Details and Important Notes below.
DATES
October 5 - October 11, 2026
7 Days + 6 Nights
PRICING
Shared Room - $5,395 USD
Private Room - $5,995 USD
Full Rooming + Pricing Details Below
CREATIVE RETREAT HIGHLIGHTS
Daily Fireside Chats with the Designers of Ruby Star Society, including:
The Creative Journey
Building Your Creative Voice
Color, Expression and Creative Process
Managing Creativity, Inspiration, and Burnout
“Ask Me Anything” question and answer session
Daily Hands-On Workshops with the Designers of Ruby Star Society, featuring
Botanical Drawing with Sarah Watts
Collage Inspired by Portuguese Packaging with Melody Miller
Block Printing with Jen Hewett
Punch Needle with Rashida-Coleman Hale and Kim Kight
All essential supplies for workshops, and some surprise goodies!
Optional afternoon in Vila Nova de Milfontes to explore Portugal’s Atlantic coastline
Chef-prepared meals, featuring local ingredients and regional specialities
Transportation during included meals and activities
Dedicated Ace Camps Travel Hosts, with you throughout your trip
Trip Prep call to meet fellow travelers and talk through schedules, recommendations, and questions
Meet the Designers of Ruby Star Society you’ll learn and explore with:
Melody Miller
Melody Miller is the Creative Director and one of the designers for Ruby Star Society. She loves collaboration, connection, and having a job that invites her to be creative every day.
For more than thirteen years, Melody has worked alongside the Ruby Star Society team, sharing art, encouragement, and inspiration.
Melody lives and works in Atlanta, GA. When she isn’t doing quiet activities at home, you can find her at the racetrack, trying to drive faster.
Rashida Coleman-Hale
Rashida Coleman-Hale has been making things ever since she can remember. Her passion includes textiles, surface pattern design, and illustration.
She studied fashion design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and later traded her sewing machine for a computer and worked as a freelance graphic designer.
In addition to Ruby Star Society, Rashida has designed fabric for Timeless Treasures and Cloud 9 Fabrics.
She has published 3 books, I Love Patchwork, Zakka Style and the latest, Zakka Sewn, celebrates her return to her roots as a maker, blending charming zakka-inspired projects with modern sewing techniques.
Jen Hewett
Jen Hewett is a printmaker, surface designer, textile artist, and author based in the Hudson Valley.
Jen’s work combines her love of loud prints, 1970s maximalism, and saturated colors with the textures and light of the landscapes that surround her.
In addition to creating her own products, Jen designs fabric for the quilting and home sewing market, and home collections for national manufacturers and retailers.
Her clients include: World Market, Anthropologie, Blue Sky Planners, and wallpops!. She is the author of Print, Pattern, Sew, and This Long Thread: Women of Color on Craft, Community and Connection.
Kim Kight
Kim Kight started in the craft blogging world, first with a personal sewing and knitting blog then her fabric news blog, True Up. This led to her book, A Field Guide to Fabric Design (Stash Books, 2011), which is still in print.
Through this journey she met her fellow creatives that would form Cotton + Steel, now Ruby Star Society. Her fabric design is happy, nostalgic, and always a little bit weird!
Kim lives in the Hill Country west of Austin, TX with her family and several pets. She is also an avid birder who loves hiking and being out in nature.
Sarah Watts
Sarah Watts is an illustrator, art educator, and fabric designer for Ruby Star Society.
After earning her illustration degree from Ringling College, she worked in children's fashion before releasing her first fabric line with Blend Fabrics. As a designer for Ruby Star Society, she has created dozens of collections and collaborated with more than 35 companies, including Target, Hallmark, and Penguin Books.
Sarah teaches Photoshop, surface design, and drawing through her course From Paint to Pattern and her sketchbook membership, Sketchbook Squad. She's also the founder of Craftedmoon, a stationery brand for crafty homebodies who love cats, creativity, and a touch of mischief.
Day by Day Itinerary
Nota Bene: This is a prospective itinerary. It is subject to modest modifications, dependent on local weather, partner schedules, unexpected opportunities and the needs of the group.
Participants will be split into 2 groups to ensure a more intimate workshop experience, the order of your workshop days may be slightly different but all guests will attend all workshops.
Day 1
Monday, October 5
Welcome to Portugal!
First thing this morning, we’ll meet at a pre-determined location in Central Lisbon, then head straight to the beautiful Alentejo countryside to our rural retreat—a boutique hotel surrounded by nature and picturesque scenery.
This incredible property is bursting with color thanks to owner Alfredo Moreira da Silva’s abstract paintings and his impeccable eye for architecture and interior design.
We’ll have lunch together, then join the Designers of Ruby Star Society for our first Fireside Chat. Melody, Sarah, Jen, Rashida, and Kim will share their individual stories, the evolution of Ruby Star Society, and how they’ve collaborated to become a successful and inspiring brand.
Then, we’ll come together for a Welcome social where you’ll have a chance to meet and connect with your fellow travelers, as well as the Designers of Ruby Star Society.
Later this afternoon, you’ll have time to settle in and enjoy your surroundings. Unpack, take a dip in the pool, or wander the nature trails. This evening, we’ll enjoy dinner together as a group.
Meals included: Lunch, Dinner
Day 2
Tuesday, October 6
This morning we dive into one of the most essential—and elusive—aspects of creative work: finding and cultivating your artistic voice. The Ruby Star Society Designers will share stories and insights on how their individual styles emerged, what it means to stay true to your vision while evolving as an artist, and the practices that help them recognize what feels authentically theirs. You'll hear how each designer approaches this journey differently, and discover that developing your voice isn't about perfection—it's about showing up, experimenting, and learning to trust what excites you.
Then we’ll join Melody for a playful, hands-on art workshop inspired by the colors, patterns, and charm of everyday Portuguese objects. We’ll gather a delightful mix of packaged foods, vintage treasures, and curious little finds—and use them as our starting point for bold, graphic artwork.
With Melody’s guidance, you’ll explore iteration as a pathway to discovering your artistic voice. By drawing and re-drawing the same object many times, you’ll begin to notice what feels natural, what excites you, and where your personal style starts to emerge. Through repetition, you’ll learn to simplify, exaggerate, reinterpret, and ultimately transform everyday objects into something uniquely yours.
You’ll work with a mix of colored paper, markers and glue to translate your evolving sketches into vibrant collages with strong shapes and playful details. These finished pieces will serve as source material for workshops later in the week.
Tonight, enjoy some free time on the property before gathering together for dinner.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3
Wednesday, October 7
We start our morning learning from the Designers on one of the trademark features of Ruby Star Society fabrics - color. They’ll share stories and learnings on creating harmonious color palettes, using color as part of your artistic voice and how they each approach color in their work.
Afterwards, we’ll connect with Sarah where we’ll slow down, observe, and transform the world of flowers into expressive art. We’ll begin with foundational drawing techniques to help you truly see floral shapes and textures. From there, Sarah will guide you through interpreting flowers in multiple styles, from loose and gestural to bold, graphic, whimsical, and textured.
Next, we’ll explore color theory in a way that feels playful and practical. You’ll experiment with warm and cool palettes, neutrals, unexpected combinations, and how color can shape the emotion in your work.
In the second half of the day, we’ll bring everything together. Using small pieces of ephemeral paper like scraps, fragments, textures, notes, and mini paintings, you’ll create a series of tiny floral artworks that we will collage into a sketchbook spread.
This evening, take in the techniques you learned from Sarah— relax and enjoy the imperfect beauty of the Portuguese countryside. We’ll come together and enjoy dinner as a group.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4
Thursday, October 8
Today we learn about translating ideas and designs from one medium to another. The Designers will share their techniques for shifting between different artistic formats and leveraging one motif across multiple creative channels.
With the Designers’ guidance, you’ll take the pieces you created with Sarah and Melody and reimagine them for textile based mediums to be used in the workshops later in the week.
This afternoon we’ll have an opportunity to embrace the charm of the Alentejo region. Whether you soak in the sun poolside or lounge under a leafy canopy you can take in the rugged landscape and wide open spaces. If you’re looking to experience a slice of Portuguese daily life you can wander one of the nearby towns, quaint and inviting.
This evening we’ll reconvene for dinner, sharing our experiences and the inspiration we found throughout our afternoon exploring.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5
Friday, October 9
The life of an artist can be fulfilling but when you work with creativity on a daily basis, the mundane can creep in and your passion can lag. This morning we’ll hear from the Designers on how they manage their creative lives. We’ll learn where they pull inspiration, how they maintain and sustain their creative practices and what they do when they encounter burnout.
Next, Rashida and Kim will guide us in a tactile, meditative workshop where yarn, rhythm, and repetition come together to create something beautifully textured and entirely your own. You'll learn to transform the motifs and designs you created in the previous workshops into a rich, dimensional fiber art punch needle project.
You’ll learn each step of the punch needle process, from transferring your drawings onto canvas to mastering the techniques of stitching. You'll experiment with different stitch lengths, textures, and densities to bring depth and personality to your piece. Finally, you'll learn finishing techniques, and get plenty of ideas and inspiration for expanding your punch needle skills to different surfaces and projects.
Tonight we’ll dine together, savoring the local, Portuguese cuisine.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 6
Saturday, October 10
This morning the Designers are hosting an AMA, Ask Me Anything and this is your chance to do just that! Whether you have questions about process, growth, or navigating the messy, beautiful reality of making art for a living. This is your chance to ask them all.
Expect candid conversation, real answers, and the kind of insight that only comes from years of trial, error, and showing up for the work. Bring your questions, your curiosities, and your own creative challenges—this is a space for learning and connecting.
Afterwards, Jen will lead a hands-on block printing workshop where your week's worth of sketches, paintings, and patterns transform into something you can wear, carry, and keep forever.
Using the artwork you've been developing throughout your time here, you'll carve simple printing blocks and bring them to life on fabric. This is a playful, experimental process—one where happy accidents are welcome and repetition reveals unexpected beauty. By morning's end, you'll have carved your own custom block. By afternoon, you'll be layering color, exploring pattern, and letting your hands lead the way as ink meets cloth. Together, we’ll discover how even the simplest motif can become something striking through thoughtful repetition.
This evening we gather to showcase what we’ve made, what we’ve learned and how we’ve been inspired throughout our time together. We’ll have a special farewell dinner celebrating the community we’ve built as we bring this time with the Designer of Ruby Star Society to a close.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 7
Sunday, October 11
This morning, we'll gather one last time over breakfast—lingering a little longer and soaking in the quiet beauty of the Alentejo, before we pack our bags and say our goodbyes.
Together, we’ll make our way back to Lisbon, dropping everyone at the Lisbon Airport in the early afternoon. Please plan your flights or onward travel for late afternoon to give yourself plenty of time.
Thank you for being part of this creative journey. For showing up with open hands and open hearts. For stitching, sketching, carving, and creating alongside us. We hope the lessons you learned and the inspiration you gained follow you home and beyond!
Meals included: Breakfast
Where We’re Staying
We’ll be staying at a rural boutique hotel, surrounded by stunning scenery and close to the spectacular Atlantic coastline. The hotel bursts with color, thanks the vivid paintings by owner and abstract painter Alfredo Moreira da Silva, combined with red, pink and orange doors, chairs, sofas, cushions, and handmade quilts.
Rooming Options
Please read below carefully and make your rooming selection on the Booking Request form.
The style and layout of every room is unique and may not be exactly as pictured.
Note: If you are two guests traveling together and would like to share one bed, please contact us for details about a shared bed option.
Group Size: Minimum 18 guests - Maximum 36 guests.
All prices are in USD.
OPTION 1 - SHARED ROOM
with en suite bathroom
$5,395 per person, paid in two separate installments.
Rooming Details:
6 nights in Alentejo rural boutique hotel in a shared twin room with en suite bathroom, shared with one other guest. Each guest has their own twin bed.
Note: The toilet and shower are behind obscured glass. The sink is open to the main room (see above for photos).
Initial Payment due immediately: $2,495
Final Payment due April 8, 2026: $2,900
OPTION 2 - PRIVATE ROOM
with en suite bathroom
$5,995 per person, paid in two separate installments.
Rooming Details:
6 nights in Alentejo rural boutique hotel a private room with a double bed and an en suite bathroom.
Initial Payment due immediately: $2,495
Final Payment due April 8 , 2026: $3,500
Important Trip Details
Culinary Notes
Portugal has a rich culinary history and we look forward to sharing local ingredients and regional dishes with you. While we will try our best to manage allergies, unfortunately we are unable to accommodate vegan, gluten-free, egg-free, or dairy-free options and some severe allergies. Vegetarian options can be available for all provided meals.
If you have any allergies or dietary restrictions, you will need to submit those on your booking request form. We cannot accommodate any allergies or dietary restrictions if you do not advise us when you submit your initial booking request.
Please contact us before booking if you have any questions.
Accessibility
Each day you’ll need to walk 5-10 minutes between the main house for your meals, as well as other locations on the property for our fireside chats and workshops. We suggest wearing comfortable, sturdy walking shoes as you’ll walk on a variety of surfaces (sidewalk, gravel) and have a few small changes of elevation.
Who is this Trip for?
This is an immersive, rural retreat best suited for those who enjoy connecting with a creative community as this trip will have a maximum of 36 guests. You should be eager to learn and engage hands-on during your workshops and be curious and attentive during the fireside chats. The workshops sizes will vary and we’ll gather together as a complete group for fireside chats and meals.
Supplies
All essential workshop supplies will be provided. Prior to departure, we’ll share a list of optional supplies you may want to consider bringing with you to supplement what will be provided. At the end of our time together, you’ll take most supplies home with you, as well as the artwork you create during your workshop. We suggest leaving a bit of room in your suitcase to have room for all of your exciting new supplies and precious artwork.
Trip Start + End Locations
This trip starts and finishes in Lisbon, Portugal. The closest airport is the Humberto Delgado Airport, also known simply as Lisbon Airport, and is located 7 km northeast from the city centre of Lisbon.
On Arrival Day, we’ll meet at a pre-determined location in Central Lisbon, first thing in the morning and then have a 2 and half hour drive to our retreat location. You will need to arrive the day before to ensure you can meet us on time for our departure.
On Departure Day, we’ll drop the group at the Lisbon Airport in the early afternoon. We suggest booking flights or onward travel for no earlier than 3pm Lisbon time.
Please contact us before booking if you have any questions.
Weather
October is a nice time to visit Portugal. The scorching temperatures of summer have subsided and days are warm and sunny, with cool evenings. Daytime temperatures are in the high 70s F and evenings are in the low 60s F. We suggest bringing layers so you can be comfortable in short sleeves during the day for workshops and comfy sweaters at night for sitting by the fire. Rain is unlikely, but possible, so we suggest bringing a light jacket and umbrella, just in case.
Included in this Trip
Daily Fireside Chats with the Designers of Ruby Star Society, including:
The Creative Journey
Building Your Creative Voice
Color, Expression and Creative Process
Managing Creativity, Inspiration, and Burnout
“Ask Me Anything” question and answer session
Daily Hands-On Workshops with the Designers of Ruby Star Society, featuring
Botanical Drawing with Sarah Watts
Collage Inspired by Portuguese Packaging with Melody Miller
Block Printing with Jen Hewett
Punch Needle with Rashida-Coleman Hale and Kim Kight
All essential supplies for workshops, and some surprise goodies!
Optional afternoon in Vila Nova de Milfontes to explore Portugal’s Atlantic coastline
Chef-prepared meals, featuring local ingredients and regional specialities
Transportation during included meals and activities
Dedicated Ace Camps Travel Hosts, with you throughout your trip
Trip Prep call to meet fellow travelers and talk through schedules, recommendations, and questions
6 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 6 dinners
Dedicated Ace Camps Travel Host, with you throughout your trip
Trip Prep call to meet fellow travelers and talk through schedules, recommendations, and questions
Ace Camps Travel Host
An Ace Camps Travel Host will be with you through your trip, dedicated to ensuring you have the best possible experience. Your Host is there for any questions or concerns, to look out for the health and safety of the group and to help resolve any issues that might arise. This Host is not a local guide but will work with our local partners to insure the right combination of pace, information, and duration. Our local partners are deeply knowledgable in the culture and customs of the area and will be there to share their knowledge and passion with the group.
Not Included in this Trip
International roundtrip airfare; required Travel Insurance; alcoholic drinks; activities and food and beverages not included in the trip itinerary; hotel incidentals including but not limited to room service, laundry service and hotel bar tabs; and all expenses during free time.
Travel Arrangements
Ace Camps Travel will send you detailed Trip Planning information when it’s time to make your travel arrangements. We usually send this information once we’ve reached the minimum number of guests required to run the trip. We’ll also send you an Ace Camps Travel “Preparing for your Journey” document prior to your trip, which will include arrival and departure information, a suggested packing list, useful country information, and more.
Travel Insurance
As stated in our Terms and Conditions, we require all guests to have Travel Insurance that at minimum covers both medical emergencies and trip cancellations. Cancellations 180 days or fewer prior to the trip start date will incur a cancellation fee equal to 100% of the price for the trip. There are no exceptions to this cancellation policy which is one of the many reasons we require all guests to have Travel Insurance.
For full details on our Travel Insurance requirements, visit our FAQ’s and review our Terms and Conditions.
Health + Safety
Our goal is for each of our guests to enjoy the amazing trip we’ve put together. To ensure that happens, we put the health and safety of the group as our top priority. Individual guests are responsible for ensuring they meet all destination and layover country requirements and laws, including any Covid-19 related requirements, providing proof of vaccination, testing before or after entry, masking, etc.
During the trip, if you feel unwell, exhibit signs of, or test positive for an illness, you should be prepared to follow the advice of local health authorities as well as the Ace Camps Travel Host to ensure the health and safety of the entire group. Depending on the severity of your symptoms and/or viral nature of your illness the Ace Camps Travel Host may determine you need to mask, distance, self isolate, or depart the trip early. You are responsible for any expenses incurred from an illness, injury, or early departure including testing, treatment, isolation, accommodation, transportation, etc. and you will not be issued a refund for any unused portion of the trip. This is one of the many reasons we require all guests to have Travel Insurance, as outlined in our Terms and Conditions.
For full details on our Health and Safety Policies, visit our FAQ’s and review our Terms and Conditions.
Travel Health
We recommend consulting a doctor, nurse, health care provider, or travel health clinic once we confirm your booking on this Ace Camps Travel trip so you know what may be required based on your individual circumstances and based on the locations you’ll be traveling to. If you have any health concerns, contact your health care provider for advice prior to booking this Ace Camps Travel trip.
Cancellation Policy
If you choose to cancel your trip for any reason, you must do so via email to hello@acecampstravel.com. If we receive written notice 181 or more days prior to the Trip start date, we will refund your initial payment, less a $1,000 cancellation fee. If we receive written notice 180 days or fewer prior to the Trip start date you will incur a cancellation fee equal to 100% of the price for the Trip. There are no exceptions to this cancellation policy, including for reasons related to weather, terrorism, civil strife, pandemics, illness, personal, family or medical emergencies, or any other circumstances beyond our control. For this and other reasons, we require you to purchase Travel Insurance.
Be sure to read our Terms and Conditions for full details on Booking and Payment, Cancellation by You and Trip Changes and Cancellations.
Questions + FAQs
If you have any questions about this Ace Camps travel Trip, please feel free to contact us.
You can also read our FAQs here.
Hear from Our Past Guests