Slow by Design: Bright Threads in Ubud

Where the cloth is made and the table is set, Alice MacGillivray takes you deeper into the Bali she has known for forty years.

Slow by Design: Bright Threads in Ubud

Where the cloth is made and the table is set, Alice MacGillivray takes you deeper into the Bali she has known for forty years.

At a glance

01 / The facts

Locations

Ubud

Duration

7 days, 6 nights

Dates

3 - 9 October 2027

Group size

Maximum of 16

At a glance

01 / The facts

Locations

Ubud

Duration

7 days, 6 nights

Dates

3 - 9 October 2027

Group size

Maximum of 16

The invitation

Bali has been part of Alice MacGillivray’s life for more than forty years. Long before Bright Threads existed, this was the place that taught her to slow down - to eat at a warung on a plastic stool rather than a resort pool bar, to shop thoughtfully, appreciate craftsmanship and find beauty in everyday rituals. It is where she learned that the places we return to have a quiet way of shaping how we live once we go home.

Bright Threads grew from these experiences, but this journey is about something much deeper than the brand itself. It is an invitation into the life that inspired it.

There is Sandi, Alice’s manufacturing partner of nine years, and Made, the driver she trusts to take her wherever she needs to go across the island. There are the places she returns to every visit, the restaurants she has discovered through years of eating her way around the island, and her favourite table at Biah Biah, just around the corner from the Ubud lane where she and her husband have stayed year after year since 2012.

After decades of returning to Bali, Alice knows the places worth seeking out and the ones worth returning to. Her favourite way to discover a place has always been on foot - walking past restaurants, observing what is happening inside and following the instinct that says, yes, this is the one. Over the years, that instinct has led her down countless small jalans, side streets, alleys and laneways, and to some of the best meals and most memorable experiences of her travels.


Tap for sound

The invitation

Bali has been part of Alice MacGillivray’s life for more than forty years. Long before Bright Threads existed, this was the place that taught her to slow down - to eat at a warung on a plastic stool rather than a resort pool bar, to shop thoughtfully, appreciate craftsmanship and find beauty in everyday rituals. It is where she learned that the places we return to have a quiet way of shaping how we live once we go home.

Bright Threads grew from these experiences, but this journey is about something much deeper than the brand itself. It is an invitation into the life that inspired it.

There is Sandi, Alice’s manufacturing partner of nine years, and Made, the driver she trusts to take her wherever she needs to go across the island. There are the places she returns to every visit, the restaurants she has discovered through years of eating her way around the island, and her favourite table at Biah Biah, just around the corner from the Ubud lane where she and her husband have stayed year after year since 2012.

After decades of returning to Bali, Alice knows the places worth seeking out and the ones worth returning to. Her favourite way to discover a place has always been on foot - walking past restaurants, observing what is happening inside and following the instinct that says, yes, this is the one. Over the years, that instinct has led her down countless small jalans, side streets, alleys and laneways, and to some of the best meals and most memorable experiences of her travels.


Tap for sound

Impossible moments

IMPOSSIBLE MOMENTS

02 / Access

  • Foraging and lunch at Locavore NXT with Alice
  • Welcome & Farewell Dinner at Alice's Ubud Table
  • Four curated workshops with Alice
  • Design your own one of a kind Bright Threads piece
  • Bright Threads welcome with Alice & Sandi

Impossible moments

IMPOSSIBLE MOMENTS

02 / Access

  • Foraging and lunch at Locavore NXT with Alice
  • Welcome & Farewell Dinner at Alice's Ubud Table
  • Four curated workshops with Alice
  • Design your own one of a kind Bright Threads piece
  • Bright Threads welcome with Alice & Sandi

Your host

Alice MacGillivray

Alice MacGillivray

The best memories are made around a table — not behind a screen.

Years with Bali team

9

Years visiting Bali

40+

The linen lover, long-lunch host and unrepentant colour enthusiast behind Bright Threads.

Some of my earliest memories are of my parents' extravagant dinner parties. I grew up in a house of passionate food lovers, where gathering around a table, sharing stories and creating beautiful experiences through food was simply a way of life. That love of connection has shaped everything I do.

Travel, for me, has always been driven by food and curiosity. I love a beautiful fine dining restaurant as much as anyone, but equally, some of the most memorable meals of my life have been eaten on a plastic stool by the side of the road. I believe the best experiences often happen off the beaten track, in small family-run food stalls where generosity and authenticity are served alongside each plate.

I have been travelling to Bali since I was six years old and now visit two to three times a year for work, as well as with my family. For more than 40 years, the island has become a second home. I base myself in Sanur, drawn to its village feel, gentle pace and sense of community. A perfect morning there begins with a sunrise walk along the boardwalk, followed by a big bowl of pawpaw for breakfast.

I am equally inspired by Ubud and find myself returning there time and time again. While it is known for its creativity and artisan culture, for me it is also one of the most exciting food destinations in Bali. We travel there often to immerse ourselves in its incredible dining scene - from beautiful destination restaurants and local warungs to hidden gems tucked down quiet laneways. There is something incredibly special about the village feel of Ubud; the slower pace, the sense of community and the way food, art and everyday life are so beautifully intertwined. It is a place that encourages curiosity, creativity and connection, and it continues to inspire the way I live, create and host.

Bali is also where Bright Threads comes to life. Creating table linen is an incredibly tactile process, and after years of working with fabric, my fingertips have become remarkably sensitive to texture and weave. I have always believed that the imperfections in hand screen printing are what make a piece beautiful. It is a privilege to collaborate with the artists and artisans who bring my designs to life and to share their creativity and craftsmanship with others.

A handful of times each year, I open the door to my Bali and invite you to experience it alongside me - a Bali that feels mindful, authentic, peaceful, kind and endlessly creative. Whether we're sharing a meal around a long table, discovering a family-run workshop or wandering through a local market, I believe there is a profound connection between food, conversation and community.

Everything I do - through food, fabric and travel - is ultimately about bringing people together and creating experiences that feel deeply personal, thoughtfully curated and genuinely memorable. These experiences aren't about simply seeing Bali; they're about feeling it.

Finding the right makers led me to Bali, where I now work closely with traditional screen printers and a highly skilled sewing team who handcraft every piece with care and skill. Bright Threads has grown alongside me and today continues to evolve — still made slowly, intentionally, and with heart.

More than anything, I want to inspire people to be brave with colour — to mix patterns, break the rules, and create tables that feel warm, generous and full of life. For me, it has always been about the same thing: bringing people together, one beautiful table at a time.

This retreat is an extension of that — an opportunity to step inside the process, the people and the place that shape everything I create.

And if you're the kind of person who believes the best memories are made around a table — not behind a screen — I can't wait to welcome you.

Your host

Alice MacGillivray

The best memories are made around a table — not behind a screen.

Years with Bali team

9

Years visiting Bali

40+

The linen lover, long-lunch host and unrepentant colour enthusiast behind Bright Threads.

Some of my earliest memories are of my parents' extravagant dinner parties. I grew up in a house of passionate food lovers, where gathering around a table, sharing stories and creating beautiful experiences through food was simply a way of life. That love of connection has shaped everything I do.

Travel, for me, has always been driven by food and curiosity. I love a beautiful fine dining restaurant as much as anyone, but equally, some of the most memorable meals of my life have been eaten on a plastic stool by the side of the road. I believe the best experiences often happen off the beaten track, in small family-run food stalls where generosity and authenticity are served alongside each plate.

I have been travelling to Bali since I was six years old and now visit two to three times a year for work, as well as with my family. For more than 40 years, the island has become a second home. I base myself in Sanur, drawn to its village feel, gentle pace and sense of community. A perfect morning there begins with a sunrise walk along the boardwalk, followed by a big bowl of pawpaw for breakfast.

I am equally inspired by Ubud and find myself returning there time and time again. While it is known for its creativity and artisan culture, for me it is also one of the most exciting food destinations in Bali. We travel there often to immerse ourselves in its incredible dining scene - from beautiful destination restaurants and local warungs to hidden gems tucked down quiet laneways. There is something incredibly special about the village feel of Ubud; the slower pace, the sense of community and the way food, art and everyday life are so beautifully intertwined. It is a place that encourages curiosity, creativity and connection, and it continues to inspire the way I live, create and host.

Bali is also where Bright Threads comes to life. Creating table linen is an incredibly tactile process, and after years of working with fabric, my fingertips have become remarkably sensitive to texture and weave. I have always believed that the imperfections in hand screen printing are what make a piece beautiful. It is a privilege to collaborate with the artists and artisans who bring my designs to life and to share their creativity and craftsmanship with others.

A handful of times each year, I open the door to my Bali and invite you to experience it alongside me - a Bali that feels mindful, authentic, peaceful, kind and endlessly creative. Whether we're sharing a meal around a long table, discovering a family-run workshop or wandering through a local market, I believe there is a profound connection between food, conversation and community.

Everything I do - through food, fabric and travel - is ultimately about bringing people together and creating experiences that feel deeply personal, thoughtfully curated and genuinely memorable. These experiences aren't about simply seeing Bali; they're about feeling it.

Finding the right makers led me to Bali, where I now work closely with traditional screen printers and a highly skilled sewing team who handcraft every piece with care and skill. Bright Threads has grown alongside me and today continues to evolve — still made slowly, intentionally, and with heart.

More than anything, I want to inspire people to be brave with colour — to mix patterns, break the rules, and create tables that feel warm, generous and full of life. For me, it has always been about the same thing: bringing people together, one beautiful table at a time.

This retreat is an extension of that — an opportunity to step inside the process, the people and the place that shape everything I create.

And if you're the kind of person who believes the best memories are made around a table — not behind a screen — I can't wait to welcome you.

Who it’s for

This journey is for people who have travelled enough to know that the itinerary is rarely the point. It is for the Bright Threads customer who has wondered what actually goes into building a brand rooted in a place, and for anyone who wants to spend a week eating, making, and learning alongside someone who has been coming back to the same island for forty years. Come if you want to slow down, use your hands, and eat very well.

Who it’s for

This journey is for people who have travelled enough to know that the itinerary is rarely the point. It is for the Bright Threads customer who has wondered what actually goes into building a brand rooted in a place, and for anyone who wants to spend a week eating, making, and learning alongside someone who has been coming back to the same island for forty years. Come if you want to slow down, use your hands, and eat very well.

We bring creators and their communities together on journeys designed for people who are done ticking off destinations—and ready to be changed by them.

Follow Us

© 2026 Quro Collective

We bring creators and their communities together on journeys designed for people who are done ticking off destinations—and ready to be changed by them.

Follow Us

© 2026 Quro Collective

We bring creators and their communities together on journeys designed for people who are done ticking off destinations—and ready to be changed by them.

Follow Us

© 2026 Quro Collective

Slow by Design: Bright Threads in Ubud

3 - 9 October 2027

View