Stitch like an Egyptian 2
I spent a day in Khan Khayamiya on Saturday. With my friend Mohamed Sadek, who will come with me to France as a stitcher, I went from shop to shop to collect the work selected for the Exhibition at Carrefour Europeen du Patchwork in Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines.
As an indication of how hot '39 and humid' feels - I drank five cokes, three teas, two coffees and a large bottle of water. I don't much like coke, but it is always safe and hospitality is really a matter of honour so it is hard to refuse anyone.
All the work is painstaking hand appliqué. Some work is finer than others and the sizes vary. All the work is for sale in France. These are in numerical order from shop to shop - numbers allocated as they were collected - but they are not in the order they will be shown in.
And one REALLY big so you can see the details and the stitching - it is actually about 1.2 metres square.
If you have come so far you have done well. I know you will agree that this will be just spectacular.
Just for fun - my household team - the residence staff who helped with the photography on a baking hot roof - for four hours!!
Meet Gamal, Maria, and Ahmed
As an indication of how hot '39 and humid' feels - I drank five cokes, three teas, two coffees and a large bottle of water. I don't much like coke, but it is always safe and hospitality is really a matter of honour so it is hard to refuse anyone.
All the work is painstaking hand appliqué. Some work is finer than others and the sizes vary. All the work is for sale in France. These are in numerical order from shop to shop - numbers allocated as they were collected - but they are not in the order they will be shown in.
And one REALLY big so you can see the details and the stitching - it is actually about 1.2 metres square.
If you have come so far you have done well. I know you will agree that this will be just spectacular.
Just for fun - my household team - the residence staff who helped with the photography on a baking hot roof - for four hours!!
Meet Gamal, Maria, and Ahmed
31 Comments:
These are absolutely phenomenal! Thank you for taking the time to photograph each piece and share it with us!
WOW! Jenny they are just spectacular! Words fail me. Thank you so much for taking the time to blog them. Seeing your team in front of one puts their size into perspective too.
Fiona Kyle
Dunedin NZ.
Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful work with us (even if it's only for a brief time ;)) I am absolutely in love with the tree of life piece. If he wants to sell it . . .
Totally gorgeous -- but I really love, Love, LOVE the one with the birds! Thanks for the treat.
Jacquie Scuitto
Thank you, Jenny, and thank you to your staff for helping you photograph them for us. The work is spectacular. I wish I was going to see them in the "cloth". I couldn't pick a favourite, there were just too many...
Hi Jenny,
I wholeheartedly agree with all the above comments. Many, many thanks for sharing these quilts they are just breathtaking.
Cheers Helen
Jenny thank you for sharing these phenominal works of art - they are truely awe inspring!
These are stunning, oh to see them in the fabric, thank you so much for sharing them with us.
Bev, Peterborough, On
These pieces are absolutely breath-taking, thank you for taking the time to post them. I would be hard pressed to choose a favorite.
Staggering rhythmic bursts of colour and pattern - hard to find adequate words to do this beautiful work justice. Need I say how much I look forward to seeing some of this work in the flesh, very soon.
I think the technical term for what I feel is 'gobsmacked'. I cannot believe the designs and colour combinations. My only question is "When is the book coming out?" I would order one in a heartbeat, no matter what it cost.
And I get sick of photographing quilts after three of them, that was an amazing effort by you and your team, thank them for us please!
Sensational! Jenny I was fortunate to see the tentmakers work in Melbourne and hear your talk. I hope by taking these beautiful items to France you raise the profile of the tentmakers so their unique talents are not lost forever.
Jenny, what a treat to get to see the beautiful Egyptian appliques; thanks for photographing and posting them! I enjoy reading about your life in Egypt. Swimming in a long flowing robe--sounds delightful, and a perfect respite from the heat.
BRILLIANT!!! I bought a papyrus years ago for my sister that looked very much like the one with the birds in the tree....stunning stuff.
I'm with Mereth--gobsmacked is the only word that came to mind. I was blown away by the collection you brought to Sydney and once again I'm in awe of this exquisite works of art. Yes, please, a book would be fabulous! Thank you so much for the enormous effort you and your team put in getting this photographed!
Beautiful! I look forward to being able to see them in person in St. Marie-aux-Mines. Your staff are amazing too -- I'm sure I'd look completely frazzled and wilted after four hours on a blazing roof :-)
Jenny, These are amazing and beautiful. Thank you to you and your helpers for allowing us to share. Christine
Awesome - thankyou to you all for your efforts. I really enjoyed seeing them.
These are fabulous, thanks for time and efforts of all in sharing them. I hope that the creators get joy in knowing their work is so widely appreciated.
All the superlatives I was going to use have been said, so I'll just say a very sincere thank you for allowing us a preview of an amazing exhibition.
I know Jenny won't have time to answer this, but does anyone know what that flower is that is used in so many of the pieces?
WOW they are amazing! miles away from anything my ex-inlaws had at home when I was in egypt (they live in Bibba near Baniswef) all I saw were utility quilts made from WOF fabric sewn together to make them bed sized, made into a pillowcase and stuffed with raw cotton and quilted with huge 1" stitches. My ex-SIL was interested in quilting so I taught her how to do hexagons as that was my hand project that year. I remeber the hospitality too.. it's amazing how fast one learns to say no thanks in arabic LOL
Absolutely stunning! Thank you so much for sharing them.
Liz Needle: those are lotus flowers
Thank you for sharing these fabulous works of art. Good luck with the exhibit. Del in SCalifornia
Thank you Jenny and staff for taking the time to photgraph and post the photos of the astonishing applique pieces. I so enjoyed seeing the others at AQC in Melbourne and hearing your talk. I want to go to Egypt sooner each time I read your blog!
Anne in Newport VIC
each quilt was more amazing than the next. Thank you so much for sharing these beautiful quilts
I don't think there are words to discribe how beautiful those quilts are. I really appreciate your letting me see these. Nothing I do comes even close to those beautiful quilts. What talent. Thank you.
I chose the right moment to look through the archway ... into the intricate, colourful, living history product of the Egyptian Tentmakers. All the sights and sounds come back and the regret that only one small piece can be brought back to Australia when the usual space and finance restrictions apply. We treasure our piece - I think the French will be bouleverse, (with the accent) as they say, by this remarkable collection of work. I'll be sure to show Chris and Georgina on their return. Hi and thanks to your wonderful team at home and to the Tentmakers themselves.
Jenny, this work os magnificent. I was unfortunately unable to see the display of ahmed's in Melbourne so thanks for the second chance! So inspiring and awe inspiring - I drool.
Cheers
Helen in Beaconsfield Vic
Awesome, intense, breathtaking, inspirational!
in MI USA
Thank you so very much for sharing another part of world with us. These quilts are just awesome and inspirational. Lorraine Legler Forster
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