Hand-stitched Egyptian cotton appliqué wall hanging/tapestry with a unique design. Made in Cairo, Egypt! There is a folded over, cotton pocket (curtain heading) at the top of the tapestry so that it can be hung by a curtain rod or quilt rack. The size is 33 inches by 33 inches. This piece is from the Khayamiya (tentmakers) district of old Cairo. For over 1,000 years, the tentmakers of Cairo hand-stitched huge panels (some as large as 10 feet x 20 feet!) with elaborately patterned and colorful arabesque designs that were attached to the interior of tents, serving a dual function of shelter and ornament. By popular demand in recent years, the tentmakers started making smaller pieces and pillowcases. ***Due to the increase in missing packages from USPS, we have decided to offer a signature required shipping upgrade option. We highly suggest you upgrade your shipping as many of these items are one-of-a-kind and cannot be replaced. If your order is not shipped signature required, we will not be able to offer a refund if the tracking says “delivered” but the package is missing.***
The Tentmakers of Cairo are world renowned for their colorful appliqué wallhangings. If you like colors, bold designs and needlework, have a look at what these men can do! If you aren't familiar with the Tentmakers of Cairo yet, find out what you are missing!
These photos are of work by Egyptian tentmakers from the Tentmkers Souq in Cairo. Jenny Bowker is bringing these wonderful pieces to Ste Marie Aux Mines including one of the tentmakers himself. Tentmaking is an age old tradition of creating hangings to decorate tents and any other festivities of the Egyptian people. They are apppliqued by hand and not quilted- and show a high degree of craftsmanship- and are wonderful vibrant artistic expressions of cultural identity. The blue piece is by Ibrahim Asfoura and will be at Ste Marie aux Mines. The other piece, is one I purchased when in Cairo last year- and though I have the artists name on a card unfortunately with all my room moving I cannot locate it at the moment. I particularly loved this piece because of the very individual embroidery detail. But even better - these works will be for sale! I dare say they will create a high degree of interest- and the wonderful thing is by purchasing, you will be supporting a craft that has been dwindling over the last few decades ( I remember quite a few more tentmaker stalls on my visit to Cairo in 1989), by encouraging the younger ones to see that a living can be made from this wonderful tradition. So I suggest those of you attending the 13th Meeting of Patchwork head as soon as you can to Eglise St Louis in Ste Marie aux Mines!( all the work sold out in quick time when it was shown in Melbourne ealrier this year) There is also still places in my free machine applique and embroidery class and the journal class ( some of which I have discussed in posts from last week) My other two classes are full. I have also had a cancellation of a class that was supposed to take place for a week long in Normandy in early October- if anyone is interested in me coming to teach in France, Belgium, Holland or England please let me know - as of course such a cancellation does impact quite substantially on the budgetting for this trip.
The Tentmakers of Cairo are world renowned for their colorful appliqué wallhangings. If you like colors, bold designs and needlework, have a look at what these men can do! If you aren't familiar with the Tentmakers of Cairo yet, find out what you are missing!
The Tentmakers of Cairo are world renowned for their colorful appliqué wallhangings. If you like colors, bold designs and needlework, have a look at what these men can do! If you aren't familiar with the Tentmakers of Cairo yet, find out what you are missing!
The Tentmakers of Cairo are world renowned for their colorful appliqué wallhangings. If you like colors, bold designs and needlework, have a look at what these men can do! If you aren't familiar with the Tentmakers of Cairo yet, find out what you are missing!
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Suite de nos visites au festival international de patchwork de Sitges en Espagne. Visite de l'expo-vente des "tentmakers" du Caire-Egypte où nous avons rencontré Ekramy Al farouk. A l'aide d'une aiguille, de fil, d'un dé à coudre et de ciseaux de tailleurs,...
Explore Quiltingsusy's 5090 photos on Flickr!
The Tentmakers of Cairo As soon as I heard the Tentmakers of Cairo would be at the AQS show in Grand Rapids, I knew I had t...
These photos are of work by Egyptian tentmakers from the Tentmkers Souq in Cairo. Jenny Bowker is bringing these wonderful pieces to Ste Marie Aux Mines including one of the tentmakers himself. Tentmaking is an age old tradition of creating hangings to decorate tents and any other festivities of the Egyptian people. They are apppliqued by hand and not quilted- and show a high degree of craftsmanship- and are wonderful vibrant artistic expressions of cultural identity. The blue piece is by Ibrahim Asfoura and will be at Ste Marie aux Mines. The other piece, is one I purchased when in Cairo last year- and though I have the artists name on a card unfortunately with all my room moving I cannot locate it at the moment. I particularly loved this piece because of the very individual embroidery detail. But even better - these works will be for sale! I dare say they will create a high degree of interest- and the wonderful thing is by purchasing, you will be supporting a craft that has been dwindling over the last few decades ( I remember quite a few more tentmaker stalls on my visit to Cairo in 1989), by encouraging the younger ones to see that a living can be made from this wonderful tradition. So I suggest those of you attending the 13th Meeting of Patchwork head as soon as you can to Eglise St Louis in Ste Marie aux Mines!( all the work sold out in quick time when it was shown in Melbourne ealrier this year) There is also still places in my free machine applique and embroidery class and the journal class ( some of which I have discussed in posts from last week) My other two classes are full. I have also had a cancellation of a class that was supposed to take place for a week long in Normandy in early October- if anyone is interested in me coming to teach in France, Belgium, Holland or England please let me know - as of course such a cancellation does impact quite substantially on the budgetting for this trip.
Suite de nos visites au festival international de patchwork de Sitges en Espagne. Visite de l'expo-vente des "tentmakers" du Caire-Egypte où nous avons rencontré Ekramy Al farouk. A l'aide d'une aiguille, de fil, d'un dé à coudre et de ciseaux de tailleurs,...
The Tentmakers of Cairo are world renowned for their colorful appliqué wallhangings. If you like colors, bold designs and needlework, have a look at what these men can do! If you aren't familiar with the Tentmakers of Cairo yet, find out what you are missing!
The Tentmakers of Cairo are world renowned for their colorful appliqué wallhangings. If you like colors, bold designs and needlework, have a look at what these men can do! If you aren't familiar with the Tentmakers of Cairo yet, find out what you are missing!
The Tentmakers of Cairo are world renowned for their colorful appliqué wallhangings. If you like colors, bold designs and needlework, have a look at what these men can do! If you aren't familiar with the Tentmakers of Cairo yet, find out what you are missing!
The Tentmakers of Cairo are world renowned for their colorful appliqué wallhangings. If you like colors, bold designs and needlework, have a look at what these men can do! If you aren't familiar with the Tentmakers of Cairo yet, find out what you are missing!
Last weekend (took this long to figure out how to get the photos out of my new "smart" phone), I travelled to the AQS show in Michigan. Though a much smaller show than Chicago, it was a great show. The big attraction (for me, at least) was a display of Egyptian tent-quilts. These are made to be the inside walls of ceremonial tents - when the sun shines through it looks like stained glass. Made by mostly men who are looked down upon, these "tent walls" are incredible. I was overwhelmed and stopped taking photos after just a few! I just walked around carrying my jaw. Every one was more stunning than the last. I can't believe the men who make these aren't celebrated! A gal from Australia discovered them when living there, as her hubby was the ambassador to Egypt. She's promoted their craft and two of the men (?) are travelling all over the world to quilt shows to accompany an amazing assortment of their, and others, work. Enough yakking, the photos Katie! I tried to take a good representation of the different styles, but photos just don't do these justice. This video shows more of the quilts and the gal chats with the two men who were also at the show in Michigan. They were demonstrating their craft and I got to see the finishing of one project. This is Hosam Hanafy. He doesn't speak much English, but knew to hold up his finished quilt and smile when he saw my camera phone. He started this on Wednesday at the opening of the show. He finished it Saturday afternoon. He had no pattern, no templates. His circle in the center is perfect and while I missed the sewing, my mom did not - he started with a lumpy-shaped piece and ended with a perfect circle. (That alone is amazing!) The other man travelling with the quilts speaks more English. I didn't see him working, but heard that a comment was made that prompted him to sew WITH HIS EYES CLOSED. He kept going like his eyes were open. Really. Another friend reported that they take a stitch a second. A SECOND! I'm not sure my sewing machine goes that fast half the time! So. If you have a chance to see this show. GO. There were lots of other beautiful quilts. Guild challenge quilts. Quilts to be judged. Quilts to showcase a particular artist. Quilts from the sister city in Japan. But this was amazing. AQS was required to purchase the quilts to be able to bring them in and show them, so you may notice prices or "sold" signs on the quilts. They were being sold. For crazy good prices. Unfortunately I don't have that large of a slush fund for quilting. I bought a few patterns (which you will likely see projects from at least 2 of the 3 before the year is out) and drooled a lot at the vendors. Then stayed and helped tear down the booth my brother and his wife were running. They have a business that does custom embroidery and screen printing (Accurate Promotions if anyone is interested in sending business their way - they can ship to anywhere!) and printed a bunch of quilty t-shirts to sell. It was interesting to see things come down after the show. And how fast. But my quilting? Not so good. I've had to force myself to work a bit every night (when time allows) on my August UFO. Still not done, but here's a few photos... You can finally see where those geese are going, but I've got a long way to finish this quilt. 42 blocks means about a bajillion pieces. Plus sashing and borders. I've decided to scrap the September UFO (#11 - it's a batch of family names embroidered that was going to be a project and wasn't much planned beyond the names, so not much lost) and work on finishing this quilt, plus the two baby quilts that are STILL in the washed-but-not-ironed-fabric stage. Yikes! But this is a holiday (3-day) weekend for those of us in the USA, so I'm trying to take full advantage of that. Of course, the new smart phone is distracting. And the cats. And my imagination. (Some days I can focus, others I end up going 14 different directions and never finish anything...today is one of those multi-directional days!) Happy quilting, Katie
This masterpiece of hand-stitched appliqué Tentmakers of Cairo Art by master stitcher Sayeid in Gamal Kolthoma shop at Chareh El Khiamiah located in Old Islamic Cairo, Egypt. This piece was stitched very well by a master one of the Tentmakers of Cairo! This piece would have taken approximately two months and half to stitch and was completed by the one stitcher. Dimensions width 110cm x lenght 130cm (Aprox. 43inch x 51inch) Upon sale the piece will have sleeves added to the back for ease of hanging and the stitchers name embroidered in the bottom right hand corner.
Suite de nos visites au festival international de patchwork de Sitges en Espagne. Visite de l'expo-vente des "tentmakers" du Caire-Egypte où nous avons rencontré Ekramy Al farouk. A l'aide d'une aiguille, de fil, d'un dé à coudre et de ciseaux de tailleurs,...
Free Shipping and Returns We provide FREE Standard Shipping on ALL orders. If for any reason, you are not in love with your Art, please let us know and we will offer you a FULL REFUND. We will even pay for the return shipment. Artist: Ashraf Hashem Size: Approximately 16.5" X 16.5" Title: "Egyptian Night" - Khayamiya Style: Handstitched Applique Art Origin: Handstitched in Egypt Description: The Tentmakers of Cairo are the artists behind this amazing quilt/patchwork artwork that goes back hundreds of years ago. Located on the same street “Khayamiya Street”, in the heart of old Cairo, these talented artists sit quietly working their magic on each piece of fabric, transforming it to an exquisite piece of art. Khayamyiya simply means Tent making. Years ago, tentmakers used to decorate tents used by desert travelers from the inside, to give it a delightful and a refreshing feel by using brilliant colors and designs. What is Egyptian Appliqué? It is a type of quilting, however different from any other quilting you’ve seen before. It’s a hand stitched appliqué on a cotton colorful background backed by a heavy canvas fabric that can be hanged on the wall or used as cushions. The appliqué pieces are always bright and colorful. Each piece is delicately hand stitched on a magnificent background carefully chosen to match the color and design of the whole piece. This handmade tent making artwork occupation is unfortunately endangered. We are trying to help those artists to keep this historic legacy alive. In our gallery, we offer variety of designs, from geometric Islamic designs, to Pharaonic Lotus designs, to even Arabic Calligraphy designs. All these art pieces are made with 100% cotton fabrics. By owning one of these exquisite pieces of art, you have owned a piece of history from the heart of Old Cairo.
The Tentmakers of Cairo are a group of men who work in historic Cairo creating beautiful hand-stitched wall hangings. See their amazing work here.
The Tentmakers of Cairo As soon as I heard the Tentmakers of Cairo would be at the AQS show in Grand Rapids, I knew I had to make the trip to see the exhibit. It was spectacular, if you ever get a chance to see this wonderful show, don't miss it! Here are a few photos from the exhibit. The use of color and intricate designs were so inspiring, I'll be dreaming of these great works for a long time. And I can't wait to get back to Cairo.
As promised and back by popular demand, more work by the Tentmakers of Cairo. To begin, here’s an amateur video of a Tentmaker working: note the enviable speed of the hand movement. Shopping is not high on my list of pleasures or priorities, and admittedly, I don’t need more quilts, however, I went to the Tentmakers’ Street looking for just one beautiful piece to remember my Cairo visit. I wanted a worthy souvenir. The colors of this bed-sized medallion caught my eye, so I nudged my husband sharply in the ribs, gestured toward it as discreetly as possible while he tried to recover his breath, then left the shop so he could haggle for it. A similar piece as a wall-hanging (not in my possession, unfortunately). Another bed-sized appliqué of the same design, slightly different arrangement of colors (not in my possession, sigh). This intricate star is breath-taking (also not mine, alas). And THE best for last: A picture of the following wall-hanging, which I took on my first visit to the Tentmakers’ Street, made me gasp. Tucked in among so many other beautiful pieces, its full splendor was not immediately apparent to me. So on my second visit to the Tentmakers’ Street two days later, I hunted it down and broke my own rule of only one purchase. It is now the center of attention in my dining/living room. And for all those who have completed the month of Ramadan, I wish you "Aïdakoum Mabrouk" and a happy Aïd celebration.
My splendid cushion was obtained in the Street of the Tentmakers, Cairo, by a friend after I told her (based on what I'd read on the internet) how to find it. She got another for herself, and I feel right at home when I see her "twin" cushion on her sofa. This beautiful work, with its long history, brightens my day - but it saddens me to think that it is under threat. Jenny Bowker got to know the men during her years of living in Cairo and has been championing the continued survival of their craft - and livelihoods. There is no historical documentation of the men and their craft, but now a film is being made. The film maker, Kim Beamish, is having to fund this himself, and is asking for donations via a crowd-funding site, http://www.pozible.com/tentmakers - where you can make a donation, or rather a pledge, as no money will be collected unless the target amount is reached. (He also has a facebook page https://www.facebook.com/CharehElKhiamiah?fref=ts.) This is what Jenny wrote on the SAQA yahoogroup - I've put in some photos found on the internet to show off the gorgeous work. ''The Tentmakers are a group of men in Cairo who make spectacular applique. Nowadays most of what they make is intended for the walls of houses or on beds, but in Pharaonic, early Islamic, and Ottoman times it was intended for the inside walls of tents. With canvas behind it which formed the outside wall, the rich appliqué glowed with light on it, and was intended to amaze visitors to a leader's tent. Did you know that Cairo was originally called Fustat - which means the big tent? In pharaonic times the tents were appliqued leather, now all the work is cotton. The art has been slowly dying. Big pieces of cheap, badly registered, printed fabric made in China have poured into Cairo and people buy this rather that the real appliquéd pieces. On top of that disaster - tourism has stopped with unrest for the last two years. Without the work sold in the exhibitions that I have been arranging in other countries they would all be gone by now - instead - stitchers who left are coming back and young ones are learning again. I am thrilled with the progress we have made and very happy with the AQS who committed to them for three years. But - it is still hardly documented at all. There is not one piece in the Cairo Museum or even in the Cairo textile museum. The best article I have ever found is in the Uncoverings magazine and there are no books. Older stitchers are dying and no history has been written. Kim Beamish is an Australian friend who - when I took him to visit the street on his third day in Cairo - picked up the baton I offered and ran with it. He is making a film about the Tentmakers in these difficult times. He has given most of five days a week for the last seven months - or more. He has paid his own way to shows in England, and has had to pay for three more that have not even happened yet in France and two in America. He has become part of the street and the men are used to him and his camera. He has two young children and a wife who works in the Australian Embassy in Cairo. They have to pay a nanny so that he is free to film. He is, like I was, a trailing spouse. He did not choose to live the 'cocktail parties and bridge' life, but has chosen to go out on a limb to tell a very moving and necessary story. I know that at the moment he is on the bones of his behind financially and simply cannot afford anything else. The movie will not be made without funding for the essentials - the long and boring stages when the filming is done and the hard work starts. Editing, top level translation and the rest has to be done by experts and paid for. Please help. Even a little bit from a lot of people will add up to a lot - that is what crowd funding means. The link is now open and working. If he does not get to his total he gets nothing. Kim will spend the month hovering over the site and biting his fingernails.The work is really special and the film is essential. http://www.pozible.com/tentmakers - this is the link to support the film - The Tentmakers of Chareh el Khiamiah. If Kim Beamish does not get this money the film cannot be made. Even tiny donations will help and big donations will help more. Please. If you use PayPal it will ask you to preauthorise. It sounds odd but it simply means that when the total is reached the money will then be taken from people's accounts so it has to be done this way. Kim gets nothing if he does not reach his total and that is the way that Pozible works. He is a bit worried at the moment as only about 29 have helped in three days. I am hoping a lot of people will have read this far and be willing now to help us. PLEASE send this on to as wide an audience as you can reach. The moment the total is reached the project will be assured. Until then it looks as if it might be dead in the water.'' The tentmakers of Cairo were at Festival of Quilts and also at Art in Action, so you may have seen their work. A UK champion of the tentmakers is Barbara Chainey, who lectures on the tentmakers and has a workshop based on an Egyptian-style design. Two of her books are inspired by the tentmakers' designs.
