Tentmakers of Cairo 02-07-13

In 2008 I took a class with Jenny Bowker at Road to California - it was fantastic.  She had some pieces for sale that were made by the tentmakers and I wrote a check.  I love the color and the stitching is amazing.  However, with all the turmoil and the changes in Egyptian society the tentmakers are not doing great business.  A film maker is trying to raise the money to make a record of the work and the men who stitch the panels.  Doing this will make the information available in the future and, it is to be hoped, that current day tentmakers will have an increase in business.  These days the panels are used on beds, walls and draped over furniture.  The men also sew smaller pieces - pillow sized - that are more apt to be purchased by tourists.  But the workmanship is still excellent.

I posted about the piece that is in the Thomas Contemporary Quilt Collection at
http://www.delquilts.blogspot.com/2008/01/cairo-tentmaker-hanging-01-21-08.html  

 

To learn about this fund raising project click on the logo in the right sidebar.
I urge you to made a donation.  Even ten dollars (US) will help, every penny adds up. 
 There are 23 days left of this funding drive and $12,085 is still needed.  Do it NOW! 

Jenny Bowker quilt in TCQC 05-23-10

I have admired Jenny Bowker's work for years having seen her pieces in magazines, at Pacific International Quilt Festival (PIQF) and, more recently, online. When I had the chance I took a workshop with her at Road to CA - she is an excellent teacher and it was a great class. Last August we were again in touch and I looked at the quilts she had available to sell. This one is beautifully made and a wonderful example of monochromatic work, so I bought it. And it has been hanging on my wall ever since - a daily delight.

"Hot Water - Dead Sea" Jenny Bowker - Australia 50 cm x 150 cm (19"W X 60"L)

"As the waters of the sea increase in temperature the sea will become more acid. Corals and molluscs will be unable to form shells and the reefs will die. For a while at least, coelenterates like jelly fish will fill the seas."

Cotton fabric, wool mix batting, layered appliqué, piecing.

This detail shows that the outside edge is the blue binding and gives a closeup of Jenny's imaginative quilting. The patchwork is typical of the pieces she has made in the past and gives a connection to the origin of 'art quilts'.

Check her website at: http://www.jennybowker.com/ You might also look at http://www.canberraquilters.org.au/galleries/2008/Bowker_73.html which shows Jenny's quilt that took Best of Show at Canberra and http://www.quiltgallery.co.nz/exhibitions/achangeintheweather.php showing the exhibit in which this quilt appeared. If you are interested in traveling in Egypt you should read the archives of Jenny's blog: http://jennybowker.blogspot.com/ Jenny has been conducting group tours of sights in Egypt - contact her.