Cairo can be a dangerous place, and I am not just talking about the cars, pavements and pollution! I am in Cairo for a few days to attend various meetings (more about that later), but I could not miss the chance yesterday for a 'quick' visit to the Street of the Tentmakers and to see more of the beautiful appliqué panels they make there. Everytime I go there I think now we have enough for the special exhibition that opens at the TRC in January about the Cairo appliqués, and then someone says, we have a new design..... Fatal.

Gillian at al-Farouk in the Street of the Tentmakers, Cairo.

I was there to pick up a few panels that had been previously ordered and, all being well, I shall be going back to Cairo in December (for another meeting, but in Aswan, life can be so hard sometimes). Then I shall be doing the big shop for thimbles, scissors, thread, cloth and more panels of various sizes. Many of these will be for sale in the TRC shop during the period of the exhibition. The Street needs help as there are less and less tourists going to Egypt, but this is one way we can help them, while being inspired to greater and more colourful things at home!

Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, 3 October 2014