Thirty years ago, I read the enchanting "Nefertiti Lived Here" by Mary Chubb, and found a kaleidoscope of images and ideas began to swirl in my head. As I mused on those images and my desire to respond in some way, a question arose in my mind - what if I could stitch a place, a time, an idea back into being? Stitch by stitch, and later, brushstroke by brushstroke, my ideas unfolded over two decades, developing new skills and new ideas, leading ever onward.

Eventually a pattern emerged, a pattern of colour and texture, of relationships and connections - between the original ancient Egyptians, the archaeologists and excavators, and me, the chronicler in stitch. From the delicate lotus flowers to the regal cartouche of Nefertiti, each stitch tells a story of passion, dedication, and creativity.

But not, it transpires, one of solely of glamour and glories - the excavators, labourers, and basket children, the small finds that bespeak the many different craft skills of the ancient Egyptians - all these feature as well.