Palestinian Tatreez Resource Page

"I want to thank our grandmothers for leaving this full, rich, emotional and visionary legacy. A legacy of tradition, family, culture and identity. 

A legacy of hope and land stitched in Tatreez." 

 -- Micaela Kaibni Raen


Tatreez is Indigenous Palestinian embroidery and textiles. More than just cloth and thread, that, it is a vital cultural inheritance...a sacred hoop for continuance, identity, resistance, and sumud. The Palestinian Tatreez Resource page is meant to be a brief resource for someone who has limited knowledge and is curious to find out more. If you are just beginning your Tatreez journey this is a good place to start. When searching the topic, many confusing and misleading websites can appear so I created this resource page as a safe place to start/continue your journey. It is a touchstone of Palestinian Tatreez Resources and is created out of love and care, attempting to bring you quality information. Included below is a brief list of resources, organizations, a print bibliography, and some ways to find Tatreez in the world. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list.

Palestinian Tatreez Journey

If you want to learn more about Palestinian Tatreez this is a great place to start. Here are some websites to begin your journey: 

Tatreez and Tea                                                       www.tatreezandtea.com

Maydel                                                                     www.maydel.com  

Tirazain: Palestinian Embroidery Library          https://tirazain.com/initiative




Palestinian Tatreez Bibliography


Afikra Website: Books About Palestinian Embroidery 
Words by Wafa Ghnaim, Online Booklist

This is a semi-comprehensive list of books in print. 
If you know of other books that could be included,
 please email me and I will review for inclusion. 

Tatreez Companion: Palestinian Embroidery Study Booklet (Second Edition)
By Wafa Ghnaim
Publisher: The Tatreez Institute in Washington, DC., 2024
Design Contributors: Jacob Ortega and Wadih El Haddad
ISBN: 9798336897128


Thobna: Reclaiming Palestinian Dresses in the Diaspora

By Wafa Ghnaim

Self Published 2023

Embroidery, Storytelling and Patterns by Feryal Abbasi-Ghnaim

Edited and formatted by: Safa Ghnaim

ISBN: 978-1732931251


Tatreez & Tea: Embroidery and Storytelling in the Palestinian Diaspora

By Wafa Ghnaim

Self Published 2018

Embroidery, Storytelling and Patterns by Feryal Abbasi-Ghnaim

Edited and formatted by: Safa Ghnaim

ISBN: 1986907155


Palestinian Embroidery Motifs: A Treasury of Stitches 1850 – 1950

Written by Margarita Skinner

In Association with Widad Kamel Kawar

Publisher: Melisende Publishing & Rimal Publications, 2007

Photography by Falak Shawwa. Design by Chara Adamidou.

ISBN: 978-1-901764-47-5

 
Palestinian Costume
By Shelagh Weir
British Museum Publications, 1989
ISBN: 0-7141-1597-5
 
Traditional Palestinian Embroidery and Jewelry
By Abed Al-Samih Abu Omar
Published by Al-Ahark Press, Jerusalem, 1986

Sew to Speak: A Woman’s Journey to Preserving Palestinian Identity
By Siham N. Abu-Ghazaleh
Olive Branch Press, Massachusetts 2021
ISBN-13: 978-1-62371-904-3 

Embroidering Identities: A Century of Palestinian Clothing
By: Iman Saca
In Collaboration with: Maha Saca
The Oriental Institute Museum of the University of Chicago, Illinois, 2007
ISBN: 978-1885923493
 
Palestinian Costume
By: Jehan S. Rajab
Kegan Paul International, 1989
ISBN: 0-7103-0283-5

Palestinian Embroidery: Traditional "Fallahi" Cross-stitch
By Widad Kamel Kawar and Tania Tamari Nasir
(In cooperation with other authors, photographers, illustrators, etc.)
State Museum of Ethnography, Munich
ISBN: 3-927270-04-0

Threads of Identity: Preserving Palestinian Costume and Heritage
By: Widad Kamal Kawar
Rimal Publications, 2011
ISBN: 9963610420

Palestinian Embroidery
By: Shelagh Weir& Serene Shahid
British Museum Press, 1970/1988
ISBN: 0714115916

The Art of Palestinian Embroidery
By: Leila El-Khalidi
Al Saqi Publishing, 1999
ISBN 0863563236

Finding Palestinian Tatreez

When buying Tatreez, please purchase items directly from Palestinian artists that hand-make items or the small businesses/charities/organizations that represent them. Here is a very brief list of online stores that are verified to be Palestinian and are handmaking their items. Because economies change, you may want to verify that the items you are purchasing are not machine made. This is only meant to be a short list to get you started. If you know of a store/website/artist/seller that could also be included, please email me and I will consider inclusion.

There are many groups, classes, collectives, Indigenous artists (and sometimes the small businesses that work with them), Indigenous charities, nonprofit empowerment programs, and more...that are not listed here. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list. A good way to find them is by starting with the resources listed on this page and then keep searching from there. Many of the websites mentioned here also list more resources outlined for you to explore.

There are many Tatreez artists, groups, collectives, nonprofits, and much more on social media. Researching artists and collectives, and following them on social media is a great way to learn more about their mission, art, and life. Be sure to also research your local area, because there may be resources close by that you never knew existed. They are not all listed here as this is meant to be a brief resource page. 


A Sampling of Online Websites & Stores:

Tatreez and Tea                                https://www.tatreezandtea.com/shop
Watan Palestine                                https://watanpalestine.com
Palestine Culture Center                  https://shop.palestinecutlure.org
Suzy Tamimi                                    https://www.suzytamimi.com
Handmade Palestine                        https://handmadepalestine.com
Paliroots                                           https://www.paliroots.com/

Museum of the Palestinian People

Arab American National Museum 

A Sampling of Etsy Sellers:

  • Sawsan, The Peace Center for Palestinian Heritage in Al-Eizariya, Palestine. Handmade by Palestinian Women – Entrepreneurship Program for Women. (On website and on Etsy.)
  • Bedouin Heritage on Esty in Bethany Palestine
  • Homeland Stitch: Palestinian American Company
  • YAZOUR: Located in Jordan
  •  Handmoda: Chadi, a Palestinian Canadian Designer and a Women’s entrepreneurship program
  •  NadasInk: Nada Esmaeel, Palestinian American Artist
  •  PieceofPeacepal: Piece of Peace Store: Handmade by Palestinian Women based in Seattle, 
  • RimaPalEmbroidery
  • PaliRoots  www.paliroots.com

There are many more Palestinian Tatreez artists, groups, collectives, stitching circles, informative websites, and online stores that have quality, beautiful merchandise. Feel free to explore, while remembering to make sure that your purchases are supporting Indigenous Palestinian artists, causes and/or organizations.


"A sincere note of gratitude to the Tatreez artists
from yesterday, today, and tomorrow.
They are the true archivists of our herstory,
history, identity, and culture."
-- Micaela Kaibni Raen
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