Palestinian Tatreez Resource Archive

 

"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 resistance and land stitched in Tatreez." 

 -- Micaela Kaibni Raen


Tatreez, Indigenous Palestinian embroidery and textiles, are more than cloth and thread, they are a vital cultural inheritance...a sacred hoop for continuance, identity, resistance, and sumud. This Palestinian Tatreez Resource Archive 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 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 sustainable ways to find Tatreez. 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 amazing websites where you can begin your journey: 


Tatreez and Tea & Tatreez Institute                      www.tatreezandtea.com

Tatreez Institute Recent Publication List                   www.tatreezandtea.com/publications


Maydel                                                                     www.maydel.com


Tirazain: Palestinian Embroidery Library          www.tirazain.com




Palestinian Tatreez Brief Bibliography
Below 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

Stitching the Intifada
By: Rachel Dedman
Common Threads Press, 2024
ISBN: 978-1-06862-501-5

Narrative Threads
By: Joanna Barakat
SAQI Books, 2025
ISBN: 978-1-84925-081-8



Finding Palestinian Tatreez

When buying Tatreez, please purchase items directly from Palestinian artists that hand-craft 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 but instead are hand-stitched. 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.

There are many groups, classes, collectives, Indigenous artists, small businesses, 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 more is by starting with the resources listed on this page and then continue researching from there. Many of the websites mentioned here also list more resources 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 make sure that they are Palestinian and that the funds will be shared with the artists creating the Tatreez. Don't forge to research your local area, because there may be resources close by that you never knew existed.  Here is a brief list of resources. 


A Sampling of Online Sites & Stores:
Tatreez and Tea                              https://www.tatreezandtea.com/shop
Hirabawi                                        https://www.kufiya.org/
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/
Thobnah                                         @thobnah
Darzah Designs                              www.darzah.org
Jeel Design                                     @jeeldesign
Hilweh Market                               @hilwehmarket
Dar Noora Palestine                       @dar_noora_palestine
Palestine Tatreez                            @paltatreez
Deerah                                            https://deerah.co/
Badan Collective                            https://badancollective.com/
PaliRoots                                        www.paliroots.com
Free the Olive Tree                        https://freetheolivetree.com/


Museum of the Palestinian People

Arab American National Museum 

Palestinian Museum US
https://www.palestinemuseum.us/shop

A Sampling of Etsy Sellers:

  • Sawsan, The Peace Center for Palestinian Heritage in Al-Eizariya, Palestine. Handmade by Palestinian Women – Entrepreneurship Program for Women. Find them on the website www.phc.ps and at their Etsy shop named: "BedouinHeritage" (located 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
  • Darzzehfashion
There are many more Palestinian Tatreez artists, groups, collectives, stitching circles, informative websites, and online stores that have quality merchandise. Please explore, while remembering to make sure that your purchases are supporting Indigenous Palestinian artists, causes and/or organizations. Also, you may want to ask if the items are hand-stitched or sewn by a machine. Often sellers consider "handmade" to include "the hand that guides the embroidery machine." Either way, please make sure that the items is made by a Palestinian (living in Palestine or in exile) and/or purchased from a Palestinian company. 

Podcast:
Tatreez Talk                           https://www.tatreeztalk.com/

Lina's Thobe on YouTube     https://www.youtube.com/@linasthobe

Tatreez Circles and Collectives:
Search your local area for Tatreez Stitching Circles/Tatreez Stitching Collectives. Your area may have stitching groups where you can learn, share, and connect with a supportive community. 



"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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