The most well-kept secret about tatreez…
THE TATREEZ COMMUNITY.
When I first embarked on my tatreez journey, it was because I found a way to connect to my Palestinian heritage.
Later, I learned about how Palestinian women used to embed themselves into their athwab through tatreez, so I decided that’s what I was going to do and created my first handmade thobe with the full intention of embedding my own, unique story into the threads intertwined.
As I began to share my experience within the interweb, I then discovered that there were others just like me craving a relationship to Palestine that nothing can provide but the repetitive movement with needle and thread.
We began to connect. Share tatreez tricks. Stitch together. Get to know one another.
Until…
We knew the virtual space no longer fulfilled our needs. We required an in-person component.
And thus, the first ever Tatreez Retreat in the United States was born. A group of SUCH incredibly diverse Palestinian women with beauty, brains, humor, and hearts so large came from across the country to do exactly what we were doing virtually: Connect. Share tatreez secrets. Stitch together. Get to know another. AND…forge unforgettable memories.
As I reflected on this experience, I suddenly remembered something else I learned when studying the history and evolution of Palestinian embroidery, a revelation so profound that I could never have understood until I experienced it first-hand. Beyond the mesmerizing stitches that have told the stories of Palestinian women for centuries lies a secret so well-kept, only the hands that stitch them can bear witness: An extraordinary community.
As Palestinians were forcibly disconnected from their indigenous lands, the art of tatreez endured as a silent testament to our power as a collective. The most magical story lies not in the motifs and colors and stitches created, but in the vibrant community that has thrived alongside this traditional practice. A community so intricately woven into the fabric of Palestinian tradition that can only ever be truly understood by the skillful hands that meticulously craft these intricate designs.
A community that I didn’t know I was a part of or one I needed.
In our journey to reconnect with our roots due to the consequences of 75 years of settler colonialism, especially amongst the active ethnic cleansing of our brothers and sisters in historic Palestine in this moment, tatreez serves as the bridge connecting us to a heritage through EACH OTHER. This community that we’re forming is a reclamation of that which mirrors the strength and resilience of our ancestors, enabling us all to connect to the collective narrative of belonging to and being in solidarity with Palestine.
And it’s only just the beginning.
