#tatreez

[soniamakes]

I regret choosing the long version of the Sophie Hood to cast on but it’s working up nicely so far. I even made some three ply red wool yarn from the merino sample my dog chomped into chunks.

It’s very “could a depressed person do this?” I’m feeling better but yesterday was a struggle.

This pattern is very good for zoning out with a good audiobook though. I’m almost finished reading The Lonely Castle in the Mirror.

[aworldofpattern]

Nadia kaftan by Nöl Collective

Cut and sewn in Bethlehem, and hand-embroidered with the pomegranate motif of the Bir al Saba region of Palestine. $498

100% linen, hand-embroidered in Bethlehem and Nablus.

Palestinian tatreez embroidery is a centuries-old art, handmade by women in Palestine and traditionally passed down from mother to daughter.

[aworldofpattern]

Tatreez jacket by Souk Samara at Nöl Collective

Denim jacket featuring upcycled tatreez from a vintage Palestinian thob. Souk Samara is a Palestinian brand which gives fraying vintage thobs (traditional dresses) a second life. $348

[soniamakes]

I really don’t like the feeling of anticipation. It’s too similar to anxiety. For the last few days I’ve been anticipating a package from Interlink Books. It’s a huge book on Palestinian traditional clothing and adornment. It’s making me twitchy. I’ve been anticipating this book for months. It is only available for preorders after which it will be out of print again.

To let off some steam, I’ve gathered the few books I do have on Palestinian clothing and embroidery. Maybe posting about them will help idk.

I’ve used these books to teach myself how to tatreez, in the hopes of one day making a Palestinian thobe.

If the book I’m waiting for comes today, I’ll post again and flail about it! Otherwise, I’ve planned a post gathering some learning resources I’ve found online.

[muchadecker]

Dead sea Bedouin double dresses/ thob ubb. Late 20th century

The area around the dead sea is the lowest on earth, with an all year round desert climate. The Bedouins who live around the dead sea adapted their clothing to this heat by wearing large 3m x 3m dresses. The length of the dress would be folded over 3 times and secured with a belt, and created a ventilation system to keep the wearer cool. It's also said that during Ottoman rule, the women hid valuables in the folds of the dresses, knowing the tax collectors wouldn't search them. One sleeve would be draped over the head, like a headscarf, while the other was left to hang.

Below are some pictures of the double dresses completely unfolded, to understand their true size.

Image 1 &2 from Library of Congress

Image 3 from Textile research centre Leiden

Image 4 from The Palestinian Museum

[soniamakes]

Quick post about some prep I’ve done for the Palestinian thobe project. It is very very early days. I have a friend who is deep into ottoman era Palestinian village thobes, similar to the kind my grandmother wore.

She first told me about how they would use silk fibre for embroidery. Sometimes this was spun using a drop spindle. And sometimes the fibre was pulled and twisted a little by hand.

So, friends, I taught myself to spin! My Christmas gift to myself was this tiny spindle and some tussah silk.

This type of spindle is called a Turkish or cross bar spindle as far as I know. I’ve seen period photographs of Palestinians using them, as well as some that have only one bar. They are really neat because you wind a little ball of thread as you go, then slip off the bars. No winder needed!

I should have plenty of thread by the time I’m ready to do the embroidery tatreez or tahriri I’m not sure yet).

[the-faerie-courts]

Tatreez

jaded.draws

[muchadecker]

Thobe from Beit Nabala 1920-1930

This cotton thobe with silk thread embroidery originates from Beit Nabala, a village destroyed during the 1948 nakba. Although seemingly 'scruffy' this thobe is incredibly important, and tells a story about the wearer, or, wearers.

Firstly, two slits on the chest panel have been made and then sewn up. This indicates she breastfed her children in this dress, and then sewed it back up once they had weaned.

Secondly, the thobe has a large section of fabric added to the mid section. This implies that the dress was this lengthened for another, taller, wearer.

This was an everyday thobe, to be worn in the fields and at home, and its sleeves have been darned many times.

It not only tells the story of the women who wore it, but also of the village before it was destroyed, and is an important part of history.

The destruction of this dress is the destruction of memory, the erase of a people, and must be protected.

Dress on display as part of the thread memory exhibition at the V&a Dundee. Photos by me