Recommended Resources
Finding Inspiration
The first step in designing your Tatreez project is to gather inspiration. Look for traditional Palestinian motifs, patterns, and color combinations that resonate with you. Explore resources such as books and online collections to discover a wealth of Tatreez ideas.
The following are some recommended resources:
Tatreez Traditions Motif Library
Discover a digital library featuring traditional Tatreez motif collections, Tatreez patterns, and detailed stitching instructions for beginners. Browse through this Motif Library to inspire your next Tatreez project! All these valuable resources are readily available, free to access and download!
Tirazain Digital Archive
Tirazain, a digital archive, serves to preserve Palestinian embroidery. By digitizing more than 1,000 motifs, the platform offers high-resolution designs available for free download, providing options with or without grids, editable design files, and compatibility with machine embroidery formats. Additionally, it supplies details about each motif's origin, stitch count, and estimated project duration. The website is designed to be user-friendly, allowing visitors to easily search the entire library and view results in both Arabic and English.
Link: https://tirazain.com/
Palestinian Embroidery Traditional Fallahi Cross-stitch
Widad Kamel Kawar and Tania Tamari Nasi
This book, originally published in 1990 and subsequently in multiple editions, is a significant effort to document and safeguard classical Palestinian embroidery and its unique motifs. It represents various Palestinian regions including Ramallah, Yaffa, Al Khalil, Gaza, & Biʾr al-Sab. The primary goal was to preserve these cultural treasures, prevent their deterioration, and empower women to embroider and innovate, thus creating opportunities for new generations.
The book has been made available for download to continue preserving this heritage.
Free download link (From Tiraz Centre): https://bit.ly/3elHjDt
A Treasury of Stitches Palestinian Embroidery Motifs 1850–1950
Margarita Skinner
Margarita Skinner, in partnership with Widad Kawar, offers an intriguing journey presenting more than 200 Palestinian motifs dating from 1850 to 1950, each illustrated. This book stands out as the pioneering work that comprehensively catalogs these motifs by their origins and names, providing valuable insights into the past
The Journeys of Motifs From Orient to Occident
Margarita Skinner
This book offers a captivating exploration in two parts. The first section traces the history of pattern books in central Europe from the sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, which drew inspiration from Persia, Mesopotamia, and Mamluk Egypt. It also features accounts of travelers fascinated by Palestinian embroidered attire. The second part presents samples of these motifs, revealing their origins and meanings
Guide to The Palestinian Art of Embroidery (Arabic)
Nabil Anani
This book features 642 motifs from traditional Palestinian costumes. Each motif is numbered, named, and accompanied by details about its placement on the dress and its geographical origin. Thread colors are specified using DMC catalog numbers for accurate replication. While primarily in Arabic, the book's rich illustrations make it accessible and valuable to non-Arabic speakers.
