Tatreez Talk

Tatreez Talk

Tatreez Talk is a the podcast that stitches together the vibrant narratives of Palestinian embroidery! Join us as we chat with talented embroiderers and artists, sharing their stories, inspirations, and the cultural significance behind each meticulously crafted piece. Thread your needle, press play, and let the stories unfold…one stitch at a time.

  1. 2d ago ·  Video

    S7E8. Building Kan'an Collective: Community, Design, and Fair Pay with Zaynab

    Send us Fan Mail MEET ZAYNAB, A TATREEZ ARTIST AND FOUNDER OF KANAAN COLLECTIVE BUILDING COMMUNITY IN THE DMV AREA (@kanaancollective). Half-Palestinian and half-Irish, she grew up partly in Amman, Jordan, after her father's family fled Al-Khalil during the Six-Day War before the family moved to the U.S., where a post-9/11 America gave her a hard early lesson in how the world would see her identity.  She'd always admired tatreez as an art form, even remembering a photo of herself standing between two thobes in a museum, but it wasn't until her sister's wedding (when everyone was wearing hand-stitched thobes) that she realized it was something she could actually learn herself. She picked up the needle for good during COVID, and stitched daily as a way to cope after October 7th, a period that left her craving in-person community with people who understood her. That craving grew into informal stitching circles that started with one friend and grew to 30 people, eventually becoming Kan'an Collective in 2025.  In this episode, Zaynab talks about building that community from the ground up, her deliberate push to create more modest, hijabi-friendly tatreez pieces for everyday wear, and her design process. She also shares how she connected with the Palestinian women embroiderers in Egypt (many displaced from Gaza) who stitch her designs, with all proceeds going directly to them, and speaks candidly about the flood of cheap machine embroidery undervaluing tatreez labor, and why she believes embroiderers deserve to be paid what their work is actually worth. You’ll hear about: >> 1:15: Zaynab’s connection to Palestine >> 6:27: Her tatreez journey >> 9:35: Building community and starting Kanaan Collective >> 12:36: A collection with tatreez by women in Egypt >> 18:43: Zaynab’s design process >> 25:32: Cheap machine embroidery undervaluing tatreez labor >> 31:53: Problems arising from commercializing the culture >> 34:46: Her current projects >> 38:10: Life lessons from tatreez Rate, Review, & Follow on Your Favorite Podcast Platform “I love Palestinian embroidery and Tatreez Talk.” – If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us elevate the vibrant narratives of Palestinian embroiderers and support more tatreez-ers — just like you — in learning more about tatreez and connecting with each other. You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and others -- just scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let us know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We’re adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow now! Boycott Resolute RGL. Click here for more information. Boycott ZARA and all Inditex brands—Bershka, Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius, Oysho, ZARA Home. Click here for more information. Follow us @tatreeztalk Follow Amanne @minamanne & Lina @linasthobe

  2. Oct 1 ·  Video

    S7E7. Temporary Caretaker of a Hundred-Year-Old Thobe with Leilah

    Send us Fan Mail MEET LEILAH: A MOTHER, EDUCATOR AND PASSIONATE COLLECTOR ABOUT ALL TRADITIONAL PALESTINIAN DRESS AND HISTORY (@leilah_ia). Three generations removed from Palestine, with family scattered across Brazil, Kuwait, Jordan, and Ramallah, she grew up watching her grandmother work on thobes. It wasn't until she went searching for one of her own during a pandemic wedding that collecting became a calling. What she found online was a market flooded with mislabeled "ceremonial robes," most sold by non-Palestinians with only fragments of the real story behind them, and that gap is what pulled her in. In this episode, Leila walks us through pieces from her personal collection spanning the late 19th to 20th century, tracing how thobes and malaks were altered, mislabeled, and sometimes stripped for parts by owners outside the culture. She shares what she's learned about reading provenance, preserving fragile pieces, and treating herself as a temporary caretaker rather than an owner. She also talks candidly about the labor of building trust with elders and fellow collectors, the role of online archives in her self-education, and why she believes everyone, regardless of gender, should feel free to wear tatreez. You’ll hear about: >> 0:58: Leilah’s relationship to Palestine >> 2:57: Getting interested in tatreez & learning tatreez from Teta >> 7:13: Collecting Thobes >> 10:37: Connecting with community (and men) through collecting >> 17:54: Thobe show-and-tell (WATCH ON YOUTUBE!) >> 36:40: Misconceptions by the Palestinian community >> 42:00 Who has a right to collect athwab? >> 47:30: How you should clean an old thobe >> 49:56: What’s next in Leilah’s tatreez journey >> 51:34: Major life lesson from tatreez Rate, Review, & Follow on Your Favorite Podcast Platform “I love Palestinian embroidery and Tatreez Talk.” > Jawad from @palestinian_thobbe on IG, incredible resource on Palestinian tatreez & dress Boycott Resolute RGL. Click here for more information. Boycott ZARA and all Inditex brands—Bershka, Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius, Oysho, ZARA Home. Click here for more information. Follow us @tatreeztalk Follow Amanne @minamanne & Lina @linasthobe

  3. Sep 3 ·  Video

    S7E6. Tasneem with Amneh from Sarafand [Arabic/عربي]

    Send us Fan Mail IN THIS EPISODE, we welcome Amneh, the artist and embroiderer behind @sarafand, to talk about her journey into tatreez, her large-scale Chest panels of thobe embroidery murals, and the story of her village, Sarafand, that inspired her page name. Amneh shares how a casual introduction to Tatreez from a neighbor grew into months-long mural projects, why she believes only those who've learned tatreez can truly judge its value, and how documenting Palestinian Chest panels and Sarafand traditional patterns became a way of preserving a piece of Palestine that no longer physically exists. You'll hear about: >> 01:35: Quick intro into Amneh and how she started tatreez >> 07:23: Her creative process: research, color choices, and how long a mural really takes >> 13:07: Her workshops — teaching tatreez to both Arab and non-Arab students >> 20:03 Choosing the right materials for her tatreez mural  >> 30:00: The real cost of handmade work — pricing, value, and pushing back on undercutting artists Dealing with people copying or taking credit for her work >> 41:00: The story of her mother-in-law's village and family history Turning her mother-in-law's memories into a modern embroidery piece >> 45:00: Tatreez as memory-keeping and resistance — passing identity to the next generation >> 50:00: Her closing message: why imperfect tatreez still matters, and where to find her في هذه الحلقة، نرحب بـ أمنة، الفنانة والمطرزة صاحبة صفحة @sarafand، لتحدثنا عن رحلتها مع التطريز، وجدارياتها الكبيرة لقبات الثوب المطرز، وقصة قريتها صرفند التي استوحت منها اسم صفحتها. تشاركنا أمنة كيف تحولت بداية بسيطة لتعلم التطريز من إحدى الجارات إلى مشاريع جداريات تستغرق شهورًا، ولماذا تؤمن أن من تعلّم التطريز وجرّبه فعلاً هو وحده القادر على تقدير قيمته الحقيقية، وكيف أن توثيق قبات الثوب الفلسطيني والزخارف التراثية لصرفند أصبح وسيلة للحفاظ على جزء من فلسطين لم يعد موجودًا على أرض الواقع. سوف تستمعون إلى: 01:35: مقدمة سريعة عن أمنة وكيف بدأت رحلتها مع التطريز  07:23: عملية الإبداع لديها: البحث، اختيار الألوان، والوقت الحقيقي الذي تستغرقه الجدارية  13:07: ورشاتها — تعليم التطريز للعرب وغير العرب  20:03: اختيار الخامات المناسبة لجداريات التطريز  30:00: التكلفة الحقيقية للعمل اليدوي — التسعير، القيمة، ورفض التقليل من جهد المطرزات  التعامل مع من يقلّد أعمالها أو ينسبها لنفسه  41:00: قصة قرية حماتها وتاريخ العائلة  45:00: التطريز كوسيلة لحفظ الذاكرة والمقاومة — ونقل الهوية للجيل القادم  50:00: رسالتها الختامية:وأين يمكن التواصل معها Boycott Resolute RGL. Click here for more information. Boycott ZARA and all Inditex brands—Bershka, Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius, Oysho, ZARA Home. Click here for more information. Follow us @tatreeztalk Follow Amanne @minamanne & Lina @linasthobe

  4. Aug 27 ·  Video

    S7E5. Introducing Tatreez Talk in Arabic with Tasneem

    Send us Fan Mail IN THIS EPISODE, Lina and Amanne make a big announcement: Tatreez Talk is officially expanding into Arabic-language episodes, hosted by tatreez artist and educator Tasneem! THE ANNOUNCEMENT Tatreez Talk is launching a new arm of the podcast recorded fully in ArabicHosted by Tasneem (@tasneem.tatreez) — digitizer, cross-stitch educator, and researcher, and a familiar face from a past episodeThe goal: open up conversations with guests who have a wealth of knowledge but aren't comfortable interviewing in EnglishLina and Amanne will step back as listeners for these episodes — a first for the podcastMEET TASNEEM Started her tatreez journey at the end of 2024, during the genocide, as a way to reconnect with Palestine and other Palestinians (check out her TT interview!)Went from hobby stitcher to researcher — digitizing traditional motifs, teaching cross-stitch and the tahriri stitch, and documenting storiesFound community and friendship around the world through tatreez, and describes the practice as both therapy and resistanceWHY ARABIC EPISODES MATTER Creates space for stitchers and elders without a big platform, or without social media at all, to be heardReconnects diaspora Palestinians to Arabic alongside tatreez itselfSurfaces oral histories and shared struggles (fair pay, copyright, preserving heritage while making a living) that don't always come through in EnglishReferenced Thread of Identity and Widad Kawar's work as inspiration for centering the women behind the thobe, not just the thobe itselfFramed as a way to "stop the circle of regret" — recording elders' and stitchers' stories before they're lostWHAT TO EXPECT Same spirit as Tatreez Talk, shaped in Tasneem's own voice and formatEnglish subtitles planned for YouTube so non-Arabic speakers can follow alongA great excuse for diaspora listeners to practice their ArabicEpisodes will be sprinkled into the season — no fixed schedule yetSEND US YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS Know an elder, educator, or stitcher who teaches or speaks about tatreez in Arabic? Let us know!No social media following required — the goal is documenting stories, not follower countsSubmit via email, the website, or DM @tatreeztalktatreezRate, Review, & Follow on Your Favorite Podcast Platform “I love Palestinian embroidery and Tatreez Talk.” – If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us elevate the vibrant narratives of Palestinian embroiderers and support more tatreez-ers — just like you — in learning more about tatreez and connecting with each other. You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and others -- just scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let us know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We’re adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow now! Follow us @tatreeztalk Follow Amanne @minamanne & Lina @linasthobe

  5. Aug 20 ·  Video

    S7E4. A Grandmother's Craft, A Granddaughter's Vision with Teta Zuhria & Suha

    Send us Fan Mail MEET THE DUO BEHIND ASHGHAL EL TETA: TETA ZUHRIA, A TATREEZ ENTHUSIAST AND CRAFTS LOVER & SUHA, AN INTERIOR ARCHITECT, TATREEZ ADMIRER AND LOVER OF ALL HANDMADE OBJECTS (@ashghalelteta). Through Ashghal el-Teta, they’re creating tatreez-inspired artwork that bridges tradition and modern design. Teta Zuhria's love of tatreez started as a child in a small village near Hebron, nagging her own mother and grandmother to teach her the craft. Suha, an interior architect, grew up watching her mother stitch and eventually joined her — bringing an architect's eye for space, color, and storytelling into their shared practice. We talk about how their signature piece, Bab al-Dar (a tatreez-embroidered door), came to life, and the deeply personal commission for their friend Dina, recreating the door from her family's home in Gaza using photos from a family celebration. Suha shares how she digitizes and deconstructs traditional motifs "like Morse code," while Teta Zuhria brings decades of stitching mastery to every piece, and the two open up about their process, their color-palette debates, and what it means to name their business after the moment Teta Zuhria became a grandmother. You’ll hear about: >> 1:30: Teta Zuhria & Suha’s connection to Palestine >> 2:22: Teta Zuhria’s tatreez journey >> 5:00: Suha’s tatreez journey >> 7:32: How Suha’s background in architecture influenced their approach to tatreez >> 11:05: A commission for Dina & details behind Bab al-Dar >> 18:54: Becoming a teta as the impetus for Ashghal El Teta >> 21:59: The takeaway for customers and the process of commissioning >> 29:20: What’s next for Ashghal El Teta >> 31:13: Influence from Khalili traditional tatreez >> 37:00: Life lessons from tatreez Rate, Review, & Follow on Your Favorite Podcast Platform “I love Palestinian embroidery and Tatreez Talk.” – If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us elevate the vibrant narratives of Palestinian embroiderers and support more tatreez-ers — just like you — in learning more about tatreez and connecting with each other. You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and others -- just scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let us know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We’re adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow now! Boycott Resolute RGL. Click here for more information. Boycott ZARA and all Inditex brands—Bershka, Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius, Oysho, ZARA Home. Click here for more information. Follow us @tatreeztalk Follow Amanne @minamanne & Lina @linasthobe

  6. Aug 13 ·  Video

    S7E3. Finding Her Way Home Through Tatreez with Israa

    Send us Fan Mail ISRAA IS A TATREEZ ARTIST AND TEACHER BUILDING COMMUNITY IN OTTAWA (@tatreez.by.israa). Her family's story stretches from Al-Falouja to a refugee camp in Gaza, then Saudi Arabia, and eventually Canada — and it wasn't until she left Gaza that she discovered tatreez as a way to reconnect with a part of her identity she felt was missing.  What started as a personal desire to fill her new home with tatreez turned into teaching sessions for local youth and allies, a ripple effect of students who've since gone on to teach others, and a deep, ongoing relationship with her own family's craft. Check out this article Israa was featured in! We talk about the devastating loss of family photos and heirlooms during the genocide, the recent arrival of her parents in Canada after nearly two years of processing, and how tatreez became a thread back to a grandmother she never had the chance to know. Israa also shares her multi-thobe journey in progress and an exciting upcoming community art collaboration with artist Hala Al-Madi (her website), bringing together tatreez pieces from women across Ottawa into a single gallery installation this fall. You’ll hear about: >> 1:29: Israa’s roots in Gaza >> 6:14: Connecting to Gaza by learning tatreez  >> 11:12: Starting tatreez community in Ottawa >> 20:35: Israa’s (ongoing) thobe journey >> 27:29: Art collaboration with Hala Madi >> 30:10: Teaching kiddos tatreez >> 32:36: Growing community while energy around the Palestinian cause has waned >> 36:40: Israa’s life lesson from tatreez  Rate, Review, & Follow on Your Favorite Podcast Platform “I love Palestinian embroidery and Tatreez Talk.” > Local tatreezer builds community through Palestinian embroidery article about Israa Boycott Resolute RGL. Click here for more information. Boycott ZARA and all Inditex brands—Bershka, Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear, Stradivarius, Oysho, ZARA Home. Click here for more information. Follow us @tatreeztalk Follow Amanne @minamanne & Lina @linasthobe

  7. Aug 6 ·  Video

    S7E2. Building a Marketplace for Palestinian Heritage with Paige of ThobeHob

    Send us Fan Mail IN THIS EPISODE, we welcome back Paige Austin, the artist, activist, and creator behind @wanderingcamelgoods and @hoobzehwajibneh to talk about her new venture: ThobeHob, a marketplace for buying, selling, and trading Palestinian thobes. Paige shares the inspiration behind the platform (born from years of seeing precious handmade thobes lost on generic resale sites), why she built it intentionally "by Palestinians, for Palestinians," and how the whole thing works: from listing fees to shipping to the community she hopes it builds along the way. You’ll hear about: >> 0:50: Quick intro into Paige >> 2:23: Introducing ThobeHob! >> 4:06: How it works >> 7:03: Inspiration behind the platform >> 8:45: Why now and why this is exclusively for Palestinians >> 10:20: For Palestinians, by Palestinians >> 13:50: Vision and hopes for ThobeHob >> 16:42: Process of listing and browsing thobes >> 22:56: One takeaway you should take from ThobeHob Links Mentioned: >> Hear more of Paige’s story in first interview: S1E27. A New Journey in Tatreez with Paige >> Buy, sell, and trade thobes: ThobeHob on Wandering Camel Goods >> ThobeHub on Instagram: @ThobeHob Rate, Review, & Follow on Your Favorite Podcast Platform “I love Palestinian embroidery and Tatreez Talk.” – If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us elevate the vibrant narratives of Palestinian embroiderers and support more tatreez-ers — just like you — in learning more about tatreez and connecting with each other. You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and others -- just scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let us know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We’re adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow now! Boycott Resolute RGL. Click here for more information. Follow us @tatreeztalk Follow Amanne @minamanne & Lina @linasthobe

  8. Jul 30 ·  Video

    S7E1. Season 7 Kick Off!

    Send us Fan Mail IN THIS EPISODE, we kick off Season 7 with MANY exciting new developments for Tatreez Talk!  TATREEZ TALK UPDATES NEW WEBSITE! We talked about our new branding last season and now our website reflects it: Check it out at www.tatreeztalk.comYou can now search past episodes and explore our episode guidesA phase-two feature is in the works (still under wraps 👀)A big season announcement is coming in the next few weeks — stay tunedWe're always looking for guest recommendations (no social following required). What matters most is sharing personal stories of Palestinians and their connection to tatreez, told by Palestinians themselvesLINA’S UPDATES Slow Summer VibesAlf Mabrouk to Lina’s video editor Nour who is officially married 🥳Migrating off of Mighty Networks to focus more intentionally on a Tatreez DESIGN Tool that Lina first vibe coded and is now getting fully flushed out with a small but mighty team based in Gaza, Tunis, & Spain — more details coming soonSupport the mentorship program enabling Lina to hire Palestinians in Gaza: https://www.launchgood.com/v4/campaign/rebuild_gaza_one_intern_at_a_timeLooking for some personal tatreez inspoAMANNE’S UPDATES Traveled to Oaxaca, Mexico for a week of in-person workshops, following a virtual talk she gave for the Textile Museum of Oaxaca back in MarchThe Oaxaca Textile Museum is partnering with the Palestine Museum (Birzeit) on an embroidery exchange exhibition — embroiderers from each region are creating pieces to be swapped and displayed at both museumsIs already in conversation with the museum about a return tripAfter nearly a year in the works, Amanne is launching her first tatreez fashion collection!!! Every piece is hand embroidered and made to order, embroidered by Palestinian women refugees in Jordan, in partnership with Deerah.Amanne is already working on round two and welcomes feedback (be nice!)You can browse and shop here: https://minamanne.com/fashionAlso in the works: a new digital project — still under wraps, but tied to Amanne’s "obsessive" stitching practiceRate, Review, & Follow on Your Favorite Podcast Platform “I love Palestinian embroidery and Tatreez Talk.” – If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing our show! This helps us elevate the vibrant narratives of Palestinian embroiderers and support more tatreez-ers — just like you — in learning more about tatreez and connecting with each other. You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and others -- just scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let us know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. We’re adding a bunch of bonus episodes to the feed and, if you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out. Follow now! Boycott Resolute RGL. Click here for more information. Follow us @tatreeztalk Follow Amanne @minamanne & Lina @linasthobe

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About

Tatreez Talk is a the podcast that stitches together the vibrant narratives of Palestinian embroidery! Join us as we chat with talented embroiderers and artists, sharing their stories, inspirations, and the cultural significance behind each meticulously crafted piece. Thread your needle, press play, and let the stories unfold…one stitch at a time.

Information

  • Creator
    Tatreez Talk
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    97
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Tatreez Talk
  • Show Website
    Tatreez Talk

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