Mohammed Abushaban

Tatreez Lab: A Stitch Without a Thread

Tatreez Lab is an experimental workshop exploring Palestinian tatreez through new tools, materials, and collective making.

From stitch to stamp

Using 3D-printed stamps inspired by traditional Palestinian motifs, participants experiment, create patterns, and tell their own stories through making.

Rather than replacing traditional embroidery, the project offers an accessible and playful way to encounter tatreez as a living visual language of memory, identity, and belonging.

Making together

The textile above brings together work made during a Tatreez Lab workshop at Nieuwe Vide Artspace in Haarlem, the Netherlands.

Participants, aged approximately 21 to 60, each worked on a 15 × 25 cm piece of cotton fabric. Over 30–45 minutes, they stamped, coloured, repeated, and combined Palestinian motifs.

A space for experimentation

The workshop gives participants freedom to explore the motifs without following a fixed pattern. Stamps allow motifs from different regions of Palestine to be mixed, rotated, overlapped, repeated, and combined in different colours.

Each piece becomes a unique interpretation of tatreez: a composition shaped by the participant’s own style and story.

Community contributions

A growing collection of work and reflections from Tatreez Lab.

Calm and fun experience

Daphne

Wat een leuke ervaring om met vriendinnen te doen! Informatieve en vooral erg leuke cursus! Artiest doet het goed en maakt er echt een gezellige workshop van.

Workshop at NDSM

Julie

It was a really nice thing to do, very relaxing and nice to read about all the meanings of the figures and hear a bit of the background of Palestinian clothing

Loved it!

Susan

Very mediating to be working with your hands on the intersection of Palestinian culture, history and art. Thank you so much!

Thanks so much

Renée

Thanks so much, such a great workshop and Cultural Embroidery also for the kids! Thanks also from Thijn (11) and Jurre (9) from Muiden !

Thank you so much

Thank you so much for a fabulous workshop for both of our children ! They made a beautiful linen bag with the Tatreez stamps.

Cultural embroidery symbols and creativity

Mar

A good workshop , you get the feeling of the embroidery symbols and the story behind it, while being creative with these
Also reccomended for embroidery lovers in general.

Share your experience or feedback

Share a reflection, an image of your work, or both. Contributions appear publicly here after approval. You can also contribute anonymously.

Required