Workshops

Stitch In

22 February
11:00 AM - 1:00 PM

Stitch In

Join us for ‘Stitch-In for Palestine’, a tatreez workshop series where you’ll learn to embroider meaningful motifs.

 

Tatreez, the centuries-old craft of Palestinian embroidery, is a testament to the richness of Palestinian identity and culture. It began with intricate cross-stitch motifs adorning the linen dresses of Palestinian women and has since expanded to embellish garments, household items, and wall pieces.

 

This art form, passed down through generations, values slow, intentional stitching over fast-paced, fleeting designs. Our workshop fosters a warm, welcoming community, offering a space to engage in a mindful and healing activity, anchored in the quiet rhythm of needle, thread, and cloth.

 

Participants will begin by stitching a beginner-friendly motif—a grave or a flower—to honor the departed souls of Palestine. These individual pieces will be gathered to form a public, communal artwork: a shared space of mourning and reflection.

 

This is a beginner friendly workshop; no prior embroidery experience is required!


About the Instructors:

Liane Al Ghusain (b. 1987) is a Palestinian-Kuwaiti artist who lives and works in Dearborn, Michigan. She received her MFA from New York University Abu Dhabi (2023) and completed a co-terminal BA (2009) and MA (2010) in English from Stanford University, with a focus on creative writing and interdisciplinary honors in feminist studies. She also has completed postgraduate studies at the Ashkal Alwan Home Workspace Program in Beirut, Lebanon.

 

Liane has shown her artwork in Abu Dhabi (421 Arts Campus, Abu Dhabi Art), Amsterdam (Framer Framed), Dubai (Art Dubai, NIKA Project Space, The Mine Gallery), Grand Rapids, Michigan (Art Prize), and Kuwait City (The Object Salon) as well as in online exhibitions, recently completing residencies at the A.M. Qattan Foundation in Ramallah, Palestine and the Atlantic Center for the Arts in Florida, USA.


She has worked as an artist, writer, culture/education consultant, and yoga/meditation teacher since 2010, and as of 2024 is to add ‘mother’ to her list of roles. More of her work can be seen at www.lianealghusain.com

 

Yasmeen Bsaiso is a specialist in Tatreez teaching and research. She has held training courses (online and offline) for communities interested in the traditional art of Tatreez. She started her embroidery journey in 2011, when she learned from Palestinian women whom she met in their homes. She also enhanced her understanding of the origins of Palestinian embroidery such as design, color selection and fabrics through her study of a number of important sources in this field, in which the history of embroidered pieces goes back to thousands of years. 

Yasmeen is inspired by her Palestinian origin, to present her courses in a welcoming and warm manner with rich knowledge, solid techniques and great passion. Over the years, Yasmeen has managed to train over 100 participants and entertain and intrigue them with the wonders of Tatreez… many of whom only finish a piece of Tatreez to initiate the next immediately

 

Instagram handle: @yasmeen.bsaiso