Observing Samarkand's tatreez workshops revealed patterns beyond visible embroidery. Participants gathered in rough circles, each with their own work, occasionally helping neighbours. The physical arrangement fosters community connection while preserving individual focus. Experienced stitchers developed rhythm—needle up, needle down, counting the threads. The repetition was meditative, building slowly toward something larger and more intricate.
Every complex tatreez pattern builds from the basic cross-stitch. Knowledge is transferred through practice, passed down from generation to generation. The patterns carried meaning, and the gathering created space for stories to be preserved. This revealed tatreez as methodology: individual elements combining through intention, precision, and community to create something infinite and meaningful.
in Qalandia Camp Women's Handicraft Society, Palestine 1974.