HELLOOO & WELCOME TO STITCH-IN FOR PALESTINE!!!!
We are collectively witnessing an ongoing genocide and it is super hard to feel so helpless from so far away. We are here to raise money for the basic survival of Palestinian people and the preservation of Palestinian childhoods…and to get tatreezing! Tatreez is the centuries-old craft of Palestinian embroidery and provides testimony to the richness of identity and culture that has been flowing in and out of the Holy Land throughout human history. We will be meeting every Sunday for the month of Ramadan to stitch together.
[12 - 4 pm March 17, 24, 31 & April 7 @ The Neighborhood Art School | 82 Clairmount Ave. Detroit]
Here’s how to participate:
Get your tatreez kit and design file
We currently have two kits available: beginner [11-count] and intermediate/advanced [14-count]. We also have a few kid-friendly kits on hand! For the stitch-in, we will begin by stitching a grave and/or a flower for the departed souls in Palestine.A lesser known motif, the gravesite from Hebron offers us a way to meditate and pray for those who have been killed in Gaza whose bodies have not been buried. There are tens of thousands of Gazan civilians’ bodies under the bombed rubble yet unburied and an estimated count of 28 unreturned bodies of Israeli hostages. In Gaza, bodies have piled up so fast that they are being buried in mass graves. The increased violence against Palestinians by Israeli soldiers and settlers is also alarming in the West Bank, including the killing of children.
The tatreez flower is found throughout different regions, and I offer it here as a way for us to place flowers at the gravesites of those murdered in this heartbreaking genocide. Palestinian embroidery motifs were often inspired by nature and crafters’ everyday surroundings.
Perhaps by stitching these motifs we can give the dead a symbolic burial and hope that they find dignified, eternal rest.
2. Make your donation
It is super overwhelming right now to understand where your money will be helpful. We’ve done our research and hope to donate proceeds to a combination of established NGOs such as Playgrounds for Palestine who have recently set up robust initiatives in Gaza.
To keep it simple and to track the effectivity of the Stitch-In for Palestine, we ask that you make a $10-100 sliding scale donation per motif that you complete. You can make the donation via PayPal [Liane@thescribes.me], CashApp [$Lianeya], Zelle and Instagram.
3. Get your materials
You will need:
A piece of pre-cut 4 x 4 inch cloth - if you are a beginner, grab an 11-count. If you’ve embroidered before, take a 14-count
A needle - should be in your piece of cloth already!
An arms-length piece of string - approx. 20 inches
This file
4. Get tatreezin’
Find a volunteer to instruct your first cross-stitch your motif or follow the tutorial at the end of the design file! If you don’t have the time to finish your motif on the spot, don’t worry, you can finish it at home and either mail or drop it off to the Neighborhood Art School (grab an envelope on your way out).
5. Submit your motif
Find the submission box for your motif (it should be by the door). If you prefer to work on it at home and want to mail it in, please go ahead and send it to the following address:
Neighborhood Art School
82 Clairmount Ave. Detroit, MI
48202
6. Stay connected! Please follow @lianeya and @neighborhoodartschool on Instagram to get updates on donations and to see the project as it evolves. Tag us in your tatreez journey and feel free to use the hashtag #stitchinforpalestine
And finally…..FREE FREE PALESTINE!!!!
Photo credit: @aliajamila_