From Wildflowers to Wardrobe: A Palestinian-Inspired Stitch-Along for Summer
Photo sourced from the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity & Sustainability of Bethlehem University.
Why Wildflowers? The Symbolism Behind This Summer's Stitch-Along
In Palestine, wildflowers are more than just beautiful—they are storytellers. They bloom across borders, through rubble, and in the cracks of concrete. Their presence is gentle but persistent. In a land marked by forced displacement, occupation, and ecological destruction, these wildflowers are acts of quiet resistance.
As Mahmoud Darwish wrote in Flowers of Palestine:
“A flower is nothing less than a rebirth and hope, however great the sorrow... Flowers can say more eloquently than language how beautiful our country is... and how worthy of love.”
This summer, I’m inviting you to join me in honoring these blooms through a tatreez stitch-along that brings Palestinian wildflowers to life—thread by thread—on something as everyday as a jean jacket.
Introducing: Tatreez Your Jean Jacket – A Summer Stitch-Along Inspired by Palestine
The Tatreez Your Jean Jacket stitch-along is a digital embroidery experience designed to bring together Palestinian heritage, floral cross-stitch, and sustainable fashion. You'll receive:
A beautifully designed digital guide featuring floral embroidery motifs inspired by real wildflowers native to Palestine.
Stitching layout suggestions specifically for denim jackets (pockets, back panel, collars).
Video tutorials for working on non-Aida fabrics like denim.
Color palette inspiration grounded in the natural hues of the land.
Tips for sourcing thrifted jackets and incorporating your own story into your embroidery.
And while this project was imagined with a jean jacket in mind, you can stitch these floral motifs on anything: tote bags, thobes-in-progress, bookmarks, patches—you name it. This is your chance to carry Palestine’s wildflowers with you, in whatever way feels most meaningful.
This isn’t just a stitching project—it’s a practice of remembering, reclaiming, and re-rooting.
Floral Motifs from the Palestinian Landscape
Here are just a few of the native flowers that inspired the designs included in this project:
Anemone coronaria (Poppy Anemone) — Known locally as Hannoun in the north and Shakiq in the south, this vibrant red flower is deeply symbolic in Palestinian culture. With its red petals, black center, white ring, and green stem, it reflects all the colors of the Palestinian flag.
Often linked to the memory of martyrs, the poppy represents sacrifice, renewal, and love of the land. As Nasser Abufarha writes, “The flower is mainly red but also has all the colors of the Palestinian flag… It came to be associated with renewal, resurrection, and life.” (Source: Nasser Abufarha, “Land of Symbols: Cactus, Poppies, Orange and Olive Trees in Palestine,” 2008)
Linum pubescens (Hairy Pink Flax) — This delicate pink wildflower blooms each spring across Palestine’s shrublands. With its soft petals and slender hairy stems, it represents quiet resilience. Traditionally, its seeds have been used in folk remedies for healing, making it a symbol of both beauty and care. (Source: Mahmiyat.ps)
Bellis sylvestris (Southern Daisy) — A small Mediterranean daisy with white petals and yellow centers, Bellis sylvestris blooms in autumn and spring, avoiding the region’s harsh summers. It grows in forest clearings, rocky grasslands, and Mediterranean scrublands, often emerging from rocky soil between low shrubs.
Adonis microcarpa (Small Pheasant's-Eye) — A fiery red bloom. Still looking for more information!
Cistus creticus (Pink Rock Rose) — A bold magenta flower with golden accents that, when blossomed, lasts only a few hours—opening in the morning and dropping by midday—but new flowers appear daily for weeks. (Source: My Mediterranean Garden)
Floral references primarily sourced from the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity & Sustainability of Bethlehem University and the book Flowers of Palestine (The Mosaic Rooms, 1997).
Why a Stitch-Along Now?
It’s the perfect summer project
The Garden Thobe-inspired floral motifs are vibrant and seasonal—perfect for stitching as the world blooms around us. Summer invites slowness, and this stitch-along offers a way to honor that rhythm.It’s for all skill levels
Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned tatreez artist, I designed both a realistic interpretation of a wildflower garden and a design using traditional symmetrical tatreez motifs offering both accessibility and depth. With step-by-step guidance and video support (I’ll be doing this with you!), you’ll feel confident stitching onto denim.It’s sustainable and wearable
By stitching onto a jacket you already own—or one you sourced intentionally—you’re creating wearable Palestinian art. This project honors slow fashion values: reuse, creativity, and resisting fast fashion norms. It’s both beautiful and deeply intentional. (If you decide to thrift like I did, I’ll give you some tips!)It’s collective storytelling
As we each choose our flowers and stitch our stories, we’re weaving a living archive. One jacket might hold the memory of a grandmother’s garden, another might carry the longing of diaspora, and another still might shout defiance against environmental destruction.
The Politics of Planting: A Note on Ecological Resistance
As part of this project, I researched more deeply into how Palestine’s natural landscape has been systematically altered. The Jewish National Fund (JNF), for example, has engaged in massive reforestation using non-native trees, erasing indigenous flora and hiding the remains of ethnically cleansed Palestinian villages. These actions aren’t neutral—they’re ecological acts of erasure.
In contrast, this project is rooted in reclamation. We’re choosing native wildflowers. We’re honoring what was once common knowledge and daily beauty. And we’re stitching those truths into something visible and lasting.
Resources that informed this project:
Land Of Symbols: Cactus, Poppies, Orange and Olive Trees in Palestine by Nasser Abufarha
Coming Soon: How to Join the Stitch-Along
The full guide and registration will be available starting June 19. You’ll be able to access:
The full PDF with motifs and instructions
Bonus tutorials for stitching on denim
A summer stitching timeline
Optional add-ons and community connections
Make Your Wardrobe Bloom for Palestine
This project is about slowing down, stitching with intention, and letting our hands become a medium for ancestral and ecological memory. When we embroider Palestine’s wildflowers, we’re not just decorating a jacket—we’re declaring that beauty and resistance grow hand in hand.
💌 Sign up for my email list or follow on Instagram @linasthobe to be the first to access the stitch-along on June 19.
