S4E3 of Tatreez Talk: Tatreego and Other Joyful Experiments with Eman
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Recording this episode with Eman from @tatreez_therapy was a breath of fresh air. Her approach to tatreez is playful, bold, and deeply rooted—reminding me that tradition doesn’t have to be rigid to be respected.
What struck me most wasn’t just her creative genius (though Tatreego is iconic), but how naturally she weaves joy into a practice shaped by displacement and longing. There’s a quiet power in how she holds complexity without letting it harden her. Her playfulness, her love of color, her willingness to remix tradition instead of preserving it in amber—that stayed with me.
If you haven’t listened yet, this one’s full of laughter, honesty, and one very brilliant idea involving LEGOs.
Episode Shownotes
EMAN IS THE FOUNDER OF THE INSTAGRAM ACCOUNT TATREEZ THERAPY (@EMAN_MSM; @TATREEZ_THERAPY). In this episode, Eman opens up about her family roots in Yaffa and Ne’lin, and how those places, now shaped by occupation and displacement, live on in her through tatreez.
Eman speaks about the joy and experimentation that fuel her approach to tatreez—remixing motifs, embracing imperfections, and treating the art form as a dynamic space for self-discovery. As an interior designer-turned-embroiderer, her eye for color, detail, and emotional depth infuses every piece she creates.
One of her most delightful ideas? Tatreego—a concept that merges her two loves, Tatreez and LEGO, into something totally original. Imagine Tatreez patterns built from LEGO bricks, displayed in every LEGO store and online shop. If you know someone connected to LEGO corporate… let’s help Eman make Tatreego a reality!
You’ll hear about:
>> 1:24: Eman’s connection to Palestine
>> 7:16: How Eman first learned tatreez
>> 16:24: The tatreez community at Kave and in the UAE more broadly
>> 19:30: The origin of the name Tatreez Therapy
>> 21:30: How Eman’s tatreez and her workshops evolved since 2020
>> 24:24: Impact of tatreez on Eman’s Palestinian identity
>> 28:16: Tatreego—the project we didn’t know we need!
>> 32:10: Eman’s background in interior design meets tatreez
>> 34:07: Map t-shirt design available on Tirazain
>> 43:13: Major life lessons from tatreez
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Links Mentioned
>> Map Tee shirts with signature and flag colors -- design available on Tirazain.com
Transcript
Amanne: Hi stitchers! Welcome to Tatreez Talk where we share conversations about Palestinian embroidery. I'm Amani here with my co-host, Lina, chatting with talented embroiders and artists sharing their stories, inspirations, and the cultural significance behind their work.
Lina: On today's episode. We are chatting with Eman, the founder of the Instagram account. Tatreez Therapy. Welcome to Tatreez Talk Eman
Eman: Hello! It's Eman. Finally. Here
Eman: it's been a while I've been watching both of you like, and your posts and everything. Lina's was my inspiration for the Thorpe journey. So I was really so in love with the journey itself.
Amanne: Oh!
Eman: Money. I'm so in love with the art piece that has a different color, because
Amanne: If he's
Eman: My favorite color. So I was like, I can't wait until the yeah until the colors, like until the artwork is done. So
Eman: yeah, yeah, so the world is quiet, but we are still close with the tree. So
Amanne: Oh.
Amanne: I love that. I love hearing that I think we're I will say I think we're all very much inspired by each other, and it's so exciting to see so many Palestinians all over the world practicing Tatreez, and really like doing it in their own way. It's really beautiful to see, and we're very inspired by the work you do, and we'll definitely talk a lot about that and the community that you're building. But before we dive in to that.
Amanne: Eman, we always like to start off by asking, What is you? Your family's connection to Falasteen?
Eman: Okay. So my mom and dad, they both born in Palestine. So my mom is from Yaffa, which is Jaffa, and my dad is from Ramallah, not not originally from Ramallah itself, as he's like from the like the villages of Ramallah.
Eman: so it's called Nealeen. It's recently started to show up as an Eleen as in village, because it wasn't really well known back in time until the separating wall and everything it's started to build up. So we had, like most of my family's farmer, like family farms, are already gone with the with the separation wall. So this is when Nalin became famous, unfortunately with a bad situation. But
Eman: yeah, this is Nalene and my mom. She's from Jaffa originally, but she born and raised in Nablus in Askar refugee camp.
Eman: so she has nothing to do. She doesn't know anything about Yafa, unfortunately, and I think she visits only once when she was a real kid, like as a school trip.
Eman: but she didn't record anything with with that.
Eman: And yeah. So
Eman: I remember my mom told me that her mom and dad they got married in Yaffa only, and they gave birth for the 1st child
Eman: by the like, by the journey of leaving Yaffa towards Nablas. So they were stopping in some camps, refugees, and everything, until they settled in Askar. So yeah, there's the journey of her family.
Eman: And my dad he raised there already, like in Ramallah. But nothing happened with the occupation, or at that time, so he was still in a safe place and he moved to
Eman: to Iraq for studies, and then he shifted to UAE. When he started his working journey. He was like 2020 something when he, when he arrived here to UAE, to Dubai. And yeah, my mom and dad, they knew each other here, only they met each other in Dubai and they got married here. And this way, like my me and my siblings. We all born here, so we belong to UAE.
Eman: That's a good thing about you that you still feel home.
Eman: because it's full of Palestinians, like everywhere, like my whole neighbors, were used to be Palestinians, my friends in school they only Palestinians. So it's full of Palestinians. So that's that's the thing that you never feel like you are. You're apart from your country.
Eman: and we used to visit Palestine during the school school summer break.
Eman: So that was a must for us. If it's not a year by year, it would be like like year after year, or something.
Eman: but I still remember everything of Palestine. Since the day I visited journalism I have been to Qubbat Sakhra, the dome of the rock Al-aqsa. I don't identify it at all, but I still remember the dome of the rock with the whole details inside. I was only 4 years old
Amanne: Wow!
Eman: I can remember everything, and I remember I was trying to climb the column inside, and my grandma was like, Stay there, and I remember, I put my hand inside that the thing that you filled the Misc of Prophet Muhammad. Yeah, that's like one of my best memories in Palestine.
Eman: and still have some families there. Yeah, my eldest sister. She's there in Palestine and Nablus.
Eman: She's married, and she has kids. So yeah, she settled there. She was here before and she settled there in Palestine recently
Amanne: When was the last time you were able to visit
Eman: 20 2010. That was the last time
Amanne: Okay.
Eman: Unfortunately, I couldn't make it later after that, because I was already studying and working like making my bachelor degree, so I couldn't have a chance to visit back again, and because I had a small trauma there when I was, because, you know for us I'm holding a German passport, so
Eman: For us. We have to go only by road from from Jordan to Palestine, and the moment I reach to Palestine
Eman: we were in the big bus like a huge bus, and everyone everyone is there, and my family they they all like went out from the bus, and when once I stepped out from the bus. So the soldier was like Eman. You step aside.
Eman: I was like. Why, I have to step aside like what I have done like my family is there? I was only 17 years old, and I was like, just shut up and step aside.
Eman: Awesome.
Eman: I'm okay until when he was like, if you keep talking you will stay here forever.
Eman: Okay. And I had to wait for so much time until they like. Release me like like an hour or something. And my family were they all leaving? And
Eman: yeah, that was really bad. And once I even once I left to that, I arrived to the village. There was, at that time the separating world was happening.
Eman: so like the roads were like full of gas bombs and tear bombs, and all these. So
Eman: I was really bad. I never thought like I would ever witness this. But yeah, it happened. And
Eman: I don't know. It's for us like eventually, as a person. You will, you will. You will see it like, no matter what, even if you witness it alive, or you just like see it through the social media or something. But yeah.
Lina: Yeah, no. And it's those small experience. They're not small. But it's those experiences that are that they stay with you like for a very
Eman: Yeah.
Lina: For.
Eman: Sure.
Lina: Yeah. And it's it is like a a form of trauma. I think, too, it's yeah, I I'm so sorry you had to go through that, and that you're you haven't been able
Eman: Telling you eventually as a senior, we'll go through
Lina: Yeah.
Eman: What they're like
Lina: Inshallah! Yeah, Inshallah, you go back to a free Philistine Inshallah! We all do
Eman: Inshallah, we will witness this Insha'llah very soon.
Lina: And shell, yeah, yeah.
Lina: Well, okay. So why don't we kind of pivot now into your tatreez journey? So how did you 1st learn tall trees
Eman: Okay. So it was fun. The time I started to learn the trees was back in 2011 or 2012. I can't recall the date exactly, but I guess 2012, because I was studying. It was my second year in the college.
Eman: Oh, on the 1st year. Sorry 1st year in the college as interior designer.
Eman: and I remember my family. They they left during the summer vacation, and I was here because I was having a summer course in the in the in the college.
Eman: and I was staying alone with my with my eldest, with my brother, not eldest, one second brother
Eman: So they so my brother decided just to. We can me and him to shift to my uncle's house
Eman: so I won't stay home alone, because he goes even to college, so sometimes he will leave me alone at home. So we said, like we decided to shift to my uncle's home and my uncle's home were staying. They used to say they used to stay in Sharjah and Sharjah, but not that far from Dubai, but the traffic is really bad between Dubai and Sharjah, so I couldn't have enough time to do anything.
Eman: Once I reach home, because I would be reaching home very late, so I used to draw and do everything when I drive the car. That's really bad, and it's not recommended for anyone but for me, like I wasn't having enough time to do my assignments, so I had to work in a bad way until I reach homes. And then at that time I remember my my uncle's wife. She was. She was stitching, and I have never seen anyone stitching before
Eman: like I used to use. I used to see my mom wearing a top, and my grandma and everyone, but I have never witnessed anyone who's doing it like live in front of me. So I asked her to give me a small piece.
Eman: And I thought like, can you teach me how? How it's done? Like just a few steps? She's like Eman. You are an interior designer. Now you should know how to do it. It's just an X.
Eman: Okay, it's just an excellent happened. It's like direct X, so you have to go slush wise, or what you might explore it by yourself. And I was like, Okay, I will explore it.
Eman: I couldn't make anything just like I think I remember I have done only one line with 4 X's, and they're not even at all and I just threw it away until 2021.
Eman: It's a big bad. It's a big, big, big gap. But yeah, I was busy with the study and working, and so much ups and downs happens in my life. I lost my job during Covid 2021, 2020 2020 at May, or something. And then I got married on June July I got married in July, and then I got pregnant, and I lost the infant like he was still in my in my tummy, and
Eman: I was home alone, and no one is. No one is around me, so my family is not very close to me, so I can see them. My husband goes early to his job, and I stay home alone, and I used to stay home at all like I've been working since I was 17 years old, so for me. I used to have like a full time, full time schedule, so I can never sit and do anything, do nothing. So
Eman: I tried to get back to my art since I'm an artist, but I'm very moody artist, so I don't work anything with. The mood is really bad, so never happened. I try to learn new skills.
Eman: So I learned the macrame. I'm done. I learned the freestyle embroidery done. I learned the crochet done.
Eman: Then what's next? I have to do something. It's it's it's coming for me easily, like I can do everything. So I need something just to keep me busy
Eman: until I found one post from Kave there is a space called Kave. I don't know if you heard about it. So these are Christian people who are running this space. So they posted once on the Instagram. It was on
Eman: February. If I'm not mistaken. February of 2021. There was a post recalling sorry raising awareness about the Palestine and Gaza in special case, because there was happening some things back in Gaza at that time. So it was raising awareness.
Eman: So if you have like the post was telling. If you have anything pressing you can share it with us. You're welcome to share it.
Eman: So I remember my my mom and my aunt and everyone. They have some pesky and stuff like top or cushion cover, or whatever, or like an artwork or something. So I thought, like. I'll grab everything together, and I will go share it with the people.
Eman: I have 0 knowledge about the trees like I have nothing to do with the trees at that time yet.
Eman: and 2 months after that after that post, after I signed up for the post
Eman: they, I received a mail from them, telling me that Hi, Eman, this is Kave people. We want to inform you that you are signed up for a workshop for 25 people to teach them the art of the trees.
Eman: And yeah, it's the next week.
Eman: And I was like
Lina: And you have no idea how to do something is right now.
Eman: Nothing.
Eman: nothing like 0 knowledge. So I thought like, Shall I go for this? I think I can make it because I have done everything in like, you know, in one day. So I think within one week I can. I think I can master it. Let's give a try, and I asked my husband. Should I do it?
Eman: It's like Ivan. Are you sure you want to make it? I was like
Amanne: Nothing to do with Zady and Khalas. If it's if it's happened, it happened. If not khalas. It's fine, like. No one would like. No one would tell me anything about it like khalas. It's just give a shot
Amanne: love that add up, or just like, yeah, I had the idea we're just
Eman: All right.
Eman: We're added through life.
Eman: No, we're not gonna die, anyway. So it's fine. Okay. Now I can. I can learn. It's fine. But the thing is like, where can I get material for 25 people? And I have to teach them?
Eman: So I said, like, I will check whatever have in my stock. So I remember my mom used my mom when she came from Palestine in 2012. She brought me a small piece like it was one meter like, you know, vitamin comes in one meter and one meter by half.
Eman: so I will cut it in small pieces to make them. I will teach them to make a keychain or a bookmark. I think those are small pieces that can be done on spot. Okay, I got the material. I learned it. Now I need to get the patents
Eman: now the struggle of finding a patterns because I wasn't having any book, and I never. I didn't know about the Tirazain, so I had to learn it in a hard way.
Eman: Googling, Googling, Googling, Googling, until I found some books and some patterns that it's written. It belongs to Palestine, with the city of each pattern, everything. So that's when I learned that each city has different pattern than the other, and all these. So I just read small pieces like small articles about Tatreez. I learned about the lady.
Eman: forgot her 1st name.
Amanne: Without.
Lina: Dad, yeah.
Eman: So I was like, I think I have enough knowledge to share it with someone, and I would bring my pieces. The 3 pieces from my family side.
Eman: And yeah, I went there. It went perfectly. Everyone's really happy. The best part was like none of them. Like most of them. They're not Palestinians. They're from like from the globe, from anywhere. And yeah, it went really good. Then I was like, I made it. I'm Hamdulillah satisfied about it. And I left
Eman: after 2 months or one month. Kave people. They contact me again. I was like, Eman. Thank you for the for the amazing workshop. I have a really high reputation about it. So we want to sign with you a deal. It's not a deal. It's something that since you are family. You so became one of our family members.
Eman: Kave family members. So we want you to host a workshop in a monthly basis twice a month or once a month
Eman: to teach the art of lotteries and share it with everyone music.
Eman: Let's go for it.
Eman: And yeah, since 2021 until today. Until yesterday I had my last. My latest workshop was yesterday at Ku.
Eman: We're still doing data, please, Hamdulillah. It's not only at Kave now. It's everywhere in UAE
Lina: And you've been doing it every month since 2021
Eman: Yes.
Amanne: Wow!
Eman: Even when I was pregnant. Then I got pregnant. Later I was there. When I delivered my baby. I went with my baby and just introduced him to the family. Because, yeah, they are my family. So yeah, this is Sunny. He's a friend of everyone there, and whenever I go it was like Eman. Where is Sunny? Sunny is the name of my baby boy so like? Excuse me, I should have to bring him before me like he has to step into case.
Eman: Oh, yeah, take care
Amanne: That is so sweet. When Lina and I were in Dubai last summer for a wedding, and we wish we were saying earlier. We wish we had connected before
Eman: Yeah.
Amanne: But you know, next time but we went to Kave people, and it was
Amanne: cool space, and I can only imagine, like what it's like to have that space to have that community you were saying. I know you said you were lucky to grow up in a Palestinian community, even though you were outside of Palestine. Can you tell us a little bit about the community that you have at? You know the community you have at Kave, and just like in general the tatreez community that you are building in the UAE
Eman: So except in Kave. So I always. I always mention this like I born as the 3 artist, only in Kave
Eman: since. So it's a mom with her 2 daughters. They are the owners of Kave.
Eman: and from day one once I had my 1st workshop. I remember the eldest daughter, Zena. She came to me, and she was like, Can you please teach me to please like I thought, it's like it looks very interesting, and I taught her the steps and everything, and she became one of the best students of mine. Until we, until we tried to pull the other Lady Rania into that into our community.
Eman: So she recently started to learn to trees. And she's she's doing really good, really, really good. Rani and Zaina. They both have some trees artwork in their Kave which are done by them only. And the mom, they're really supportive for such things.
Eman: The community grows since that day since 2021 until nowadays, and keep growing and growing growing. Alhamdulillah, I'm happy to witness that the young generation are really interested in this like really young ones, like 5 years old, and everything. Now I'm in Dubai, just jumping to Sharjah. I was doing
Eman: a couple of workshops with a good foundation called Sharjah Art Foundation. So they are supporting Palestine and everything. So I love. I love really I really like Sharjah. So, although I don't, I never like. I never liked Sharjah before, because it's because of the traffic, and because I'm used to Dubai and everything. So Dubai life is quite different than sharjah life.
Eman: But Sharjah life is good because it's very home, you know. You feel you feel in Palestine, anyway, because everyone here is like everyone is Arab, not like not like Dubai. It's like multi-nation so the Shah Art Foundation is really supportive.
Eman: So I used to have on like not every month. But we used to have, like a very huge number of attendees in each workshop I have done, and they're all young and really interested, and most of them are locals like Emiratis
Eman: that makes me really happy to to have the next generation, even from boys, not only girls, they're really interested in such things so.
Eman: and I try to simplify it as much as I can for the kids using the plastic needle and the plastic net instead of it. I mean using the wool and everything.
Eman: I feel blessed. Because everyone is here supportive for the for such an art.
Eman: Never, never thought I would like I would be in this place to be honest, but I also like Hamdulillah. The chance came to me, and I was like I took it in the hard way, but it was really good, and it's a nice genre, and the name of the brand as therapy. It didn't, came from nothing. It's it really came from an original thing that happened to me. I remember my husband used to used to struggle with me, to to make me like
Eman: calm down with whatever I had in my life, because he used to. He knows me since so long
Eman: since 2,012. So we were colleague in a university, so he knows I used to be like very live very loud, wild.
Eman: like, full of energy, until there are all the ups and downs that happens in my life, and he was like a man. You have to do something.
Eman: You want to go back to work. You can go back to work if you want to do some art. Do your art. Just do your thing
Eman: until little trees came to my hands, and it really changed me like
Eman: so much like really read so much, and he witnessed that. And he was like Eman.
Eman: I think it's it's what made you mean like the original Eman like before, and seeing the people from the 1st workshop in 2021 after that, in within a year. There's 1 lady who came to me, and she told me, like
Eman: Aman is so therapeutic.
Eman: It's so therapeutic. I can't even sleep any night before I do like a small line or a small pattern, just to relieve my day.
Eman: So I was like, Okay, I think
Eman: therapy brand it didn't came like without any like. It has a cause like even every everywhere. Whenever I go. So they always mention like, we are really in love with the name of the brand, because it is that therapeutic it is you can, just you it never! There's no one who ever come could give us away from our phones for 2 or 3 h.
Eman: focusing with you telling the stories about the trees telling the history of the trees. All of these are like something really deep. No one ever knows about the trees as an as a journey, not as an art.
Eman: Yeah, I think I think, handle. I'm really satisfied. Whatever I do
Lina: No, that's amazing. I actually wanted to ask, like, how have those workshops evolved? Because it's been now 2025? Wow! It's been 4 years since you've been doing these monthly workshops like, how how has it changed from that 1st workshop that you did till like yesterday's like, you know? How how have you evolved, and how has the experience evolved for everyone? I'm curious
Eman: Very confident, like I I feel very confident I used to be very like
Eman: sometimes I used to feel scared when I when I step and step in any space and start speaking about the trees, because I have was having like very limited knowledge until I met like so much people in the circles that used to happen in Kave, and everyone was sharing the experience of the trees with the about some stories about the grandmas some stories about the if they were coming from Palestine to here to UAE. So
Eman: Eman of 2021 is not the same Eman of of 2025 more confident, more knowledge still seeking for the original knowledge. For sure, I still have to pay a visit to Palestine to meet the old ladies speaking to them, the Haj, because they are full of stories. I'm really feeling sad because
Eman: the time I used like the time I like I raised or
Eman: my like. My grandma was passing away anyway, so I couldn't have a chance to to chat with her about, or to if she could like, teach me at least some basic stuff or something. But I'm lucky enough to have her talk with me.
Eman: It was a gifted talk from her, because my grandma from my father's side. They're villagers, and my grandma from my mom's side. They are citizens. So from the city side they don't. They don't do tatreez. So my mom is. She's not from the city, and my dad is from the village. So the diffusion of both of them together. I feel happy to be, and proud to be that the combination of both.
Eman: So yeah. So the talk was a gifted. It was a gift from my grandma from my father's side to my mother on her wedding, so it was very precious, and I wear it on only special occasions, and I keep it everywhere with me. Whenever I go to any workshop I grab it because it has a story. It's full of story and studying it with the patterns and everything. It's really deep.
Eman: so deep.
Amanne: Yeah, that's oh, okay, we need to see a picture of that, though, because that sounds
Eman: Sure.
Amanne: That you have that, you know. It sounds like, you know the three's has. Obviously it's brought you some peace and some calm. It's brought you some confidence, as well
Eman: Yeah.
Amanne: I would love to kind of hear a little bit more about how.
Amanne: as you've deepened your knowledge and your practice in tatreez, how has that evolved your relationship to your Palestinian identity?
Eman: It makes me feel very proud to be Palestinian. Yesterday I was having a conversation with one of the ladies who have attended my workshop. She's Jordanian.
Eman: but for the 1st time
Eman: I love Jordan, and for the 1st time sitting with a Jordanian one like a Jordanian person, and he's telling
Eman: we are one Jordan, and Palestine is one.
Eman: Okay, only the line that came with the British people who have just separated us. But we are one people. And when I told her that the Jordanian tatreez, and are very close because Jordan was a desert, like basically, it's a desert and full of mountains. So we shared the same tatreez with the Beersheba, and everywhere.
Eman: So we had that chit chat with the about the about Palestine, and about about how
Eman: how deep we are as a as a as a people, and our history is very
Eman: is very rich. We are. We have like a very good roots. We we are not like a group of people who just came came like came to life like recently. We used to be like one of the best, and everyone knows that, and we are still there. We will, once we will be any
Eman: soon or sooner. We would be back to this to that position. So she was telling me like when she heard all the stories about tatreez and the meaning of tatreez and everything.
Eman: she stepped like that, and I was like, I'm very proud to be
Eman: Palestinian and Jordanian at the same time, because she has a Palestinian root as well.
Eman: So she thought she was like.
Eman: I never thought I would be ever proud of myself as a Palestinian
Eman: after whatever you just mentioned, and after the war that's happening recently with Gaza and everything. So we have a say in Arabic, like, I know it's happening really bad in Gaza. But the reputation about Palestine, the awareness about Palestine. The awareness about everything related to Palestine is something really good
Eman: we. We never thought that a bad thing could turn to a good thing about about our culture.
Eman: yeah, that. Yeah, that I think it's this is
Eman: This is what makes me really proud to be Palestinian.
Lina: Yeah. And I think a lot of us can resonate with that. It's been such an honor to be able to practice something that our ancestors also practiced, and connect to them in that way, even if we are separated geographically or separated
Eman: Yeah.
Lina: You know, that's so powerful. So that language, yeah, exactly.
Eman: International language, no matter what
Lina: Exactly 100%, a hundred percent. So you also mentioned in passing, like your brand tatreez therapy, could you tell us more a little bit about like when you decided to start it. What's kind of your goal with tatreez therapy? What are you hoping for the future for tatreez therapy?
Eman: So the main goal was spreading the trees everywhere
Eman: to everyone to make it exposed to everyone. It's not it's not something only related to ladies men can join. So I was really happy when I used to see like men are joining my workshops. It makes me really feel good. And, by the way, men, they're doing sometimes better than women. For some reason I don't know why
Lina: They!
Eman: Like 1 1 guy who have attended one of this, like the 3rd or 4th lecture, he finished the art piece on the same like at the same hours I was like.
Eman: come on, if the man could make it like. Why don't worry about the ladies
Amanne: Well, Eman, don't give men more confidence.
Eman: That's what I heard from the ladies like
Amanne: Too funny, too funny.
Amanne: That's amazing. And obviously, you know, you're doing you talked about the classes that you're doing and obviously teaching people and making it more accessible through education. Can we also just talk a little bit? I'm getting a little ahead of myself. But before we start recording, you showed us something very cool, and I feel like this is a part of your mission to make the threes more accessible. Can you tell us about the Tatreez project that you are working on right now.
Eman: Sure I will show it to you definitely. So it's called Tatreego, if you just hit the word Tatreez and Lego.
Eman: I'm a big fan of Lego since I was a kid. So I will show you a small piece that it's it's a fusion of the tatreez, and Lego
Amanne: So cute.
Eman: And that's a good
Amanne: Yeah.
Eman: And it's not only one comes on the star, the settle
Lina: Oh, it looks so cool, this subtle I love that
Amanne: Another city! Oh, my God!
Eman: And this is the big piece I have
Lina: Oh, wow, yeah, for those bad.
Lina: We'll have to send you guys to look at the picture
Amanne: Be mad. I want all of them. I originally wanted
Amanne: you. Now I want them for me.
Amanne: Oh, my God, God! I don't even play Legos. And now I want to
Eman: They're looking for.
Eman: I love that
Amanne: You.
Eman: I'm trying my best to make it something really fun.
Eman: People are like bored with this, with sewing and stitching. So to think of a box. Yeah, combining the my passion of Lego and together. And yeah, giving birth for this. So yeah.
Lina: That's so cool. So are you gonna be making like kits with these or
Eman: I will. Yeah, I will put it, Inshallah, because I was still searching for a good quality of Lego, and I'm still in touch with Lego themselves to to make it like to make it happen so, Inshallah! Sooner we'll have it
Lina: Oh, that would be so cool! Oh, my God! Imagine it's available at all the Lego stores that would be!
Lina: Oh, oh, my God! That's that's my goal to be.
Lina: Yeah.
Amanne: Man, I am so. Oh, my God! I'm so excited about this like I'm so hyped you need to let I'm telling you, and this is being recorded. So it's on the record you please. Please tell me how I can help you, how I can support you, because this is so cool
Lina: Yeah, yeah.
Amanne: So excited about this
Eman: Bye.
Amanne: Yeah, yeah, we're gonna talk. We're gonna talk you so much
Lina: And just imagine I like. And I want to imagine, let's imagine, like a 3D. Size of like a fold, and then
Amanne: All day.
Lina: Decorate it with the the Lego. Yeah.
Eman: And you can just
Lina: Yeah, that would be cool. That would be
Amanne: Okay, man. You can hire us
Lina: Yeah, we're available
Amanne: This is so fun. Oh, God, I'm like, I just want to say, too. I am so blown away, I think, especially this week. I've just been seeing so many, so many, so many, so many talented Palestinian artists like all over the world, and how creative everyone is like this community is so creative and so inspiring like I love it like. Well, that's what keeps me going like
Eman: Yeah, even me. Yeah. Come on like, never the upside
Lina: I'm already. I'm already manifesting. I'm already manifesting. We're gonna have Eman back onto Toby's talk in like a year. And it's gonna be revealing her new collaboration with Lego. We're manifesting it right now.
Amanne: God, we'll have a big launch party at the Lego store.
Amanne: Oh, my
Eman: Yeah, yeah.
Amanne: Oh, my God, Matt, okay, Woo, this is so exciting
Eman: My own energy. And this like, I really want it to happen. So
Lina: And follow.
Amanne: Whoever is watching this episode, please pray for us to make it happen
Lina: Or or reach out. If you know anyone at Lego, I'm gonna look at my
Amanne: Yeah.
Eman: Yeah, please support us. We really need it.
Amanne: Listen, Eman. My background is in brand marketing. I know how to stalk people professionally. We'll talk
Eman: He's awesome.
Eman: Thank you.
Amanne: Okay, okay, so this is really exciting. We're definitely going to keep all listeners updated as you go along this journey, because I know so many people are going to want to get their hands on this, and of course, if anyone knows how we could support you, man, hit us up, hit you, man up. Let's let's do this. Let's support each other as a community. But I know you also mentioned. You know, your background as an interior designer. I know you also do some graphic design.
Amanne: I'm curious to understand how your relationship with your interior design. Your design work has really been impacted with your Tatreez practice.
Eman: Coming to that. I think that
Eman: what makes very easy for me to learn is because I have that the entire background it's all big. So everyone who's joining my workshop is like, I always I always tell them about the perfection. Okay, so I'm always seeker of perfection, and if the if the artwork is not centered like, I would ruin it and do it again. So yeah.
Eman: yes, I feel you
Eman: coming about the centering and the perfection and everything the pixels, the pixel work. That's why that's where you came out from, because I'm a graphic designer. So the vectors and pixels and everything. It's something really happening for me every day. So I thought, like.
Eman: Come on, it's a pixel, and
Eman: what's what looks like a pixel, and can be easy for everyone to catch it. Lego, search for the Lego and everything. So yeah, so the 3 go was the baby of of the fusion of for me, of me as an interior designer, graphic designer and artist.
Eman: oh.
Eman: and yeah, if I show you my house how it looks like it's full of. Not these things everywhere. The cushion the wall, the paintings, everything, even my my signature. When I used to paint it, was made of it, I mean, and small, like small stitches. So yeah.
Eman: it's the trees. It's it's in the blood now.
Lina: I understand.
Eman: Give it up. Yeah.
Lina: Yeah, we
Lina: we totally understand. We totally understand. Okay? And then I also know that you have done some map T-shirts with signature and flag colors. Can you tell us a little bit more of those about those
Eman: So it came. The idea came just because I was looking for a good like a small Palestinian map, a pattern like a small pattern that everyone can make it, or I can make it at least, and everyone can follow it, because most of the maps are kind of huge, like the the patterns of the maps are huge or
Eman: bit like complicated. So I was thinking about something really simple.
Eman: So when I 1st had the book of total trees, the green One. I can't recall the name of it but one of the authentic books, and when I opened it I read more about and explore more about the trees. So I learned that it has a basic shapes that makes the trees, the star, the lines, cubes, and all these. So I tried to combine the basic shapes of the trees to create the map.
Eman: and I made the map. I stitch it only, but I wasn't planning to keep it as a pattern for for everyone to use it. So I thought, like, I will make it. And once I learn how to make the digital version of it, I will post it.
Eman: And there, once I learn about Tirazain, I don't know if you heard the platform. It's initiative. So they contact me.
Eman: and once I once I posted the the like the original piece that the of the map so they contact me. I was like, Eman. Are are you willing to to share this as a digital version. And I was like, yes, for sure. But I still want to learn the the software. So
Eman: I like, I have 0 knowledge about how to make it as digital, unless if it's in the classic way through illustrator or Photoshop, so that that will take much time, or even on autocad. Because, yeah, I used to use autocad for so much stuff combining the trees and the Graphic together. So
Eman: autocad. By the way, it's software that we're using as architects as an interior designer. So
Amanne: Oh, man!
Eman: That's the one. So yeah, they have. Initiate this. So I was like, Okay, give it a shot. Let's keep it. Digital. And I want to give birth for this pattern on my birthday. So let's keep it. let's keep it. Live on November 18, th and that will be open for everyone.
Eman: And yeah, they made it on November 18, th and we put it for everyone to to have it. It was an open open pattern, and then I decided to make it on a T-shirt the 1st T-shirt was for a bodybuilder. It's called
Eman: What's his name? He's Iraqi guy.
Eman: I forgot his name. Wait.
Eman: Janti. Yeah. The name is Janti. He's a bodybuilder. He is very famous in UAE, and most of the Iraqi people. They like it, and he's happened to be a friend of my brother. So they met each other in the gym, and he's really supportive to Palestine.
Eman: So and that's when he was asking my brother, do you know any place that they sell some T-shirts with a map or printed map, or anything? But it has to be like in a huge size. He's a bodybuilder, so you can imagine like he's wearing like Triple X or something. So and then that's when that's when my brother called me. He's like man. Do you know a space Kave does have any T-shirt or something that was like? I'm not sure if they have a huge size like, what size are you looking for?
Eman: And he told me, man, he's dinosaur like he's a huge guy. You need to coin something really huge
Amanne: Like.
Eman: Okay, let me check for this, but I'm not sure if if they have it.
Eman: And I contact Kave, they said, like, it's out of stock, and the bus and the biggest size they have is only large.
Eman: and it's not oversized. It's slim fit.
Eman: and by chance my husband at the same like a week before. He had one t-shirt. It's an oversized shirt, and once I checked the sizes that available sizes of that shirt it says that it has double X.
Eman: It's a double double x large
Eman: in an oversized look, I was like, Okay, then I called my brother. I was like I had some. I found some T-shirts if they want it, and as a printed, or shall I do my magic on it? And he was like, do your magic. Let's see you never know where it will go.
Eman: And then that's when when I made my 1st t-shirt of of the map the map t map t-shirt.
Eman: And it went really, really wild. I didn't expect that. So everyone was trying trying to to contact me from the from the whole globe from us from London from Iraq, because the guy is Iraqi and everyone knew Ian here. So yeah, the order start to count, and I barely like barely could make some of some of them.
Eman: And then I dived into the T-shirt things, and I made my 1st small, the Mini watermelon. And it's like, it's really going really, really wild. Just today I made 2 last week. I submit 3. It's for boys and girls, for men and women. So that's my, that's my aim of of the trees just to keep it handy.
Eman: Everyone can wear it, everyone can make it, everyone can. You can wait for any occasion. It's not something that you have to wear it because of. If you. If you're attending a special occasion, Palestine, you don't have to be Palestinian to wear it. It's for everyone. If you love Palestine, if you want to to support, let's say, Palestine, let's say, Palestine, if you want to support Palestinian. So I think this is a good way to support it. So
Eman: yeah.
Eman: And I them, even my 1st watermelon cup was done for my baby he was my model. So I made his 1st bucket hat and that bucket hat really went really hit hard
Lina: Oh, my God! He must look so cute in a bucket hat
Eman: Yeah, I could eat him, like, you know, with that thingy
Eman: and yeah, I happened to come. Happened to see that one of my friends. She's French.
Eman: Her name is Charlotte. Hello, Charlotte, if you are watching this episode so so when she saw my 1st bucket hat of the watermelon. So she started to.
Eman: like she said to contact me, and I was telling her, if you want, I can make you something for for anyone of your if you're if you're having any niece or nephew, so we can make them some if you want to gift it. And she was like, okay, let's let's keep it as a gift.
Eman: a gift box. So okay, you will be having a bucket hat, a pacifier holder, a small teddy bear or something, and if everything is related to Weinstein, let's keep this.
Eman: And and since 2020,
Eman: 22, until now we are having a regular and like on a regular basis, like whenever any of her friends she deliver a baby or something. So she calling me for the for that combo. So it's like man. Let's get the combo done.
Eman: Thank you.
Eman: Thank you. So yeah. The the watermelon bucket hat is like rolling all everywhere in the globe. So I'm really happy with the with that. And thank you, Charlotte.
Amanne: That's really adorable. I want to see a picture of bucket hat and all the cute babies wearing them. But that's really really cute. I love hearing that. And I think also like to your point. What you were saying earlier is like everyone can participate in. And definitely, I think it's also important, like.
Amanne: if you want to. If you're whether you're Palestinian or not, if you want to participate in so important to go and learn about tatreez from Palestinian
Eman: Exactly.
Amanne: And learn the history, because, like I always say and I've had. I feel like we've had so many different guests who've said this, too. It's like when you learn the history and you learn the background of the threes. It makes the 3 so much more powerful. Exactly
Eman: Passionate to learn
Amanne: Yes, yes, yeah. We actually, you know, we had Anna, who came last season
Eman: Oh, okay.
Amanne: She was talking about the fact that, like, you know, her being able to practice, Tatreez really taught her a lot about Palestinian geography like. She learned so much about the history of Palestine through Tatreez. And I think that's really really important for people to remember like having. That context is so powerful
Eman: Definitely
Amanne: Yeah, that's what I used to think. Yeah, it is a language. It's it's international language.
Amanne: Yeah.
Eman: It's readable for everyone and not complicated. Very simple. So yeah, it it can be once like the holographic for the parents. So we have the Tories for us
Amanne: Yeah, and thank you for teaching it to people and thank you for teaching people the language of the 3. I think it's so important. So obviously, you know, we have really enjoyed this conversation, and we are excited to have you to come back when we have the. I can't wait.
Amanne: I pronounce it. Did I say it right?
Eman: Yeah, yeah.
Amanne: We're going to have you back. But before we say goodbye we always like to ask if there are any major life lessons that you have learned from Tatreez that you can share with the listeners
Eman: Patience.
Eman: It shows me patience.
Eman: really it teach you how to be patient, to be seeker because you like. Once you slip in, you would be very hungry to teach to learn more about it. So it's never an X. It's never across. It's never a star. It's something really deep. It has a meaning. So
Eman: And me personally, I never thought that a trace has that that much deep meaning until I dive in, and since 2021 until now. I don't feel yet satisfied with the knowledge that I have, so I keep you
Eman: it. Keep you hungry for seeking more knowledge about it you could pay your life to learn it, to travel, you know, to to feed the experience, to fulfill yourself with it. It's something really deep. Last time I had to chat with Zeno the the owner of Kave, and she gave. She passed to me, and she was like Eman. Can you do some magic on this
Eman: and then I just hold. And I was like, Come on
Eman: like I'm just. I'm the master of not not pastor of perfections like how you give me this. I have to. I had to redo it all like it has so much so much defaults. So she was like Eman. It's obvious, I know, because the time I started this she told me like the time she started that art she was in.
Eman: I don't know if she was in Sri Lanka or India, or somewhere, and she was staying in a tent no light, nothing, only the sunlight and this is the only thing that she came out from like she came out out with. And she was like Eman. Please appreciate like this is me practicing the trees in the middle of the nature, without no light, without without no Internet, nothing just
Eman: combining the patterns. Whatever patterns I remembered together and put it in one piece.
Eman: That's when I feel that's when I really understand how that really affect you as a as a person, and how to make you committed to it.
Eman: It's it's it's really it's really hard touching for me. So I was proud of seeing the piece, and I still continue doing it. I'm not holding it now, but it's there somewhere, so
Eman: I will finish it, and I will post it somewhere in solo. Yeah, that's so beautiful.
Lina: Beautiful.
Lina: I love that I love that. Thank you, Eman. So much for joining us before before we let you go. How can people follow you, get in touch, learn about your classes that are upcoming. Where? Tell us all the places
Eman: Okay. So I have 2 Instagram account. The main one was Eman Eman underscore. Msm, so eman underscore Msm. And the second one was the tris therapy. The trees therapy is bit new account. I just made it because to post the product of the trees therapy. But yeah, the main account is Eman, where I, where I post my workshops, the upcoming workshops, all the agenda would be always there
Lina: Amazing perfect. Well, thank you so much again, Eman, for taking the time. We're so excited to stay in touch, and we'll see kind of where things go
Eman: Yeah, thank you for this. Thank you. Thank you for everything. I was really happy to be part of it. And I'm a big fan of both of you. So keep going. Never stop! Do more, please.
Eman: It was so adorable. Am I
Lina: I'm working on
Eman: More of that Tiffany kit
Amanne: It's been the color. Keep going with that.
Amanne: Thank you. We appreciate you.
Amanne: That was such a fun conversation. I'm so excited about the project she's working on, and it's also so funny we didn't even mention this while we were recording. But
Amanne: the Palestinian diaspora is so small in so many ways like she, Eman, had, if thought recently, was one of my best friends who now lives in Dubai, and you know he like immediately texts me. He's like, do you know this Eman woman? I had, if thought with her, and she's at the Teaser here. I was like yes, and she's coming on the podcast next week. So it's it's so funny. But
Amanne: I also just, I'm so excited to hear about her passion for Tatreez and this Tatreego project that she has. And
Amanne: I also just want to reiterate like we, it's so important for we, as a we, as a community to support each other and support each other's like endeavors. And this is such a cool project that I feel like
Amanne: honestly, just like benefits tatreez as a whole, to again bring the tatreez on a larger scale, and specifically Palestinian tatreez and name it. That is really important
Lina: Yeah, and open it up to other people who maybe aren't interested in the needle and thread specific parts of these.
Amanne: Yeah.
Lina: You know, like kids I like, there's such like, I think there are some people who would so love engaging with in this way. And it's also also a way like you mentioned how Anna mentioned about it. Teaching her about Palestinian geography, like those Legos, are very easy ways of also engaging with Palestine as a whole, you know. So oh, so yeah, I love. I love the creativity, too. It's amazing. So good
Amanne: It really is. It really is like, Oh, this community is so inspiring.
Amanne: Yeah, like, keep doing dope stuff. Y'all please.
Lina: Oh, my goodness, well, thank you guys so much for listening to another episode of Tatreez talk. We want to hear about your Tatreez journey. So please share your stories with us at tatreeztalk@gmail.com. And we might just have you on an upcoming episode. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite listening platform, and be sure to leave a 5 star review. You can follow me @linasthobe Amanne @minamanne and of course make sure you follow the pod @tatreeztalk. We will talk to you soon.
