T E S T I M O N I A L S
Real stories from one of a kind thobe-makers who started with courage and ended with unique, gorgeous dresses connecting them to Palestine.
Adriana’s Thobe Story
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My name is Adriana, first generation Palestinian living in the San Francisco Bay Area. I took up Tatreez two years ago and always was convinced I could make my own thobe and had no idea how. Tatreez is my de-stress on a daily basis and makes me feel so rooted to my culture. I work in finance but I love baseball and roadtrips and country music concerts!
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At first the cost held me back. But I figured the value of learning a new skill and having the sense of accomplishment (once I finish my thobe) was worth it. Also I didn’t know if I’d have enough time to dedicate to it - but I was too excited to hold myself back.
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I love Tatreez - and I’ve always had the dream for this amazing thobe for my own wedding one day, and when I started becoming more skillful at Tatreez, I thought it would be the ultimate accomplishment. Plus - my family loves it too, it makes us all feel closer to our culture and they can’t wait to see what I create (my parents have been dubbed my design consultants!)
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My thobe is going to be split between motifs from Bethlehem and Ramallah - where each of my parents are from. The base fabric is an off white, as it is my intention to wear it for my wedding events. And, because I’m me, and love a little sparkle and gold, beside the traditional red and burgundy threads, I’m using a metallic gold thread!
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Preparation is everything! I wanted to jump straight into stitching, just with anticipation and excitement - but to actually succeed, you have to prepare. Make idea boards, test different colors and fabrics, make key design decisions, and arguably most importantly - make sure your waste canvas is tacked on well. It can be tough to get through those things, but when you actually get to stitching you are so so much more successful!
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I’m so excited to have a community who understands the challenges and excitements of making a thobe. It’s not a task that everyone takes on, and to be able to share and learn from those who are in the course is so fulfilling with a sense of community.
What Ana has to say…
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What caused you to enroll in the Craft Your Dream Thobe course?
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Why did you want to make a Palestinian thobe?
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What is the story behind your thobe?
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What did you gain most from the course?
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What is the biggest difference that this course has made in your life?
Miriam’s Thobe Story
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Half American and half Jordanian. Grew up in the US and travelled to Jordan frequently to visit family. My mom (American) has always been crafty, into sewing, embroidery and beading, and I picked up a lot of those skills, but also an appreciation for handmade crafts. In Jordan I saw firsthand some of the thobes that my aunts had, and one my aunt was working on making for herself. So I learned a little about how to do it, and removed some waste canvas :) Since then I’ve always been fascinated with embroidery and have bought several hand made pieces (vintage and new). But always wanted to make my own!
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I was worried that I wouldn’t even start the project! I like craft projects and I needed something to do in my free time, plus I wanted to support Palestinian culture and design in these times, so I decided to just sign up. And was especially helpful to know that I could return to the lessons at any time.
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I’ve always admired them and bought them, but really wanted to make one myself which was special and designed and sewn by me. I also like the actual process of embroidering, it’s calming for me. And I wanted to elevate and support Palestine in any way I could.
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I haven’t begun stitching yet but I have done most of the designing. I wanted to do a combination of a very geometric design and floral/vase designs which reflect my personality a bit (math major/lawyer but with creative side) and wanted to do lots of colors (non-traditional).
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How to actually do the design! I always saw the thobes that I purchased and ones that I saw people work on and wondered how they put the motifs together. It was a little difficult at first to get going with the design but once I narrowed down the motifs and the overall design it started to come together.
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HUGE difference! For one, it always felt like “creative” people can only be just creative, and not other things. So it was nice to meet a diverse community of people interested in Tatreez but also so many other facets to them. Also, my job is very stressful and the course forced me to keep on track for designing and creating, and it was exactly the hobby I needed to unwind. And I even took on an even harder project because I realized how much I love it. Lastly, it’s felt so good to support Palestine in just one small way, preserving Tatreez, and I love talking about it and educating others about it.
Cherine’s Testimonial
Having started the beautiful art of Tatreez only 7 months ago, and after working on mostly small samplers, greeting cards and cushions, I was hesitant about taking on the next big step (or leap) to creating my own thobe.
With Lina’s encouragement and contagious excitement, it didn’t take much convincing :). Lina’s Craft Your Dream Thobe course is well-structured, with beautifully-crafted tutorials offering step-by-step instructions. And, as part of this course, Lina offers great bonus material: i.e. how to use MacStitch, how to work with waste canvas, as well as access to a thobe pattern.
With all that, I am on my way to designing my first thobe. The best part of the Create Your Dream Thobe course for me was understanding the history and background of the designs and motifs and learning to translate that into my own expression and design.
Lina has the ability to listen to each of us and adapt her feedback to different levels of advancement in the group. And being part of a helpful, thoughtful and amazing community of fellow thobe-makers has helped me keep on course, and has totally enriched my experience so far.
Thanks Lina!
— Cherine N.
Watfa’s Thobe Story
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Palestinian Brazilian American who has been practicing tatreez since I was 5 years old. I am an educator and love working with different fibers. I have always wanted to do more with my tatreez, and now I incorporate it into mixed media art.
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When I considered making a thobe, I felt overwhelmed by the complexities of cutting, embroidering, and sewing it together. I was concerned about the time it would take, as well as the need to plan a pattern and assemble all the pieces. However, I ultimately decided to proceed because I realized that taking a class would provide me with the skills and knowledge I needed for this project.
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It is essential for me to honor and celebrate our Palestinian culture. I wish to pass down a dress to my daughter that carries my story and my passion for this craft, ensuring it becomes a cherished heirloom filled with love.
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My daughter's experiences have played a pivotal role in shaping the design choices for her thobe. As she navigates her childhood, she encounters various moments of joy, discovery, and growth. Each of these experiences inspires different elements of the design. For example, the butterflies symbolize her playful spirit and the way she embraces change and new beginnings. They reflect her curiosity about the world and her ability to adapt and flourish. The roses, representing the love and support from our family, echo the nurturing environment we strive to create for her as she learns and grows. Additionally, I’ve drawn inspiration from her favorite colors and patterns, which she often shares with me. By weaving in these personal touches, the thobe becomes not just a garment, but a tapestry of her experiences and the love that surrounds her, making it a truly special representation of her journey.
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The most valuable lesson was learning how to sew the thobe together. This process allowed me to reflect on my own story and the narrative I wish to convey through my work. Additionally, mastering the visualization of my pattern using Macstitch was a significant takeaway. It not only enhanced my technical skills but also helped me better express my creativity.
Iman’s Testimonial
My family is very ethnically diverse—I'm Egyptian, my husband is Turkish, and our three children married into Syrian, Vietnamese, and Palestinian families. I hope to one day pass my thobe down to my Palestinian granddaughter. The story on my thobe is the story of her lineage.
When the thought of making my own thobe first occurred to me, I was completely out of my depth. I was a novice at tatreez, I had never touched a sewing machine, and I didn’t have the faintest clue about clothes patterns. But then I discovered the *Craft Your Dream Thobe* course by Lina from Lina’s Thobe, and everything changed - it was exactly the motivation I needed to jump right in. Lina’s clear, step-by-step instructions, along with her readiness to answer questions and provide encouragement and guidance, made what seemed like an overwhelming task both accessible and enjoyable. She covers everything—understanding the thobe pattern, selecting the perfect fabric, designing with motifs to tell your story, and so much more. Thanks to Lina's course, I’m well on my way to turning my dream thobe into a reality, and I’m loving every moment of it.
I never imagined that one day I would call myself an artist. Though I've always admired art, I never saw myself as particularly artistic or creative—I've always been more of a numbers and spreadsheets kind of girl. But the structure of tatreez speaks to my love of order and precision. Now I take pride in calling myself a tatreez artist and thobe-maker.
So, what are you waiting for?
Enroll in Craft Your Dream Thobe and Let’s Create Magic!
6 MONTHLY PAYMENTS OF
$253
+ 10 weeks of Office Hour (Q&A) Sessions
+ Exclusive Thobe Dress Pattern
+ How-To Design in Macstitch Tutorials
A ONE-TIME PAYMENT OF
$1299
+ ALL Bonuses including ONE-ON-ONE Design Session w/ Lina