Tatreez Talk

S6E5. Stitching the Diaspora's Heart with Sarah

Tatreez Talk Season 6

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0:00 | 40:14

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SARAH IS A MICROBIOLOGY STUDENT AND BEGINNER TATREEZ ARTIST FROM AUSTRALIA (@stitching.intifada). Originally from villages near Haifa and Safad that were ethnically cleansed in 1948, Sarah's parents grew up in Lebanese refugee camps before migrating to Australia where she and most siblings were born. Despite never having physically visited Palestine, Sarah has found the "perfect fusion" of her love for art and country through Tatreez.

Sarah's Tatreez journey began when she gifted materials to family members who wanted to learn, and after October 2023, she felt compelled to pick up the needle herself as another way to connect with Palestine amid the genocide. She quickly discovered how her public stitching sparked conversations with strangers about Palestinian culture, turning her art into a form of advocacy. Despite being a beginner, she has already hosted workshops and is hosting regular Tatreez Circles in Melbourne in 2026 (if you're Melbourne-based, reach out!).

Sarah shares how Tatreez has taught her to embrace imperfection, learning that mistakes in stitching—and in life—are part of the bigger narrative rather than something to be erased. As she works on her first tatreez dress (thobe), she envisions a lifelong commitment to the art, eventually passing it to her daughter while continuing to build community and use her needle as both a connection to heritage and a tool for cultural preservation and advocacy.

You’ll hear about:

>> 1:02: Sarah’s connection to Palestine

>> 4:08: Palestinian community in Australia

>> 5:25: Relationship to tatreez before and after beginning

>> 10:26: Finding community through tatreez 

>> 13:36: Unlocking intergenerational connections

>> 22:01: What Sarah hopes the next generation gets through tatreez

>> 23:30: Sarah’s tatreez projects

>> 28:33: What’s next

>> 32:42: Sarah’s life lesson from tatreez

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