NLP InnerWork Coach, Mentor and Craftivist
Indian Heritage
A Meeting of Textiles
This workshop explores heritage through thread, fibre and making, bringing Palestinian Tatreez-inspired embroidery into conversation with Indian block-print-inspired textiles.
The Pomegranate
The pomegranate (rummān) is a fruit cultivated in Palestine and part of its agricultural and cultural landscape. In Tatreez, elements of the natural world are translated into geometric counted-stitch motifs, connecting embroidery to place, memory and heritage.
The pomegranate also has a long history across West and South Asia. Through centuries of cultural exchange, botanical forms were adapted within Indian textile traditions, including Mughal-era textiles and embroidery. Pomegranate rind has also been used as a natural textile dye.
The pomegranate becomes a point of connection between these traditions.
Reflect
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What did you notice as your hands repeated the stitch?
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What changed when the Palestinian-inspired pattern met the Indian-inspired fabric?
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What does heritage mean when it is experienced through making, rather than simply looking?
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What does it mean to carry a motif from one textile context into another with care and acknowledgement?
Step-by-Step Tutorial
This step-by-step tutorial walks you through creating your own tatreez pomegranate, from threading your needle to perfecting each stitch. Quick and easy to follow, it helps you craft a beautiful piece that carries history, meaning, and love.
Step One
Folding the fabric
Step Two
Tacking the waste canvas
Step Three
Stitching the pomegranate
Step Four
Removing the tacking and waste canvas
Step Five
Centering your pomegranate in your hoop
Step Six
Neatening the back
Step Seven
Finishing off your ornament
References and Further Reading
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Skinner, Margarita & Kawar, Widad. Palestinian Embroidery Motifs: A Treasury of Stitches, 1850–1950.Melisende / Rimal Publications, 2007.
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Irwin, John. The Kashmir Shawl. London: Victoria and Albert Museum, 197
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Sethna, N. H. Kalamkari: Painted & Printed Fabrics from Andhra Pradesh. Ahmedabad: Mapin Publishing,1985.
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Satyanarayana, D. & Chandra, K. R.“Dyeing of Cotton Cloth with Natural Dye Extracted fromPomegranate Peel and Its Fastness.” International Journal of Engineering Sciences & ResearchTechnology, 2(10), 2013, 2664–2669.
Pomegranate motif from www.tirazain.com (adapted).
Heritage is not only something we inherit. It is also something we can encounter, learn, practise, carry and make.