Family-friendly daily design activities, inspired by Thread Memory

“Every stitch carries a story” – Wafa Ghnaim, dress historian and embroiderer.

Our friendly team of designers are on hand to help you explore and learn about tatreez, embroidery from Palestine. These traditional designs tell stories through cross-stitch shapes and colours. Each region has its own symbols and style, making tatreez a unique language and craft.

Using beautiful activity sheets and trails, your family can sketch thobe fashion designs, create unique patterns and get hands on with clay to print and paint. Inspired by nature, we’ll design landscapes full of birds, trees and flowers for the children of Palestine and discover connections between the twinned cities of Dundee and Nablus.

You’ll find lots of inspiration in our learning studios, from colourful thobes and textiles to touch, plus books and collage materials. Enjoy a digital animation of motifs, inspired by Scottish and Palestinian symbols, created in collaboration with a community of local Dundonians. Don’t forget to pick up a trail and visit the free Thread Memory: Embroidery from Palestine exhibition!

Thread Memory learning resources have been developed with our Learning team, Scottish illustrator Cara Rooney, Scottish designer Skye Sutherland and Palestinian historian Wafa Ghnaim.

This activity is suitable for families of all shapes and sizes, everyone is welcome!