Where it began
Tatreez and Soul was born in 2020, when Hadil made contact with a women's institute in Gaza — a collective of women using entirely natural fabrics, producing some of the most stunning embroidered pieces she had ever seen. Every order supported entire families. Every stitch carried a story.
Then Covid came. Then Hadil's mother fell ill, and passed away. And then the war started. The stock sat quietly, waiting for the right moment.
That moment is now.
What tatreez actually is
Tatreez is not simply embroidery. It is one of the oldest and most deeply rooted forms of cultural identity in the world.
Every single village in Palestine has its own emblem — its own patterns, its own colours, its own story stitched into fabric. For centuries, you could tell exactly which district a Palestinian woman was from simply by looking at what she wore. The cross-stitch patterns were that specific, that personal, that powerful.
Traditionally, tatreez was how Palestinian communities came together. When someone got married, the women of the village would embroider for them — bed sheets, tablecloths, clothing, gifts for the home. When a child was born, tatreez was what you gifted them. It is as deeply woven into Palestinian culture as olives, za'atar, and msechen. It is not just craft. It is identity.
Two continents, one brand
Tatreez and Soul has grown into something bigger than its beginning. Today, our products sit at the intersection of two continents — Palestinian tatreez embroidery and beautiful Nigerian batik print. Two ancient craft traditions, two cultures that have always found ways to support and sustain each other, brought together in one collection.
The Palestinian side carries centuries of embroidery tradition. The Nigerian side brings the boldness, colour, and rhythm of batik — a wax-resist dyeing craft with roots stretching across West Africa. Together, they make something that has never existed in the market before.
The bigger mission
Tatreez and Soul is not just a homeware brand. It is a community.
Our website is open to makers and vendors who align with our values — they can sell their products alongside ours, reach our audience, and grow their own businesses. In return, a percentage of every sale goes into our micro-lending fund.
That fund exists to give any woman, anywhere in the world, access to a loan — to start a business, support her children, or finance whatever she needs to move forward. The makers and vendors on our platform are not just sellers. They are part of the cooperative. They help decide who receives the loans. They are part of the decision-making.
The goal is not maximum profit. The goal is maximum community.
Looking ahead
We release one considered range per year — not two, not four. One. Designed carefully, made sustainably, and sold slowly. Because overproduction defeats the entire point of what we are building.
We are also growing our creative family — illustrators, digital product creators, social media storytellers. If you make something beautiful and believe in what we are doing, there is space for you here.
Tatreez and Soul. Handmade with heritage. Built for community.