Sonia Sulaiman
@soniasulaiman.bsky.social
I write stories inspired by Palestinian folklore. Ignyte and Ember Award winning, Pushcart, Palestine Book, & Lammy noms. BNW and Locus finalist. (she/her) Clarion West '25
https://www.soniasulaiman.com
https://www.soniasulaiman.com
I’m today’s instalment of vanishing Palestinian craft work, I bring you beading. These examples are from Margarita Skinner’s book Palestinian Embroidery Motifs 1850-1950 A Treasury of Stitches.
December 7, 2025 at 5:27 PM
I’m today’s instalment of vanishing Palestinian craft work, I bring you beading. These examples are from Margarita Skinner’s book Palestinian Embroidery Motifs 1850-1950 A Treasury of Stitches.
Magnified for your viewing pleasure. Here it is with the rest of today’s work:
December 6, 2025 at 9:45 PM
Magnified for your viewing pleasure. Here it is with the rest of today’s work:
*sad trombone*
I cut a hole in the fabric while trying to fix my mistakes and ended up with this. I think I’ll leave it— oh I did forget a few stitches. I might pick those up later. This is my first attempt at a Moon motif (there are several ones from different regions of Palestine).
I cut a hole in the fabric while trying to fix my mistakes and ended up with this. I think I’ll leave it— oh I did forget a few stitches. I might pick those up later. This is my first attempt at a Moon motif (there are several ones from different regions of Palestine).
December 6, 2025 at 9:43 PM
*sad trombone*
I cut a hole in the fabric while trying to fix my mistakes and ended up with this. I think I’ll leave it— oh I did forget a few stitches. I might pick those up later. This is my first attempt at a Moon motif (there are several ones from different regions of Palestine).
I cut a hole in the fabric while trying to fix my mistakes and ended up with this. I think I’ll leave it— oh I did forget a few stitches. I might pick those up later. This is my first attempt at a Moon motif (there are several ones from different regions of Palestine).
I keep goofing this one but am getting better about stopping and picking back my stitches. This is the moon of Bethlehem motif. The same one that’s on the needle minder.
December 6, 2025 at 5:16 PM
I keep goofing this one but am getting better about stopping and picking back my stitches. This is the moon of Bethlehem motif. The same one that’s on the needle minder.
Ears of corn motif is done. Next up is moon of Bethlehem.
December 6, 2025 at 4:39 PM
Ears of corn motif is done. Next up is moon of Bethlehem.
More tatreez happened! This is closer to the original motif, and also much neater on the back:
December 6, 2025 at 2:41 PM
More tatreez happened! This is closer to the original motif, and also much neater on the back:
Less gross pics of my Palestinian embroidery sampler.
December 6, 2025 at 12:40 AM
Less gross pics of my Palestinian embroidery sampler.
To compare, this is what the back looks like on my last sampler and project. The black is more recent, the red is super messy!
December 5, 2025 at 10:10 PM
To compare, this is what the back looks like on my last sampler and project. The black is more recent, the red is super messy!
Enhance! Extreme but gross pics of the tatreez sampler I’m working on. I’m getting much better at it, even though the back still isn’t that clean (it looks better before I try to “finish” the column by weaving in the tail.
December 5, 2025 at 10:04 PM
Enhance! Extreme but gross pics of the tatreez sampler I’m working on. I’m getting much better at it, even though the back still isn’t that clean (it looks better before I try to “finish” the column by weaving in the tail.
Fresh baked cookies and a cup of milk to enjoy while I put together a fun thread for you all, to celebrate Palestinian literary excellence this holiday season.
December 5, 2025 at 5:07 PM
Fresh baked cookies and a cup of milk to enjoy while I put together a fun thread for you all, to celebrate Palestinian literary excellence this holiday season.
I appreciate this review of my story The Dragon from Palestine-1. The story itself is set in my family’s village of ‘Ayn Karem, but its history is intertwined with the nearby Deir Yassin, sure if the most notorious Zionist massacre of the Nakba.
December 4, 2025 at 11:57 AM
I appreciate this review of my story The Dragon from Palestine-1. The story itself is set in my family’s village of ‘Ayn Karem, but its history is intertwined with the nearby Deir Yassin, sure if the most notorious Zionist massacre of the Nakba.
It is done. I was going to garnish it but I’d rather just eat it. Sorry, not sorry.
I didn’t follow the recipe in every detail but I adjusted it to my tastes. It leans more sweet and tangy than salty or spicy but it’s all in there.
Next time, I may roast the peppers and walnuts myself.
I didn’t follow the recipe in every detail but I adjusted it to my tastes. It leans more sweet and tangy than salty or spicy but it’s all in there.
Next time, I may roast the peppers and walnuts myself.
December 3, 2025 at 8:04 PM
It is done. I was going to garnish it but I’d rather just eat it. Sorry, not sorry.
I didn’t follow the recipe in every detail but I adjusted it to my tastes. It leans more sweet and tangy than salty or spicy but it’s all in there.
Next time, I may roast the peppers and walnuts myself.
I didn’t follow the recipe in every detail but I adjusted it to my tastes. It leans more sweet and tangy than salty or spicy but it’s all in there.
Next time, I may roast the peppers and walnuts myself.
I looked over to see this.
December 3, 2025 at 6:25 PM
I looked over to see this.
I think having this sewing pattern printed for me was a mistake. The file is great bc it has layers so you can just turn off the other sizes you don’t need. The shop didn’t do that. It is sometimes hard to try where to put notch marks and some cut lines.
November 27, 2025 at 8:50 PM
I think having this sewing pattern printed for me was a mistake. The file is great bc it has layers so you can just turn off the other sizes you don’t need. The shop didn’t do that. It is sometimes hard to try where to put notch marks and some cut lines.
There was energy for zataar grilled cheese. There always is. I was a fool to have doubted.
November 25, 2025 at 9:33 PM
There was energy for zataar grilled cheese. There always is. I was a fool to have doubted.
Examples of a kind of coat typical of fashions in the Galilee region of Palestine including the now rare art of silk patchwork.
November 23, 2025 at 5:08 PM
Examples of a kind of coat typical of fashions in the Galilee region of Palestine including the now rare art of silk patchwork.
Little girl embroidering while women mill grain in 1900:
November 23, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Little girl embroidering while women mill grain in 1900:
Some pic spam:
November 23, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Some pic spam:
Okay I fixed it… it looks very off but that might be because I used smaller needles. Hopefully it will even out? The darker one ids the before, lighter one is after my first attempt at reknitting a section down a few rows…
November 22, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Okay I fixed it… it looks very off but that might be because I used smaller needles. Hopefully it will even out? The darker one ids the before, lighter one is after my first attempt at reknitting a section down a few rows…
I think… I’m fixing it? First time trying to tear down in a column and reknit.
November 22, 2025 at 7:40 PM
I think… I’m fixing it? First time trying to tear down in a column and reknit.
Knitting friends, I need some advice. I am not sure what happened here on these Ragland sleeves. The one with the rings and blue marker is the start of round, the yellow one is what it should look like. I estimated how many stitches I should have. I’ll 2 short. Can this be fixed?
November 22, 2025 at 6:18 PM
Knitting friends, I need some advice. I am not sure what happened here on these Ragland sleeves. The one with the rings and blue marker is the start of round, the yellow one is what it should look like. I estimated how many stitches I should have. I’ll 2 short. Can this be fixed?
Anyway, I was delighted to find that there’s a book of history and stories, and that I have on the bookshelf beside my bed!
November 21, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Anyway, I was delighted to find that there’s a book of history and stories, and that I have on the bookshelf beside my bed!
Enjoy some non tatreez embroidery projects. One is my sternly to make a Palestinian headdress with tahriri embroidery and the other is a kit that got me back into free style.
November 20, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Enjoy some non tatreez embroidery projects. One is my sternly to make a Palestinian headdress with tahriri embroidery and the other is a kit that got me back into free style.
It did! Behold my awkward and wobbly first attempt at making pieces for patchwork!
November 19, 2025 at 9:17 PM
It did! Behold my awkward and wobbly first attempt at making pieces for patchwork!