Zahra

Whenever I see the Hebronite dress (Thawb Khalili) with its vibrant colors and the floral embroidery accents ('uruq al-ward) adorning its sides and chest, I picture the woman who made it and her joy after completing it. I imagine the sheer happiness on her face as she stitched the very last bead of embroidery. I picture her standing up, holding it against her body, and twirling around as if it were the dream dress she had envisioned for months—from the moment she chose the fabric, the silk threads, and their colors, to the start of her embroidery journey with the very first stitch. I think about how those pieces of fabric and threads lived through every emotion she experienced along the way: anxiety, joy, dreams, and perhaps even sorrow. Feelings told through threads, not words.