Thread Memory at V&A Dundee: Palestinian Embroidery, Memory and Making

The trip to the V&A last week was definitely my best day at work this year so far. A week on from the visit, I’m still reflecting on their exhibition Thread Memory: Embroidery from Palestine. It’s a creative experience that speaks quietly about cloth as language, memory and resistance. It’s a beautiful and poignant example of the soft power of textiles.

Insider Tour of Thread Memory: Embroidery from Palestine

I had the luxury of being given an insider tour of the exhibition by co-curator Miriam Mallalieu, who answered my endless questions with extraordinary insight.At its heart is tatreez, the ancient and highly skilled practice of Palestinian hand embroidery. Each region has its own recognisable stitches and motifs, so a dress becomes more than something to wear. It becomes a record of a woman’s life, her community, her joys and her losses. Experiences from youth, motherhood, rural life, politics, grief and history are all quite literally stitched into the fabric.

We were struck by how closely this echoes ideas we return to again and again in our tartans. Textiles tell a story, hold memories and reflect belonging and identity.

The exhibition also marks 45 years of Dundee’s twinning with Nablus, and uses that relationship to explore historic connections between Scotland and Palestine. Pieces from Dundee’s own collections sit alongside garments and archival material from Palestine, creating a dialogue across place and time that feels thoughtful and deeply human. Another lovely Scottish connection was the tatreez worn by Nadia El-Nakla at the Scottish Parliament in March 2023. 

Contemporary Design

Alongside the historic dress, there’s also contemporary work by Palestinian designers and artists who are building on inherited traditions rather than leaving them behind. Newly commissioned garments sit beside interviews with artists themselves and there is something moving about seeing traditional dress and contemporary expression share the same space - the contrast between something that is 200 years old and then ultra-modern conceptual costumes that take those historical textiles as their inspiration. Without doubt, the most moving piece was a tunic that was damaged in the bombing of Rafah Museum in 2023. It was blown onto a nearby roof - survived there for eight months before being rescued and smuggled out of Gaza. The explosion, rain and sun have all made their mark on the garment. You can literally feel the story from behind the glass.

 

Links to Siham Dabbagh Commemorative Tartan

Our visit also gave us the chance to talk about connections between the exhibition and our own Siham Dabbagh Commemorative Tartan. A tartan commissioned by Siham’s granddaughter last year and designed to honour a remarkable woman whose life was dedicated to Palestinian culture, women’s rights and community support. The colours draw together the Palestinian and Scottish flags, weaving two traditions into one shared story. Siham’s Granddaughter was married here Scotland last August and the design was commissioned in celebration of her grandmother’s life and her own marriage.

Siham worked with the General Union of Palestinian Women raising awareness of women’s issues – their contribution to society, to creative industry, to activism and community. She led Kuwait branch in the 1980s and focused on empowering women through education and traditional skills. Sewing, knitting and embroidery were not only sources of income for women in refugee camps but also vital ways of preserving cultural knowledge passed down through generations. Seeing posters, photographs and information about this work within the exhibition added another layer of meaning for us. It felt like a conversation between tartan and tatreez, between Scotland and Palestine, between past and present.

Final Thoughts: The soft power of textiles

I think the enduring feeling I had was gratitude. To the V&A for bringing this exhibition to Scotland, for the curatorial care that was so evident and for doing something bigger, better and more impactful by using the soft power of textiles to educate and inspire. The exhibition is on until 26th April and is well worth a visit.