Handmade vs Machine Tatreez: How to Tell the Difference

As Palestinian embroidery has become more popular, many pieces sold as "tatreez" are now machine-embroidered. Both can be beautiful, but they are very different in time, cost and meaning. Here is how to tell them apart.

1. Turn it over

Handmade: the back shows small knots, thread changes and slightly uneven tension. Machine-made: the back is very regular, often with long jump threads and a stiff white or black stabiliser fabric behind the design.

2. Look closely at the crosses

In hand cross-stitch, each "X" is slightly different, and the top stitches all lie in the same direction because the artisan works them one by one. Machine "cross-stitch" is identical everywhere and often sits flatter and denser on the fabric.

3. Check for perfect repeats

A machine repeats a motif exactly, down to the stitch. By hand, a repeated border will have tiny variations from one motif to the next.

4. Consider the price and the timeline

A fully hand-embroidered abaya or thobe takes weeks or months of work. If a heavily embroidered piece is very cheap or available instantly in every size, it is probably machine-made. Many handmade pieces are made to order, which is why they take 6–16 weeks.

5. Ask the seller

An honest seller will tell you whether a piece is hand- or machine-embroidered and who made it. Some brands mix both, or combine print with a few hand stitches.

Why it matters

When you buy hand embroidery, you pay for an artisan's time and skill, and you help keep a living tradition going. At Tatreez Banatna, every piece is 100% handmade by women artisans. We never use machine embroidery. Learn more in What Is Tatreez?