Together We Embroider a Better Future!
At Desert Embroidery we believe in helping ourselves by generating income through embroidery sales and tourism. We work to bring gainful employment to Bedouin women in Lakia and its surroundings by preserving the folk art women learned from their mothers and grandmothers. Every purchase of our hand embroidery contributes to the personal empowerment of Bedouin women. Throughout the years, our project has become a model in the Negev for handicraft employment. We are one of the largest employers in Lakia.
For the past several years, the project has not received outside monetary contributions. We are in need of support to expand our embroidery sales to provide a livelihood for additional women, to cover rising employee benefits as per Israeli law, and to contribute to our overhead expenses.
We constructed our gallery selection to achieve the goal of expanding sales of Desert Embroidery products in Israel and abroad. Eventually we hope to open an online store in English. Until then, please contact us by email if you are interested in ordering one of our fine handbags, wall hangings, pillows or recycled paper and embroidery items. We can create to order using your preferred colors.
How does Desert Embroidery Operate?
The women in the project receive their embroidery materials (cloth, thread, needles, etc.) free of charge. They embroider traditional designs in their spare time at home and bring their finished embroidery once a month to the organization for a fair wage for their work. The majority of our embroiderers lack the vocational training, language skills and the support of their families needed to seek employment in the free market. Jobs in Lakia and its surroundings are almost non-existent and public transportation is limited.
Women who were trained in our sewing and design courses fashion the finished products in our sewing workshop and ensure quality control. Our products are sold in the Desert Embroidery store in Lakia, the Negev Artist House in Beer Sheba, and our online Hebrew site.
Once or twice a month, the women in the project meet for lectures, meetings, workshops and trips in the area. An integral goal of the project is to widen their horizons and supply information about social welfare rights, health, business initiatives and more. These meetings offer women the opportunity to meet, exchange ideas and provide each other with mutual support.
Our Quality
Our embroidery products are known for their quality. In the summer of 2015 two artists from the organization were guests of the International Folk Art Market in Santa Fe, New Mexico, U.S.A. Our embroidery had been exhibited in galleries in Tel Aviv and Beer Sheba. We use only threads manufactured by DMC France and high quality cloth. We stand behind our products with pride.
Flexibility
The products we display on our web site are a tiny portion of the variety of products we offer. Almost everything can be ordered in a variety of colors and sizes and we carry additional products in our Lakia store. We can also supply fashion designers and stores according to their requirements. If you don’t see what you are looking for on our online site, you can contact us by email – we will do our best to make your dream come true!
The Tradition and Significance of Bedouin Embroidery
Desert Embroidery Product Gallery
Kapa’s Story
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