In a small and historically rich village beyond al Khalil, just before a’Naqab region of southern Palestine, are a hand-full of women keeping the traditional craft of hand-weaving alive. Bedouin weaving is a centuries-old art form handmade by women and traditionally passed down from mother to daughter. 

Having learned from their mothers Bedouin hand-weaving is a matrilineally preserved craft. The process is a multi-step, labor-intensive one that starts with the shearing of the wool, followed by the washing and spinning of the wool into yarn using a wooden drop-spindle. The yarn is then rolled into a ball and soaked in natural dye for coloring. After drying, the colored yarn is set on a ground loom, in a complex process that requires two to three women to count and cast numerous strands of warps, the lengthwise thread, according to the design.

The work is carried out collectively by family members and neighbors who pair up and rotate. It is done in a beautiful communal atmosphere where women work, talk, and laugh.

In between taking care of their families, resting, and being in community with other women in their village, it takes about 10 days to weave just one hand-woven bag, a slow labor of love.