Lydda-Ramleh Region

The regions of Lydda and Ramleh lies between Jaffa and Gaza on the coast and the coastal plains south of Ramleh. Villages in the Lydda District have been famous for their white cotton fabric and cross-stitch embroidery with cotton thread, and for the Bethlehem couching stitch (rasheq) embroidered on the dresses of these village’s.  

Deir Tarif and Beit Nabala dresses were usually done on cotton, velvet or kermezot silk fabric. Taffeta inserts embroidered in Bethlehem style couching-stitch in gold and silk cord were attached to the yoke, chest panel, sleeves and skirt.   In the 1930s black velvet material became popular, and dresses were embroidered in couching straight on the fabric with brown or orange couching embroidery which later became famous for this area.

In Budros, Yazour, Al haditheh and Sarafand , the dresses were of white cotton fabric and red cross-stitch embroidery using cotton thread. The motifs on these dresses were similar to the cross stitch patterns embroidered on the Beit Dajan dress including the cypress tree, birds in pairs and other geometrical designs.
The area south west of Ramleh was famous for its festive and richly embroidered dresses, using hand woven cotton or indigo-blue linen fabric with multi-colored embroidery using silk thread in cross-stitch. The villages of Aqir, Na’ani, Beit Jibrin, Tel Al Safi and Masmiyyeh were famous for their festive richly embroidered dresses, and skirt patchwork in yellow and green taffeta and red satin.  

The motifs in this area were embroidered in horizontal structure, specially on the back  panel and included cypress trees, indented squares, pasha’ tent and other geometric designs characteristic for this area.

The hem of the dresses in this area can be trimmed with satin and zig-zag taffeta applique’ (tishrimeh) with cross-stitch embroidery, or diagonally slashed taffeta border, or herringbone stitch alone.    

The headdress in this area was the saffeh which was common to the Jaffa and southern coastal regions. The saffeh was cross-stitched in red thread and was embellished with a row of coins.      

In the early twentieth century, veils in the Central Plains region area were festive and heavily embroidered with cross-stitch and silk thread on linen or cotton fabric.