BAGHDAD
- With the rapid development in the fields of life and its aspects, women's entry into the labor market has become a realistic matter, and Iraq is not an exception;
Women in it consider themselves a workforce that can contribute to the country's economy.
There are many projects for businesswomen who started with small projects until they became entrepreneurs, among them the "Thimble" project, which was founded by the plastic artist Duha Al-Kateb under the slogan of a culture of living in Baghdad.
About the idea of the project and its beginning, Duha Al-Kateb told Al Jazeera Net that the beginning was when she decided to leave her government job and then seek to employ all efforts and energies to achieve this project.
Initially, she prepared distinguished cadres for work, and held morning and evening courses to teach fine arts, such as sewing, embroidery, detailing, and others, which witnessed a great turnout.
She pointed out that the courses were dedicated to widows and the needy, but that the customers are usually women of the velvet community because of the high prices of the pieces produced.
She added that the second step came with the launch of the thimble project, which is concerned with the production of handcrafted pieces of women's clothing, in addition to traditional costumes such as the bisht and abaya with an oriental and Baghdadi character.
Doha continues in her speech, saying that what distinguishes the thimble from others is the presentation of unique pieces of art, and the lack of attention to quantity at the expense of type, indicating that each piece is a creative painting that has no similarity, and work on it may take a month or more.
Duha the writer continues her talk by explaining the meaning of the word thimble by saying that the thimble is a funnel that covers the tip of the seamstress’ finger to protect it from needles, and she chose it because of its close connection with hand sewing to create tangible and tangible beauty.
Raeda Al-Maliki (right) and Khaleda Al-Dulaimi during the knitting and embroidery work (Al-Jazeera Net)
The identity of the country and the culture of the East
Raeda Al-Maliki (one of the founders of the project) says that the thimble does not only provide pieces of handmade clothes, but that there is a keenness that the clothes are a sign of the identity of the country and the culture of the East, in addition to the diversity of models according to the occasion and the nature of the personality that you will acquire. There are easy-to-wear pieces that allow the lady Freedom of movement, and other luxuriously crafted pieces for occasions, have a vibrant part.
Khaleda Al-Dulaimi (the third member of the project) shared with her the talk, which was given to her by Khaleda Al-Dulaimi, by saying, "Under the slogan of the culture of living, and during our journey, we acquired a lot for various occasions, including what facilitates the way of living and enriches the environment around us with beauty and distinction, which prompts us to choose the best and most beautiful, in addition To balance quality and cost, and there is no doubt that awareness of the culture of living has become higher and more comprehensive, as societies are keen to improve the lifestyle, starting from the health and nutritional aspect and ending with clothing.
One of the products of the Thimble Foundation (Al Jazeera Net)
Bisht and abaya
Wearing the bisht and the abaya has become necessary to complete the elegance of any woman who loves distinction, and about the difference between them, al-Dulaimi says that the bisht - basically - is the men’s abaya that the Arabs have worn for thousands of years. Abaya, which is closed from the front and with long sleeves.
Fashion designer Ziad Al-Adari said about the Thimble project that what distinguishes the work of the women of the project is the embodiment of folklore and heritage in an unconventional way that combines the past and the present, using high-quality materials, in addition to a high ability to mix colors in a professional manner.