Strip of bobbin lace with a continuous wavy vine with berries and a butterfly
From the collection of Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
Strip of natural-colored bobbin lace: Mechelen lace. The repeating pattern consists of a continuous and wavy vine with small leaves on both sides, a single short branch with a berry and some small flowers. At the beginning of each wave crest sits a butterfly or butterfly-shaped flower, the vine makes a loop twice within one wave. The slightly scalloped underside is formed by a double narrow scroll, forming a sequence of pointed oval cartouches. Under each wave crest is always a larger cartouche in the pattern along the lower edge, with a leafy branch and a star-shaped flower. The motifs are connected by a fine mesh ground, the Mechelen ground. The motifs are worked in linen stitch with thicker and shiny contour threads. Various decorative grounds are applied in the cartouches along the underside, in the loops, berries and flower hearts. The slightly scalloped underside results from the pattern with the double scroll and is finished with picots.
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam’s own description