Strip of Needle Lace with Heart-Shaped Leaves in a Decorative Band

Strip of natural-coloured needle lace: Argentan lace. The repeating pattern consists of a diagonal band running from bottom to top, formed by a double row of flowers, each flower with three round petals. Between the two successive diagonal bands, flower and leaf branches hang down. Parallel along the lower edge runs a continuous decorative band with heart-shaped leaves in it. Directly under the decorative band, heart-shaped and more or less oval motifs form the shells along the straight lower side of the strip. The motifs are built up from buttonhole stitches with sparingly applied cut-outs. Relief contours run around all motifs, with or without picots. The motifs are connected by a ground of hexagonal meshes, which are densely sewn with buttonhole stitches, an Argentan ground. In the decorative band with the heart-shaped leaves, a finer mesh ground has been applied. The upper side is finished with a drawn thread band.