Mrs Bettie Stijnman showing the two reconstructions that she made of the 's Gravenmoer lace flounce on the Rijnland cap (TRC 2021.2446).A little while ago we published a TRC blog about a small, Dutch lace cap (TRC 2021.2446) from the Rijnland region of the Netherlands. More specifically, the cap was decorated with a flounce made from handmade bobbin lace that is now in a bad condition.
As noted in the blog, this type of lace is the only form of bobbin lace traditionally made in the Netherlands. It was worked in the village of 's-Gravenmoer in the province of Noord-Brabant, north of the Belgian port of Antwerp.
Rijnland lace cap, early 20th century, with flounce made from 's Gravenmoer lace (TRC 2021.2446).Bettie Stijnman has been teaching bobbin lace making for many years, and has a personal interest in 's Gravenmoer lace.
She decided to make a reconstruction of the panel and she noted in the earlier blog that the actual reworking took 116 bobbins and a lot of time. The special 's-Gravenmoer half-stitch is not worked in the usual back-and-forth manner, but always done from one side of a motif to the opposite, returning without working to the starting side every row. This results in a motif with vertical threads running though it and it is completely symmetrical.
Bettie also observed that there are relatively few extant and complete examples of 's-Gravenmoer lace, hence her willingness and interest in reconstructing the TRC example. In the previous blog a photograph was shown of a econstruction of the flounce. This morning (15th February 2022) Bettie came to the TRC with this example, plus another versions of the cap flounce. She had made two examples because part of the ground of the original flounce had been so damaged she was not sure which type of rose ground had been used.
Two reconstructions made by Bettie Stijnman of the 's Gravenmoer lace flounce attached to the Rijnland cap (TRC 2021.2446).
Both the cap, as well as the two samples made by Bettie will be on display from the end of February as part of a mini-exhibition about Rijnland lace caps. And on Sunday afternoon, 27 February, a special talk will be given at the TRC about Rijnland caps. Mrs Annie Keijzer-Sarneel will be wearing, and explaining Rijnland dress and lace caps.
Gillian Vogelsang, 15 February 2022
