Motifs

Kuyavian embroidery is dominated by mainly floral motifs of flowers and expanded stems with leaves. We have here floral motifs of various, often of individualised stylisation being a result of embroiderers’ ingeniousness as well as motifs copied accurately from nature. Embroidered bonnets are decorated mainly with arch-bent stems, called rods, with leaves of various shape of lamina. This is the most common motif which constitutes the basis for composition variants. Their edges or sides are decorated with flowers (for example roses, cornflowers, sunflowers, oxeye daisies).

There are various kinds of flower-buds and leaves (e.g. oak, grapevine, clover leaves). There appear flowers of wavy edges or petals composed freely around the flower centre.

All elements of floral ornaments bear individual stylisation features such as pearls, thickenings or tiny elements such as volutes, short stripes, circles, etc. All the patterns belong to the canon of traditional folk Kuyavian embroidery.

In tulle embroidery, due to the fabric structure, there appear geometrical motifs. These are mainly straight lines, polylines, oblique lines, diamonds, stars – all of them possible to make on tulle fabric.