This saga started when David Collyer asked about what filling might be used in the center of a flower in an old Tønder pricking. Here is a scan of the pricking for the flower in question.

The name of this design is Ordensbaandet, which Christine Johnson tells us can be translated as "Ribbon of Order."

Update: Christine has sent some additional information about this design, along with a scan that shows the complete headside corner. Christine tells us:

Since sending the previous scans, I came across this in a little booklet called "Kniplinshjoerner i tyll" ("Corners in Point Ground Lace" seems the most appropriate translation). It shows the headside of the corner, which was not covered by the previous images. Marie Hansen was a professional lacemaker who, among other patterns, worked the "Ordensband" and the lace of this handkerchief is attributed to her. The handkerchief was made for Princess Marie (born Marie d'Orleans, married Prince Valdemar, the youngest son of Christian IX). Prince Valdemar was offered the thrones of both Bulgaria and Albania and had the good sense to decline both offers.

Here is photo of the completed lace. This sample was worked by Gunvor Jorgensen, a beloved teacher of Tønder lace. Photo taken by Barbara Joyce in June, 2006.

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NEWS FLASH! David has started working on his lace. Click here if you'd like to watch his progress.

For those with slower connections, please view an alternate page with the same information but smaller images.

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Before we saw the lace, many suggestions were offered for how the filling might be worked. Sally Schoenberg suggested the treatment shown on the cover of Knipling 3 by Karen Trend Nissen.

But Tamara Duvall disagrees, because the pricking for these flowers shows a considerably different pattern of dots than the pricking David supplied.

Christine Johnson sent these samples for consideration.

Two working diagrams for fillings that might be used with David's pricking are shown below. The first is from Christine, the second from Tamara.