Not so subtle. These tileable wood patterns are very useful.
Source Elemis
Zerro CC tillable texture of stones photographed and made by me. CC0
Source Sojan Janso
Prismatic Abstract Background Design
Source GDJ
Remixed from a drawing in 'Prehistoric Man: researches into the origin of civilisation in the old and the new world', Daniel Wilson, 1876.
Source Firkin
Zerro CC tillable texture of stones photographed and made by me. CC0
Source Sojan Janso
From a drawing in 'Art Embroidery', M.S. Lockwood and E. Glaister, 1878.
Source Firkin
One more in the line of patterns inspired by Japanese/Asian styles. Smooth.
Source Kim Ruddock
From a drawing in 'Jardyne's Wife', Charles Wills, 1891.
Source Firkin
Another fairly simple design drawn in Paint.net and vectorized in Inkscape.
Source Firkin
You know you can’t get enough of these linen-fabric-y patterns.
Source James Basoo
A seamless pattern from a tile made from a jpg on Pixabay. To get the tile select the rectangle in Inkscape and use shift-alt-i.
Source Firkin
Light honeycomb pattern made up of the classic hexagon shape.
Source Federica Pelzel
A seamless pattern the unit cell for which can be had by selecting the rectangle in Inkscape and using shift+alt+i
Source Firkin
Traced from a drawing in 'Household Stories from the Collection of the Brothers Grimm', Wilhelm Carl Grimm , 1882.
Source Firkin
Background formed from the original with an emboss effect
Source GDJ
Three shades of gray makes this pattern look like a small carbon fiber surface. Great readability even for small fonts.
Source Atle Mo
The unit cell for this seamless pattern can be had in Inkscape by selecting the rectangle and using shift+alt+i.
Source Firkin
Super dark, crisp and detailed. And a Kill Bill reference.
Source Badhon Ebrahim
A green background pattern with warped vertical stripes and a grunge look.
Source V. Hartikainen
Kaleidoscope Prismatic Abstract No Background
Source GDJ
Bumps, highlight and shadows – all good things.
Source Badhon Ebrahim
Prismatic Abstract Line Art Pattern Background
Source GDJ
Remixed from a drawing in 'Maidenhood; or, the Verge of the Stream', Laura Jewry, 1876.
Source Firkin
To get the tile this is based on select the rectangle in Inkscape and use shift+alt+i.
Source Firkin
A seamless pattern from a tile made from a jpg on Pixabay. To get the tile select the rectangle in Inkscape and use shift-alt-i.
Source Firkin
A seamless texture traced from an image on opengameart.org shared by Scouser.
Source Firkin
A seamless texture traced from an image on opengameart.org shared by Scouser.
Source Firkin