Karl Mayer has launched an innovative lace fabric for the underwear and clothing sector. The new, rigid lace is said to combine exceptionally clear fabric appearance with an unrivalled filigree pattern in the centre section and was created on an MJ 92/1 F from a very thin, super-combed, Ne 200/2 ring-spun cotton yarn in the jacquard.

The idea for this was conceived back in the 1980s and Karl Mayer lace expert Jamie Heather has now been able to realise it on a Jacquardtronic Lace machine in F configuration.

“The arrangement of the Jacquard bar at the front instead of the back, as in the B version, allows an almost vertical yarn feed. This significantly widens the yarn tension window for processing very rigid cotton yarns,” he explains. This has advantages for the design: the wider tension tolerance means that patterns with more variable thread consumption can be realised without thread breakage or sagging.

The result is impressive. The floral motif sections of the new Jacquardtronic lace have been produced entirely without jacquard work behind the gimps and therefore show optimum effects when cross-dyed. Their appearance is exceptionally clean and clear.

For the gimp threads, Jamie Heather has used only flat twisted yarns - 70 dtex pre-dyed lurex and 1/167 dtex viscose, matt - to get as close as possible to the Leavers lace look. The net construction in the central geometric part of the design shows off the cotton Jacquard well and gives the appearance that it has been worked by hand.

The new pattern was produced on an MJ 92/1 F with a working width of 134 inch in gauge E 24. It was created using cotton sourced from Gebrüder Otto Baumwollfeinzwirnerei in Dietenheim. With its high-quality yarn and carefully drafted design, the innovative lace meets the needs of the high-end underwear and clothing sector.

“Many customers have the idea of using cotton in the jacquard but are unwilling to take this step as it deviates from standard production,” says Sascha Müller, Product Owner Global Lace & Raschel at Karl Mayer, who is looking forward to the upcoming Interfilière and Première Vision in Paris. At one of the trade fairs, he and Jamie Heather plan to present the latest lace developments during their customer visits.

Customers can find out more about the new lace from their Karl Mayer support team.

www.karlmayer.com