Tulle netting

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This article is about a netting. For other uses, see Tulle (disambiguation).

Tulle is a light-weight, very fine netting, which is often starched, made of various fibers, including silk, nylon, and rayon, that is most commonly used for veils, gowns (particularly wedding gowns) and ballet tutus.

Bobbinet is a specific type of tulle netting which has been made in the UK since the invention of the bobbinet machine in 1806 by John Heathcoat. Machines based on his original designs are still in operation today producing fabrics in Chard, Somerset.

Bobbinet tulle is constructed by warp and weft yarns in which the weft yarn is looped diagonally around the vertical warp yarn to form a hexagonal mesh which is regular and clearly defined. Properties of bobbinet include:

-Uniformity of construction -High strength to weight ratio -Durability -Flexibility -Sheerness / transparency

The uses of tulle nets have extended into technical applications where the materials properties are more important than its appearance. These Technical Textiles include uses such as parachute skirting, radar reflective fabrics for military decoys and light diffusion fabrics for the film and theatre industries.