A Raschel or embroidery lace leaves the machine as a greige structure. The cloth you sew is made in finishing: heat-set, (maybe) dissolve, dye, soften, and inspect. Most “the lace grew” or “the scallop rolled” complaints are finishing complaints.
Heat-set is not optional
Warp-knit nylon and polyester want a heat-set so the mesh and the scallop remember their width. Mills that skip a proper set save energy and ship a lace that moves in the garment wash. A two-step set (once after knitting, again after dye or after chemical-lace dissolve) is common on better goods. Chemical lace needs a controlled dissolve so the soluble nonwoven leaves without gumming the viscose bars.
Dyeing routes
- Yarn-dye / space-dye: colour is in the yarn; good for stripes and for matching a difficult viscose sheen; longer yarn lead time.
- Piece-dye: greige lace dyed as a fabric. Efficient for fashion colours. Penetration into a dense embroidery can fail — white cores show when the motif is pulled.
- Cross-dye: nylon and polyester in one lace, two dye classes, two colours from one bath. Specify it. Do not discover it when the “white” polyester stays white.
Elastane restricts dye temperature and chemistry. A stretch lingerie lace is not a cotton-galloon dye recipe.
Restricted aromatic amines (azo), formaldehyde on some resins, and pH belong on the same form as shade. STANDARD 100 and REACH entry 43 are the usual umbrellas.
Fastness, not only shade
Ask for the methods the brand already uses on the shell: typically ISO 105 families — wash, water, perspiration, dry/wet crocking, and sometimes light. Lace next to a pale silk lining needs a different crocking conversation than lace on a black viscose dress.
Softener can mask a harsh nylon; too much softener is a crocking and needle problem. Cotton lace may want a pre-shrink. Elastic lace wants a stretch-and-recovery check after wash, not only a shade ticket.
Inspection should catch dropped bars, dye spots, and scallop width. A lace that matches the lab dip on a 20 cm swatch can still be out of width on a 100 m roll. Measure both.