~Linkedin: March 2022:   In 1801, Joseph Marie Jacquard demonstrated a loom that allowed unskilled workers to weave complex patterns with silk. His invention was known after that as the Jacquard Loom. It was controlled by a chain of multiple cards punched with holes that determined which cords of the fabric warp should be raised for each pass of the shuttle. I say this like I know something about it, but honestly, I haven’t a clue. My simple plain knit machines are all I have ever seen in action. Now, this fellow named Brad Jamison, is a different story. He has brought the Jacquard Loom to a whole new level. As a sort of Jedi of the braiding world, he is now the sole Master Lace Braider in the USA! Pretty cool claim to fame.

Lace braiding doesn’t even begin to describe the products that Brad is producing on his machines. In 2004 he purchased a computer-controlled braiding machine from China, finally able to turn his ideas into reality. He has created a library of thousands of original patterns and continues to pursue new ideas and innovations. His company is called TEF Braids, TEF being an acronym for Tensionally Engineered Fibre. What he produces on these machines is much more than a fabric, lace, or braid; taking the best of all three, he can create 3 dimensional structures in many different patterns with varying textures, density, support, and stretch. The unique products being used in everything from sportswear, footwear, medical dressings, to furniture.

Currently, he has 7 lace braiding machines of various sizes in his small facility in New York. He calls this textile art, and it truly is. I will post a link to his website in the first comments, but his products are not only beautiful and unique, but uniquely functional in a way that sets his products apart from anything else out there. I’ve spent 3 days fighting with my old fleece machine to just get it to knit without defects, I’m not sure I could even wrap my mind around machines this complex. But, I would love to try.

Starting out in 1994 with no textile experience, just linking and interlacing yarns over a wooden cylinder with pins on a grid. He has come a long ways since then. Determination, interest, and creativity were the secret, I suspect. Brad Jamison and TEF Braids are definitely leading the textile industry and paving a new, exciting, and sustainable path into the future.

Lacemakers Song:
"Guide my hands with speed and grace To weave the intricacies of this lace. Let the bobbins weave with ease To create a pattern that will please. Let there be Love in its creation And give it Artistry in its inspiration. May special Care keep the threads from breaking And give me Energy for its making. Allow this lace to bring joy and pleasure And give to others a lifelong treasure."

thom h. boehm
the thinking man's circular knitting machine mechanic ✩ chicken whisperer ✩ voice in the wilderness

#textiles #textileindustry #braidinghiswaytosuccess #masterlacebraider #innovations #innovators #voiceinthewilderness