Friday Fun Fact: Jacquard

People have been trying new ways to make fabric decorative for centuries.

Complex weaves like the jacquard fabric above require complex looms. The jacquard machine was a loom attachment created by Joseph Marie Jacquard in 1804, and used an extensive series of punched cards to create the pattern.

Unlike earlier brocade weaving techniques, jacquard weaves don't have long, floating threads on the back, making them essentially double-sided.

If you ever worked with early computers, you might find the punched cards familiar. In fact, the jacquard loom was the inspiration for punch-card computing!

While historic jacquard fabrics featured complex floral and scrollwork designs, modern interpretations range from traditional to abstract and everywhere in between. 

Learn more here!

Click here to see a video of a jacquard loom in action! 

p.s. I have now spelled jacquard so many times I think I've finally got it memorized!