Jacquard

Born into a family of artisans, French weaver Joseph Marie Jacquard was a pioneer in the milling industry.  He wasn't, however, the first of his kind.  His predecessors Basile Bouchon, Jean-Baptiste Falcon & Jacques Vaucanson all advanced the mechanical loom and its processes.

In 1801, Mr. Jacquard previewed his invention of automatically weaving silk textiles into fancy fabric in Paris and within years the "jacquard loom" was sold across Europe.

While knitting only involves one piece of yard, the fabric below resembles that of a cable knit sweater.  The jacquard process involves a complicated system of cards with punched holes that control the warp to weft ratio, raising only certain warps at a time to warrant creating a repeating pattern.

As Napoleon Bonaparte was Emperor in 1805, he granted the patent to the city of Lyon and issued a pension to Jacquard.  It was a step forward in the production of fabrics but also helped pave the way for programming and the invention of computers.

Jacquard fabrics can be wonderful for curtains, dresses and ties.  The Vitale Barberis Canonico fabric below is true in navy color and quite breathable with the open weave.  It is best made as a casual and seasonal blazer.

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