The jacquard loom, credited as one of the earliest forms of coding, has inspired a ‘new heritage’ cloth being produced at AW Hainsworth. By digitising the patterns of early jacquard punch cards held at Leeds Industrial Museum, a new design has been created for modern electronic jacquard looms.
Hainsworth will use the project to trial a new designer-led short production run service, for bespoke fabrics. Designers based at Hainsworth Creative Hub will use the cloth to produce bespoke items that support their business growth. Using the new short-run capability and the new fabrics, Yorkshire Textiles will develop educational projects engaging designers and students with both the heritage and the full production processes behind bespoke fabric products.
