Winter is the season when, every year for more than twenty years, registrations open for the summer courses: those dedicated to Jacquard textile design and to the in-depth study of Jacquard weaving techniques.

Every year, people take part in these courses leaving their own unique mark. Once again, the Jacquard textile design course, held from 12 to 23 June 2017, was a truly inspiring experience.

Two intensive weeks during which participants study the design of figured fabrics and immediately put what they have learned into practice, thanks to five looms controlled by punched cards and three card-punching machines.

There were four students, each with a very different creative background:

Åsa Pärson is an experienced Swedish designer. Her velvet piece Random is the result of a free and impatient approach, a creativity expressed through making. Before her colleagues had even decided what to create, she collected a number of discarded cards (defective ones or those containing errors, thrown into the paper recycling bin), tied them together and wove them. The resulting false solid weave is better than many deliberately designed patterns…