JACQUARD QUILT COVERS, THE UTMOST LUXURY

A longstanding argument is whether sculpture or painting is a more noble form of art. Is it sculpture, with all its intricate details and the meticulous work required to turn a stone into a masterpiece? Or manifesting a picture the painter has in mind, using merely a blank piece of paper or cloth and a combination of different shades of colours furnished marvellously to conjure a mix of sincere human sensations. This argument, art fans will relate, cannot be put to rest undisputedly.

Fortunately when it comes to fabric, jacquard, that we at Isador consider to be a woven art, cannot be compared to any of its printed fabric cousins. This woven blessing have brought the best of both worlds.

The fact is that many of us would prefer fabrics to be endowed with some kind of simple pattern, especially when it comes to quilt covers and coverlets. These patterns could be post-woven printed, specifically the economical ones. Even though they might occasionally look all right, jacquard on the other hand takes the look of the fabric to a new level. In weaving the pattern directly into the fabric itself by changing the type and colour of warp thread, jacquard provides the pattern with a third dimension that makes it a treat for both the eye and skin.

Jacquard was invented in 1801 by French weaver Marie Jacquard, enabling regular workmen to produce beautiful patterns that earlier required exceptional patience and skill. Needless to say that before the advent of jacquard loom, producing as little as 10cm of fabric took a skilled weaver and his assistant a whole day. Jacquard revolutionised the fabric production industry in terms of versatility and quantity. Babbage, also known as the father of the computer, cited that the jacquard loom is capable of weaving any design the imagination of a man can conceive. Like all other aspects of life, computers have taken jacquard production further and has enabled the weaving of even more intricate designs.

Jacquard fabrics are more elegant and smoother than printed fabrics. They are more durable and can also be reversible, which gives the fabric great versatility in application. All this comes at a cost, as the jacquard looms are expensive and the adding of coloured warp threads is tedious and time consuming process that is completed by automation. This results in high prices of jacquard fabric compared to other types, but when buying jacquard, you are investing in a durable piece of art that combines both beauty, luxury and comfort.