jacquard technique

The term Jacquard is used to describe fabric with color and pattern woven directly into the cloth rather than simply printed onto it. Ranging in complexity from two-tone stripes to multi-color paisleys, these fabrics bear the name of the Frenchman who revolutionized the weaving industry in 1800. Joseph-Marie Jacquard made weavers assistants obsolete when he invented a loom that used punch cards - not unlike the rolls of a player piano - to guide the weaving process. Today, jacquards are created on machines that use software to program designs, but the end result is the same richly patterned, durable fabrics that make sumptuous bedding.