Ep 11. Dreaming of Weaving Clouds and Inventing the Digital Jacquard Handloom with Vibeke Vestby

No Ordinary Cloth: Intersection of textiles, emerging technology, craft and sustainability

In this episode of the No Ordinary Cloth Podcast, we speak with Vibeke Vestby, the inventor of the first-ever digital jacquard handloom.

She share about her passion for weaving as a child, her impatience with traditional looms and a trip to Italy that was pivotal in reimagining the 200 year old jacquard loom. Vibeke recounts her early inspiration, the technical evolution of the loom, and the collaborative process with the engineering company Tronrud, to bring her vision to life. Her persistence and determination results in the remarkable TC2 Digital Jacquard handloom.

Join us as Vibeke goes from teaching prisoners weaving to wanting to weave clouds and peonies and making a loom that will enable her and others to use the jacquard loom like a sketch book to quickly translate ideas and be a catalyst for creativity.

Vibeke also discusses her personal life, including how she became a trained pilot, and the importance of teamwork and curiosity in her groundbreaking work.

Tune in to learn how the TC2 digital loom, a symbol of potential, is revolutionising and democratising hand weaving, driving forward the ever-evolving ingenuity in textile weaving.

Connect with Vibeke Vestby and her team

Digital Weaving Norway

Insta: @digitalweavingnorway

Connect with Mili Tharakan

[email protected]

Insta: @noordinarycloth

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjtharakan/

Cover art: Photo by Siora, Photography on Unsplash

Music: Inspired Ambient, Orchestraman

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Timestamp:

00:00:04: Introduction to the episode

00:00:28: Introduction to the main topic - The Loom

00:00:59: Introduction of the guest - Vibeke Vestby

00:04:49: Vibeke's passion for weaving and her early career

00:10:08: Vibeke's teaching experience in Norway's only prison for females

00:11:26: Vibeke's career at the College of Art and Design

00:11:36: Development of the first Weave Planner programme

00:12:12: Vibeke's learnings and experience at Silk Art Foundation in Lisio, Florence

00:15:04: The history of the Jacquard loom and its evolution

00:19:12: How the Jacquard loom revolutionised weaving

00:22:42: Vibeke's journey to creating the digital Jacquard handloom

00:23:13: Initial Challenges and Realisation

00:24:33: Funding and the First Prototype

00:28:29: The Difficulties of Bringing the Loom to Market

00:31:15: The Loom and its Scaleability

00:33:56: Market Adaptation and Customer Response

00:44:42: The Loom as a Tool for Generating Ideas

00:46:27: Vibeke's Background

00:49:05: Discussion on Traditional Norwegian Costumes

00:52:04: Vibeke's Interest in Flying and Pilot Training

00:57:56: Outlook on the Future of Creative Weaving

00:59:00: Current Projects and Interests

01:03:01: Host's Reflections and Takeaways from the Conversation