Jacquard weave is a system that originated in France. This weaving system allows for complex and detailed designs to be woven on silk, giving the finished material a very rich finish. Each thread in the saree is carefully placed in the loom to give the best fit for our vision. Popular jacquard designs include damasks, florals, and geometrics.
Jacquard is a type of fabric with an intricately woven pattern. The pattern is not embroidered but woven directly into the fabric. Available in many styles and colors, Jacquard has varying finesse as per the quality of the fabric used. Jacquard weaves, produced on a special loom, are characterized by complex woven-in designs, often with large design repeats or tapestry effects. The image above is from a Jacquard Saree in our collection.
How is Jacquard Weave used?
The Jacquard weave used to make allover figured fabrics such as brocades, tapestries, and damasks. They are woven on a loom having a Jacquard attachment to control individual warps. In India, Jacquard weave is very popularly used to make beautiful fabrics typically used for sarees. This type of weave is very popular with Linen & Matka Silk Sarees. Some designers also use the fabric for lehengas & Kurtis.
How much does Jacquard Weave cost?
Fabrics of this type are costly because of the time and skill involved in making the Jacquard cards, preparing the loom to produce a new pattern and the slowness of the weaving operation. The Jacquard weave usually combines two or more basic weaves, with different weaves used for the design and the background. While it is difficult to set a base price for Jacquard Sarees, they are always above or around Rs. 3000. However, a lot of it matters on the colors, design, dyes & quality of thread used.
While the jacquard weave process is more time consuming and labor-intensive than a basic weave. However, the jacquard fabric is more stable and stretchy than fabrics created through the basic weave technique. Thus, the costs are worth it.
How exactly is Jacquard Weave made?
Jacquard Weave uses a loom with an attachment. This attachment is called a ‘Jacquard head,’ and was first produced in the early 19th Century by the French inventor Joseph-Marie Jacquard, hence where the name comes from.
The Jacquard head on the loom enables the control of individual warp threads through the use of cards punched with holes. The reason that the Jacquard loom was an important invention was that it enables the weaver to create large pattern repeats. It also means that complex, elaborate patterns can be created. If you wish to know more about the machine, click here.
Nowadays Jacquard looms are controlled by computer, rather than using Punch cards. This means that patterns can be created with much less human input. It also means that the patterns are very accurate. However, this new technology is not that common and upwards of 80% of all Jacquard Sarees are made using the old system or a fusion of computer-designed punch card and old fashioned Jacquard Head.
What are the types of Jacquard Weave?
This fabric can be further sub-divided into the following 3 commonly found fabrics:
Brocade fabric :
It is an elaborately patterned raised fabric woven with multi-colored threads producing rich designs. Popularly used in fashion clothing and upholstery, it is usually heavier than most fabrics.
Damask fabric :
A more fine and sheer version of Brocade, the Damask is also a patterned fabric that is woven mostly with a single color. It is generally used in fiber blends or synthetic fiber production. Fabric with a weft sateen figures on a warp satin, twist or plain grained, made of silk, cotton, rayon and linen yarns Damasks are reversible. The Longer floats are more lustrous, but the shorter floats are more durable.
Matelassé fabric :
Manufactured using cotton, silk or rayon, this fabric has a quilted effect and a stretchy surface.
How to maintain a Jacquard Weave Saree?
While there isn’t any specific procedure to care for a Jacquard weave, attention needs to be paid on the fabric. In general, the Jacquard Weave, when done correctly ends up increasing the durability of the fabric along with its value. The only difficult part of a Jacquard weave fabric is that if torn, especially in the design, it is very difficult to stitch without destroying the quality.
Where can I get the Jacquard Weave Saree or Fabric?
There are many stores across India where you can get a Jacquard Weave saree. An important point while buying is that you can put your hand across the design, a Jacquard weave is almost a part of the fabric and thus will not be as elevated as regular embroidery.
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