jacquard
journal
journal
We are a group of textile educators, workers, and past students of Melbourne's textile community coming together to rescue and restore this incredible jacquard loom — originally commissioned in 2001 thanks to Pat Jones and Rachel Halton.
After being decommissioned in 2022 and relocated from Melbourne to Ballarat in 2023, restoration works have been underway: electrical, warp, software, and full assembly.
Our vision is open access, education, residencies, and research — keeping this irreplaceable machine alive and in community hands.
Follow us @jacquardjournal →
Arrived via sea freight from Europe in a 1030kg crate, addressed to Pat Jones at RMIT's School of Fashion & Textiles, Brunswick.
Eternally grateful for Brian and his dad for their help in safely decommissioning the machine.
Moved from Melbourne to Ballarat — community-powered, on a trailer, through traffic.
Electrical, warp, software, orientation and assembly — the loom is slowly being brought back to life.
Education programs, artist residencies, and open community access — the loom weaving again.
Open Access — get this loom accessible within our wider community. Anyone with an interest in weaving should have the opportunity to work with it.
Education — create a loop of knowledge and skills handover. Document the process, build curriculum, preserve what was almost lost.
Residencies & Creative Program — develop a program for artist residencies and experimental textile projects with the jacquard as a central tool.
The jacquard loom represents a living bridge between industrial textile history and contemporary digital craft.
Technical — software & hardware — getting the 20-year-old control systems talking to modern computers is an ongoing challenge.
Long-term housing — the loom is over half a tonne and requires ground floor access via a roller door, and a ceiling height greater than 5 metres. Finding a permanent, affordable home is our biggest long-term challenge.
If you or someone you know has access to a suitable space, please reach out.
Handwritten setup instructions and the original technical schematics. These documents survived alongside the machine and are now part of the project's archive.
Conversation threads from the restoration group chat · 1,744 messages · Dec 2022 – May 2026
Every contribution goes directly toward restoration costs, equipment, and housing the loom. No charity overhead — just community-to-community support.
Donate via PayPal →Are you a weaver, textile worker, educator, or just someone who cares about keeping craft alive? We'd love to hear from you. This project is built on community — there are many ways to be part of it.
jacquardjournal@gmail.comWeavers & textile workers — open call for any and all weavers in the wider community for participation, skills-sharing, and collaboration.
Space & housing — do you or someone you know have access to a space that might house this loom? Ground floor, roller door access, ceiling height 5m+.
Knowledge & skills — electrical, pneumatic, software, or loom-specific knowledge? We need you.
Follow the journey — @jacquardjournal on Instagram for regular process and progress updates.