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

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 [https://digitalweaving.no/] Insta:  @digitalweavingnorway [https://www.instagram.com/digitalweavingnorway/] Connect with Mili Tharakan mili@militharakan.com Insta: @noordinarycloth [https://www.instagram.com/noordinarycloth/] Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjtharakan/ Cover art: Photo by Siora, Photography on Unsplash Music: Inspired Ambient, Orchestraman Podcast survey link [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe5dvn2fDBUa8keNkdxKY-5Kac_3JKSOzkdHG0NjtDGKcow0A/viewform?usp=sf_link] 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