Behind the Design: Jitterbug

The Design Guild Mark launched a new 2D category in 2018, rewarding excellence in volume design for fabrics, textiles, wall coverings, floor coverings and carpets.

One of the designs awarded a Design Guild Mark in the first year was Jitterbug from Axminster Carpet’s Shoreditch Range, designed by Gary Bridge.

Utilising an historic style of design, Axminster Carpets challenged the weaving capabilities of the loom and knowledge of wool and yarns to create an innovative weave.

The weave embraces effects that can be achieved by mixing different yarn weights, different weaves and incorporating these in to a design which still retains its innocence and historic presence, but captures texture visually and through touch.

We got the chance to learn more about Jitterbug when we sat down with Gary to ask him some questions.

 What initially inspired you to make this product?

Carpet manufacturing and design is normally based on a 2D design direction with innovation in yarns but not in structure or weave, so we decided to look at the structure to see what interesting products we could create.

Can you explain the concept for the design?

We decided to look at structure to see if we can get variations in pile height and texture. You can achieve this quite easily in a cut a loop but we wanted more variance in the design. We also wanted to look at different yarn thickness to see if we could incorporate a hand knitted effect.

How have you struck the balance between function and design with this product?

Getting the right balance took many woven trials; some did not have enough difference in the look or the texture. While some weaves looked great, the product did not have enough dimensional stability and wouldn’t perform in a suitable environment. After many trials, we engineered two different thicknesses of yarn to complete the look, but which also gave us the design look and performance.

Who does this design appeal to?

The design is developed for two markets – the high end decorative and commercial markets

How long did the design process take?

From the original design brief to the team, working with the weavers and tuners, the woven trials and colour work, the whole concept to sign off took approximately five months.

What modifications did you make along the way?

The main challenge was retaining the look of texture and design working together to create an elegant look that was suitable for the market. The high-low design relief had to be subtle from a distance and become more dynamic when closer.

In what way do you think this design is different from anything else available on the market?

There are no other loop pile products in the market that work with different yarn counts, different weaves and that have a double density subtle stripe in the background to create two subtle textural effects in one design

What was the most challenging aspect of the design?

Keeping the innovation subtle while retaining the design brief.

For more information about Jitterbug, go to https://www.axminster-carpets.co.uk/