As a part of our online interview series for The Textile Museum Journal, contributing scholar Eva Knoll will discuss her weaving practice that applies theories of hyperbolic geometry to the weaving of fabric on an eight-shaft loom, resulting in a three-dimensional, woven-to-shape garment for the upper part of a human body.

Cloth woven on a handloom is inherently flat and rectangular, unlike the surface of the human body, which is composed of a combination of surfaces that are variously curved. In this talk, Dr. Knoll will demonstrate the way that an understanding of Gaussian curvature can develop a method for creating woven-to-shape garments, which creates an item of clothing that accommodates the curves of the body and eliminates the need to cut individual pieces of fabric.

About The Textile Museum Journal

Our peer-reviewed journal is the leading publication for the exchange of textile scholarship in North America. Published each fall, it features research on the cultural, technical, historical and aesthetic significance of textiles from all around the world. Learn more about the journal

About Eva Knoll

Eva Knoll has an abiding interest in mathematics and in making. To this end, she has studied architecture, art and mathematics education. She has worked in architecture and graphic art. As associate professor in the Département de mathématiques at the Université du Québec à Montréal, she teaches future teachers. Throughout this time, Dr. Knoll has also had an art practice with a strong mathematical component. Her approach is one of research creation, with a focus on the relationship between making art, reasoning mathematically and learning. Her current interest is in textile media, writ large, including several weaving techniques, both on- and off-loom.

How to Participate

This program will take place on Zoom. To participate, please register online, and we will email you a link and instructions for joining. Simply follow that link at the time the program starts (12 p.m. EST / 9 a.m. PST). When you register, you can also request to receive a reminder email one day before the program with the link included.

About the Series

In this virtual series, authors who contributed to volume 49 of The Textile Museum Journal discuss new research on mathematics and textiles with guest editor Jeffrey C. Splitstoser. Browse all interviews