1900's Textile Museum and factory in Tilburg

Curiousity about how a quotidian object such as fabric is made led me to the Textielmuseum in Tilburg.  It's exciting that it functions as a living museum were textile designers and students are actually creating products while you get to watch.  The museum begins with the set up of an old factory, beginning with sacks of sheared wool through the process of creating thread and later fabric.  The other half of the museum is a modern facility with computerized weaving machines and woven samples of materials ranging from thread made from algae to steel. 

The 2 or 3 large machines running today are modern and loud.  I can only imagine how deafening a factory powered by a steam generator and wooden weaving machinery may have sounded like.  I like seeing the similarity in the old an new machines.  I'm curious if anyone has recently created a full line of products that is completely done on the old manual weaving machines.

There were various products made at the museum for sale in the gift shop.  The tablecloth with gold thread almost came home with us but the size was too large for a medium sized dining table.  The giant knit teapot was comical.