#Textile Processing in the UK

[raspberryprocessinguk]

UK Textile Processing: A Focus on Quality Control and Standards

The textile industry plays a pivotal role in the UK's manufacturing sector, with a strong emphasis on quality control and adherence to stringent standards. Textile processing, which encompasses various stages of fabric production and refinement, is a critical component of ensuring that the end products meet the highest benchmarks of quality and durability. In the UK, a concerted focus on quality control and standards in textile processing has established the country as a leader in the global textile market.

http://www.apsense.com/article/uk-textile-processing-a-focus-on-quality-control-and-standards.html

[sgiandubh]

When you do not know a thing about the issue at stake...

...perhaps it's better to remain silent.

Some of you know, others don't - and that's fine - but my main field of expertise is labor law.

I just read this in anger and disbelief:

Look, lady. I don't care who the hell you are, what you do for a living or why you felt entitled to answer those insistent questions on your side of the fandom. I suppose you are North American and have no idea of how things work on this side of the pond. It is fine: I might know what a Congress filibuster is, for example, but I'd be severely unable to judge the finer points of competence sharing between Fed and state level.

The difference between you and me?

I keep my mouth shut and/or do my own research before opening it in public.

Have you no shame to write things like: 'It was discovered clothing factories in Bulgaria and Portugal made it and how workers were exploited, mostly women, because these factories were in special economic zones in these countries exempt from EU employee rights and regulations.'

HOW DARE YOU? What strange form of illiterate entitlement possessed you to utter such things with confidence, comfortably hidden behind a passive voice ('it was discovered')?

Portugal joined the EU in 1986. Bulgaria (and my country) joined the EU in 2007. I have given 5 relentless years of my life to make this collective political project a reality, along with hundreds of other people my age who chose to come back home from the West and put their skills to good use for their country. In doing so, I rejected more than 10 excellent corporate job offers in France and China. To see you come along and write such enormities is like having you spit in my face.

Article 4 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (aka The Treaty of Rome) is formal and clear, as far as competence sharing between the EU and its Member States goes (the UK was still, back then, a full member of the EU - it quit on February 1st 2020):

That means that ALL the EU regulations are being integrated into the national legislation of the Member States. This is not a copy/paste process, however. And because it is a shared competence area, the Member States have a larger margin of appreciation into making the EU rules a part of their own. While exceptions or delays in this process can be and are negotiated, the core principles are NEVER touched.

Read it one hundred times, madam, maybe you'll learn something today:

THERE ARE NO SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES IN THE EUROPEAN UNION. THE WHOLE FUCKING EUROPEAN UNION IS A SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONE, THIS IS WHY IT IS CALLED THE SINGLE MARKET.

What the fuck do you think we are, Guangzhou? We'd wish, seeing the growth statistics!

Now, for the textile industry sector and particularly with regard to the Bulgarian market, a case very similar to my own country. Starting around 1965, many big European textile players realized the competitive advantage of using the lower paid, readily available Eastern European workforce. In order to be able to do business with all those dour Communist regimes, the solution was simple and easy to find: toll manufacturing.

It worked (and still does!) like this:

The foreign partner brings its own designs, textiles and know-how into the mix - or more simply put, it outsources all these activities. The locals transform it into the finished product, using their own workforce. The result is then re-exported to the foreign partner, who labels it and sells it. In doing so, he has the legal obligation to include provenance on the label ('made in Romania', 'made in Indonesia', 'made in Bulgaria' - you name it).

The reason you might find less and less of those 'made in ' labels nowadays at Primark and more and more at Barbour, Moncler and the such is the constant raise of the workers' wages in Eastern Europe since 1990 (things happened there, in 1989, maybe you remember?). We are not competitive anymore for midrange prêt-à-porter - China (Shein, anyone?), Cambodia and Mexico do come to mind as better suppliers. To speak about 'exploited female labourers in rickety old factories' is an insult and a lie. They weren't exploited back in the Eighties, as they are not now (workers in those factories were and still are easily paid about 50% more than all the rest) and the factories being modernized and constantly updated was always a mandatory clause in any contract of the sort. Normal people in our countries rarely or ever saw those clothes. You had to either be lucky enough for a semi-confidential store release or bribe someone working there and willing to take the risk, in order to be able to buy the rejected models on the local market.

If I understood correctly, you place this critical episode at the launch of the limited SRH & Barbour collection, for the fall of 2018. How convenient for you, who (I am told by trusted people) were one of the most vocal critics of S during Hawaii 2.0!

And as far as Barbour goes, it never pretended to manufacture everything in the UK only:

This information is absolutely true. You can read the whole statement, signed in October 2017 by one of their Directors, Ian Sime, here: https://www.barbour.com/us/media/wysiwyg/PDF/Ethical_Statement_October_2017.pdf

And a snapshot for you:

Oh, and: SEDEX is a behemoth in its world, with more than 75.000 companies joining as a member (https://www.sedex.com/become-a-member/meet-our-customers/). Big corporations like TESCO, Dupont, Nestle, Sainsbury's or Unilever included.

I am not Bulgarian, but I know all of this way better than you'll probably ever do. The same type of contracts were common all over Eastern Europe: Romania, Poland, the GDR (that's East Berlin and co, for you) and even the Soviet Union. I am also sure your Portuguese readers will be thrilled to see themselves qualified by a patronizing North American as labor exploiters living in a third-world country with rickety factories.

You people have no shame and never did. But you just proved with trooping colors you also have no culture and no integrity. More reasons to not regret my unapologetic fandom choice.

I expect an angry and very, very vulgar answer to this, even if I chose to not include your name/handle. The stench of your irrelevance crossed an ocean.

[mrmrswales]

The Princess of Wales will visit textiles manufacturers @AWHainsworth in Leeds and Standfast & Barracks in Lancaster on 26th September to learn more about the heritage, history and innovation of the industry, the processes involved and how vital the sector is to the UK economy.

[pardalote]

Hi!

Thought I should make one of those nice pinned posts :D

I'm Michelle (she/her/they)

I live in Australia - I make things with needle and thread, and I walk in the wild. I have degrees in science and education, and do freelance STEM education writing/consulting.

I make strange little things in textiles and beads, I sell the objects I make in a local store. I also have a small webshop where I sell a small number of objects and I have a couple of online workshops and some downloadable tutorials and patterns.

website and shop - https://www.pardalotemakes.com/

insta - pardalotemakes

online courses - https://pardalote.teachable.com/

my embroideries as online jigsaw puzzles: https://www.jigsawplanet.com/pardalote/embroidery

My favourite makes from 2023: #pardalote's top 20 makes for 2023

All my recent posts are my own work. All my nature photos are from my hiking adventures and are my own photos.

I'm currently open for commissions. Note that I'm in Aus, so postage times and costs might be a factor for you. My commission process varies according to the size and complexity of the work, but always includes at least half up-front payment. My most common commission pieces are my beetles, which I've sent all over the world to new homes in the UK, Europe, US and even Borneo!

Asks are always open.

[aimeedaisies]

The Princess Royal’s Official Engagements in February 2024

01/02 Visited ReBoot (Moray Computer Recycling) in Forres. 🖥️

As Warden, opened the Queen Elizabeth II classrooms at Gordonstoun School. 🏫

Visited Lossie Community Hub at the Warehouse Theatre, in Lossiemouth. 🎭

Unofficial Sir Tim, as Chair of the Board of Trustees, attended the opening ceremony of the Zimingzhong 凝时聚珍: Clockwork Treasures from China's Forbidden City exhibition at the London Science Museum. 🐉🧧🕰️

03/02 With Sir Tim As Patron of the Scottish Rugby Union, attended the Six Nations Rugby Match between Wales and Scotland at Principality Stadium in Cardiff. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏉

05/02 Visited Dressability Clothing Alterations Charity in Swindon, to mark its 25th Anniversary. 👗🪡🧵

As Commandant-in-Chief (Youth) of St John Ambulance, attended the dedication of a new Community Response Unit in Devizes, Wiltshire. 🚑

06/02 Held an Investiture at Windsor Castle. 🎖️

As Patron of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists, attended the launch of Nottingham West Primary Care Network’s Interactive Group Therapy at Plumptre Hall. 🩺

As President of the UK Fashion and Textile Association Limited, visited GH Hurt and Son in Nottingham. 🪡

With Sir Tim As Royal Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, attended the announcement of the winner of The Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering at the Science Museum in London. ⚙️🥂

07/02 As Colonel-in-Chief of The Royal Logistic Corps, visited the Defence Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Munitions and Search Training Regiment at St George’s Barracks in Bicester. 💥

As President of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, visited the Commission’s Headquarters in Maidenhead. 🪦

As Patron of Catch22, visited the Commissioned Rehabilitative Services at Community Links in London. 🔗

08/02 As Vice Patron of the British Horse Society, visited Wormwood Scrubs Pony Centre in West London. 🐎

As President of the Royal Yachting Association, attended the Annual Luncheon at Trinity House in London. 🛥️🥪

09/02 In Wales, Princess Anne; 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

As Royal Patron of the National Coastwatch Institution, visited Worms Head Station in Rhossili, followed by a Reception at South Gower Sports Club in Scurlage. 🔎🍾

Visited Newport Medieval Ship. 🚢

Visited Newport Transporter Bridge which is undergoing maintenance. 🌉

10/02 With Sir Tim As Patron of the Scottish Rugby Union, attended the Six Nations Rugby Match between France and Scotland at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh. 🇫🇷🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏉

12/02 As Patron of Swinfen Telemedicine, attended a Meeting at the Royal Society of Medicine. 💊

As Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, held a Dinner at Buckingham Palace. 🎓

13/02 Held an Investiture at Windsor Castle. 🎖️

As Master of the Corporation of Trinity House, chaired the Quarterly Meeting of the Court at Trinity House. 📆

14/02 As Royal Patron of the National Coastwatch Institution, visited Hengistbury Head Station near Bournemouth. 🌊

As Colonel-in-Chief of the Intelligence Corps, visited I Company at Hamworthy Barracks in Poole. 🕵️‍♀️

15/02 Visited the Ordnance Survey National Mapping Agency in Southampton. 🗺️

With Sir Tim Attended Evensong and the James Caird Society’s Dedication Service followed by a Reception in Westminster Abbey, to mark the 150th Anniversary of the birth of Sir Ernest Shackleton. 🔭🧭🇦🇶

16/02 Visited knife crime community group ‘Off the Streets’ North Northamptonshire in Wellingborough. 🚫🔪

20/02 As President of the UK Fashion and Textile Association, visited Laxtons Limited in Baildon near Bradford. 🧶

As President of the UK Fashion and Textile Association, visited Marton Mills in Otley, West Yorkshire. 🪡

21/02 In Doncaster, South Yorkshire, Princess Anne;

Visited Agemaspark Precision Engineering Company. ⚙️

Visited Haith Group Vegetable Processing Machinery Company. 🥕🥦

As Patron of the Butler Trust, visited HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Doncaster. 🚓👮‍♀️

As Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Carmen, attended a Joint Services Awards Dinner at Painters’ Hall in London. 🍽️

22/01 Visited London South Bank Technical College and Lee Marley Academy. ✏️👷

As Patron of Save the Children UK, visited Mary’s Living and Giving Shop in Wandsworth. 👚

23/02 unofficial Departed Heathrow Airport for Namibia 🇬🇧✈️🇳🇦

24/02 unofficial Arrived at Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport in Namibia. ✈️🇳🇦

Representing The King, Princess Anne called upon Mrs Monica Geingos (widow of Dr Hage Geingob). 🖤

Unofficial Sir Tim represented Princess Anne, Patron of the Scottish Rugby Union, at the Six Nations Rugby Match between Scotland and England at Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏉

25/02 Representing The King, Princess Anne attended the Burial Service for Dr Hage Geingob at Heroes’ Acre. 🕊️

Later attended a State Luncheon given by The President of Namibia at State House. 🍽️

26/02 unofficial Arrived at Heathrow Airport from Namibia. 🇳🇦✈️🇬🇧

With Sir Tim Attended the British Horseracing Authority’s Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards at Ascot Racecourse. 🐎🏆

27/02 With Sir Tim Attended a Service of Thanksgiving for the late King Constantine II at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle with members of 🇬🇧, 🇬🇷, 🇩🇰 and 🇪🇸 royal families.

28/02 As Patron of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, attended the Emergency Medicine Trainees' Association Annual Conference at Hilton Newcastle Gateshead. 💉💊

As Royal Patron of the Motor Neurone Disease Association, attended a Rugby League Reception at Leeds Rhinos Rugby Club, in Headingley, Leeds. 🦽🏉

29/02 unofficial Departed from Heathrow Airport for the United Arab Emirates 🇬🇧✈️🇦🇪

Unofficial Sir Tim, as President of Never Such Innocence, attended a 10th anniversary celebration for the charity at Edinburgh Castle. 🏰

Total official engagements for Anne in February: 44

2024 total so far: 85

Total official engagements accompanied by Tim in February: 6

2024 total so far: 23

FYI - due to certain royal family members being off ill/in recovery I won’t be posting everyone’s engagement counts out of respect, I am continuing to count them and release the totals at the end of the year.

[mybeingthere]

Beautiful landscaps by Eleri Mills.

Eleri Mills lives and works in rural Mid Wales, where she was born and brought up. She has exhibited widely in the UK and abroad including the Museums of Modern Art Kyoto and Tokyo, Museu Textil d’Indumentaria, Barcelona and the Museo Nacional de Artes Decorativas, Madrid.

“Landscape has remained at the heart of my work from the beginning – there are often mythic and cultural associations in my mind as I create, whether the inspiration is my familiar ancestral landscape here in Mid Wales, or a distant far off landscape such as the Himalayan foot hills I recently encountered during a residency in India. These can be real or imagned places – landscapes of the mind – landscapes without borders….

My instinct has always been to embrace different materials and methods i.e. painting, textile and printmaking traditions and enjoy working in all these areas. However, I regard the process or medium as incidental in the end, as it is the content of the work which is my main concern.

The recent series of ink drawings on paper, challenge me in terms of scale, technique, emotional content and tempo. In these works I am representing a layered landscape, and a sense of belonging to a place. There are risks involved when working with ink with no room for error – my concern is always dealing with balance and rhythm. It is an intensely physical and gestural process…..a form of choreography and personal mapmaking which celebrates an old familiar landscape.”

“… Eleri Mills stands alone as poet painter. Eleri records her love of her native land and she records it with great sensitivity and talent: for she is a superb draughtsman and this is at the heart of all that she does. In her art Eleri Mills has a voice which is seldom heard, for it is a tender voice and far removed from the cacophony of the art world today.”

Sir Kyffin Williams RA

[materialsscienceandengineering]

Engineers have developed a new kind of membrane that separates chemicals within wastewater so effectively that they can be reused, presenting a new opportunity for industries to improve sustainability, while extracting valuable by-products and chemicals from wastewater. Created for use in wastewater treatment, the thin-film composite nanoporous membrane known as a TFC NPM, exhibits an 'unprecedented' capability to separate salts and other chemical components from water, and could lead to more sustainable treatment and management of water in a range of industries. A research paper published today in Nature Water details the membrane's performance and explains how its unique properties, aspects of which are inspired by mussels, could pave the way for more sustainable management of water within industries such as pharmaceuticals, oil and gas, textiles and food processing. The paper is authored by academics from the UK's University of Bath alongside colleagues based in China, South Korea, Singapore, Australia and Belgium.

Read more.

[saintmeghanmarkle]

THE FUTURE OF THE MARKLES - HOW THE DEMISE WILL BEGIN! by u/media_lush

THE FUTURE OF THE MARKLES - HOW THE DEMISE WILL BEGIN! ​https://ift.tt/s3po5qC story:Naomi Campbell's high-profile Fashion For Relief charity has been shut down amid the charity watchdog's probe into claims of financial mismanagement, The Mail on Sunday can reveal.The Charity Commission last night confirmed that it had removed the supermodel's charity from the UK charity register while it continued its investigation into allegations of misconduct.It follows revelations by this newspaper that official accounts showed that during a 15-month period it spent more than £1.6 million on a glittering gala in Cannes, but gave just £5,000 to good causes.The watchdog said it was still conducting an inquiry into Fashion For Relief, which Ms Campbell founded in 2005, saying she had been inspired by her friend Nelson Mandela telling her to 'use [her] voice' for good.The charity claimed to have raised more than £11 million, mostly through glitzy fundraising events held all over the world, including in New York, Mumbai and Moscow.Ms Campbell, 53, would take centre stage at the galas, appearing in showstopping designer gowns, and was honoured by the British Fashion Council for her philanthropic work in 2019.But concerns were raised in 2021 about how much money was being passed on to people in need after the Mayor's Fund for London lodged an official complaint, saying that it was owed £50,000 by the charity.The Mayor's Fund, which helps young Londoners from low-income backgrounds, filed a 'serious incident' report with the Charity Commission, which announced a statutory inquiry in November that year.Last night, a Charity Commission spokesman told this newspaper that the charity had been removed from the charity register last month. It came after the watchdog appointed two managers to take over Fashion For Relief, which had consistently filed its accounts late.A friend of Ms Campbell last night said that Fashion For Relief was set up to raise 'awareness' and not just money. They insisted that the supermodel, worth a reported £63 million, had decided to call time on Fashion For Relief before the watchdog inquiry was launched.A Charity Commission spokesman said: 'We can confirm that the Commission-appointed interim managers of Fashion For Relief applied for its removal from the register of charities on the basis that it no longer operates.'The removal process is now complete and reflected on the public register. Our statutory inquiry into the charity is ongoing.'As part of the investigation, Fashion For Relief trustees were restricted from making certain financial transactions in order to 'protect the charity's property'.The trustees were Ms Campbell; her key aide, Veronica Chou, who is the heiress to a £2 billion textile fortune; and socialite and lawyer Bianka Hellmich. Ms Chou quit the charity days after the Commission launched its probe in 2021.A spokesman for the charity said: 'The winding up of Fashion For Relief was a decision made by the trustees three years ago. It was not forcibly closed.'Fashion For Relief operates in America and will continue to do fundraising initiatives worldwide.' post link: https://ift.tt/YgbR03r author: media_lush submitted: April 28, 2024 at 03:26AM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.

[georgefairbrother]

Bill Brand was a 1976 political drama series in 11 parts, written by Trevor Griffiths and produced by Thames Television. Starring Jack Shepherd in the title role, it tells the story of a first-time Labour MP, Brand himself, a revolutionary socialist, elected to a northern constituency where a large amount of local employment relies on the ailing textile industry.

Bill Brand, a polytechnic lecturer in liberal studies, soon finds himself at odds with his old-school, working-class, socially conservative constituency party, and with the governing Labour Party over trade, social welfare and defence policy. He proves that he is not afraid to defy the party whips, and vote and act in accordance with his conscience and beliefs, particularly in support of his constituency textile workers. He aligns himself with a far-left party faction, the Journal Group, but at times seems even further to the left than they are.

Political integrity aside, Brand is not a totally sympathetic character; he is brazenly conducting an extramarital affair and seems aggrieved that his wife (Lynn Farleigh) is unwilling to sustain the façade of domestic stability for the purpose of his public image and for his standing within the local Party.

According to BFI online;

"...Bill Brand (ITV, 1976) was an epic attempt to lay bare the nature of political power in the UK, and more specifically to analyse if, and how, the socialist struggle could be furthered by the parliamentary Labour movement…Griffiths examines the political rifts within the Labour party, and, with uncanny foresight, dramatises the ideological conflicts that would eventually lead to the formation of the SDP..."

"...Bill Brand is a breath-taking series. Transmitted during the boiling summer of 1976, at peak-time between World in Action and News at Ten, it engaged with contemporary politics in a dramatic way, but remained consistently intelligent, and far from talking down to its viewers, assumed that they were a vital part of the political processes described, and as committed to understanding how things might therefore improve…"

There is a very strong supporting cast, including Geoffrey Palmer, Nigel Hawthorne, Rosemary Martin, Cherie Lunghi, Colin Jeavons, Allan Surtees and Alan Badel.

One of the most interesting cameos is from Arthur Lowe, a subtle and poignant performance as the exhausted and ill Labour Prime Minister, Arthur Watson, in the dying days of his leadership and on the verge of retiring on health grounds. Harold Wilson had unexpectedly resigned three months before the series went to air, but after it had been written.

When Bill Brand was transmitted, Lowe was on tour with the stage production of Dad's Army.

[pitheinfinite]

DigiFashion Forum 2023

Hihi, sorry for being away for so long. I've been working my a*s off lately 'cause I'm helping a friend to host an online forum. The event will be live stream on Youtube on March 29, well, in 6 hrs! XD. I just don't have time to write a decent tumblr post.😑😑😑

We have invited several outstanding leaders in the industry to share their insights on digital fashion. As a veteran TS3 player, I personally find this quite interesting. What we put on our sims is now something people have their avatars wear in Metaverse and it could be something duplicating/inspired by the real fashion world or something we can never have in reality. If you find what I wrote interesting, you might wanna join the event.

Check out the official site for further details and register (a simple process to help us screen the audience on the YT steam, and it's completely free of charge!) This event is not limited to industrial professionals. Anyone wants to know more about this emerging trend is welcome to join. See you then! 😉

Speaker overview:

Leslie Holden (Co-Founder The Digital Fashion Group, Brussel/BEL)

Beata Wilczek (Founder Unfolding Strategies, Berlin/GER)

Kun-Chou Tsai (Managing Partner Enlighten Law Group, Taipei/TW)

Olska Green (Founder & Designer Ecoolska, Lisbon/POR)

Rene Fang (CEO iStaging, Taipei/TW)

Jens Laugesen (Design & Creative Director Jens Laugesen, London/UK)

Sean Chiles (Co-Founder The Digital Fashion Group, Tábua /POR)

Dr. Roger Ng (Honorary Chairman Hong Kong Chinese Textile Mills Association/CHI)

Florence Lu (Associate Professor Shih Chien University, Taipei/TW)

René Petrevski (Business Development Manager STYLE Protocol, Berlin/GER)

Cheua-Hei Chan (Co-Founder Aurar, Berlin/GER)

Nico Owsianowski (Co-Founder Aurar, Berlin/GER)

Urja Kumbhare (Co-Founder & Director Opulentia Designs LLP, Mumbai/IND)

Hena Venugopal (CEO Envied Futur, Coppell, Texas/USA)

KC Man (Founder Virtual Touch Group Limited, Hong Kong/CHI)

Claire Chang (Founder Techmoi.com, Taipei/TW)

Jackaline Tang (Gaming Partnerships Manager Brand New Vision, Hong Kong/CHI)

Event Time:

March 29, 2023 14:00 UTC+8 (Taipei, Hong Kong, Singapore, …) March 29, 2023 17:00 UTC+11 (Sydney) March 29, 2023 15:00 UTC+9 (Tokyo) March 29, 2023 13:00 UTC+7 (Bangkok, Jakarta, …) March 29, 2023 11:30 UTC+5:30 (New Delhi) March 29, 2023 07:00 UTC+1 (London) March 29, 2023 08:00 UTC+2 (Berlin, Paris, …) March 29, 2023 02:00 UTC-4 (New York) March 28, 2023 23:00 UTC-7 (Los Angeles)

[raspberryprocessinguk]

Garment Processing Services: A Win-Win for Manufacturers and Retailers

Garment processing services have emerged as an integral part of the fashion industry, benefiting both manufacturers and retailers. By offering streamlined production processes, expertise in quality control, scalability, cost-effectiveness, seamless supply chain management, enhanced product customisation, and a focus on sustainability, these services contribute to the overall success of businesses in the garment sector. As the industry continues to evolve, garment processing services will continue to play a pivotal role in driving efficiency, improving product quality, and delivering exceptional customer experiences.

[tilbageidanmark]

998 Movies in 2023...

In 2021 I saw 885 movies...

In 2022 I saw 954 movies...

And in 2023 I saw 998 movies.

Yes, I've seen nearly 3 movies every single day for the last three years. Yes, I have no life, Etc. But I like it, and it works for me. So if anybody have an issue with that, they are cordially invited to fuck off. This solitary habit had evolved into an ongoing writing project, where I jog down every night a paragraph or two about each movie, and that fills me up with a sense of a minor achievement, sufficient enough to keep me going.

Most of the movies (like everything else in life) were mediocre, but about 150 were stand-outs, so on average, every two days I experienced some sort of an emotional release, a catharsis, if you will, which had made the whole project worthwhile for me.

Here are some stats, and a few random discoveries that I really enjoyed.

First of all, I made it a point to see more movies directed by women – 156 in total. I'm going to concentrate even more on female movie-making.

I also continued to explore the vast and interesting world of “foreign” cinema, (i.e. “Not from the USA”): 520 films in 2023 [52% of the total]. I plan on increasing this percentage much more next year.

The countries from which I saw the largest number were France (100), UK (70), Denmark (30), Italy and Japan (24 each), Germany and Spain (19 each), Iceland (14), Canada and Finland (13), Sweden (12), Ireland, Poland and Scotland (11). The other films were from Chile, Argentina, China, India, Mexico, Australia, Norway, Belgium, Iran, Korea, Hungary, Portugal, Brazil, Croatia, Czechoslovakia, Greece, The Netherlands, Armenia, Austria, Bolivia, Colombia, Hong Kong, Iraq, Israel, Kosovo, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mauritania, Mongolia, New Zealand, Palestine, Polynesia, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Uruguay, Yugoslavia. There was even one movie in ancient Babylonian!

I don't keep track of the genres, and I sample nearly everything. I love to cry 'and laugh and cry all again', so I mostly seek stories with “real” personal emotions. Obviously, many are dramas, art-house fair. I still have never seen any superheroes movie in my life. And I usually refuse to watch any horror, space operas, franchise, most blockbusters, supernatural, sci-fi, fantasy, and not too much 'action’.

Recently, I started picking up movies from this Wikipedia List of films with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as lists of winners and contenders from various European film festivals.

Of the 998 movies, 103 were documentaries, 119 were films I've seen before, 150 were shorts, (and 26 were so bad I couldn't finish them).

For their age, I only saw 35 silent movies, but a whopping 111 movies from 2023. The rest are spread in between.

I did discover many new directors I fell in love with with, too many to list here. If anybody is interested in reading my personal opinions, they can re-visit the tag 'Movies' here. I post about 20 reviews every Monday.

So here are just a few of my off-beat favorite 2023 discoveries:

'The Mill and the cross' (2011) by Polish poet Lech Majewski: A literal recreation of Bruegel’s 1564 painting ‘The Procession to Calvary’, done in Newport Beach’s ‘Pageant of the Masters’ style. With a minimal narrative and nearly no dialog, it transports a masterpiece from one medium into another.

'The organizer' (1963) by Mario Monicelli, with Marcello Mastroianni. A unionist trying to organize workers laboring in inhuman conditions at a late 19th Century textile factory in Turin. A Neo-realistic and unsentimental look at the eternal struggle for control of the means of production.

'Close' (2022), innocent lost, by Belgian Lukas Dhont. Movingly and tenderly it details an intimate friendship - love, rather - between two 13-year-old boys.

The documentary 'Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb' (2022), about the relationship between two remarkable men: The LBJ biographer and his lifelong editor.

'The Maid' by Chilean director Sebastián Silva, a perfectly simple drama about the life of a live-in housekeeper. It was one of a dozen movies I saw about 'Domestics', an emerging sub-genre, mostly from South America and South-east Asia.

'Timbuktu' from Mauritania (2014), by Malian film director Abderrahmane Sissako. A heart-breaking tragedy about terror in the barren Sahara desert. Senseless religious laws imposed by a patriarchal and fanatic group on simple villagers.

'Spring Blossom' (2020), a gentle drama of a shy 16 year old girl who falls in love with a 35 man she sees outside a local theater. [Like Quinn Shephard’s ‘Blame’], it’s twice as impressive, because it was written by the talented Suzanne Lindon when she was only 15, and she directed it and starred in it before she was 20.

The earlier films of Irish director John Michael McDonagh, 'The Guard' and 'Calvary', both with Brendan Gleeson. (But not 'War on everyone' which was awful).

All of Lynne Ramsay's Glasgow-based dramas, especially 'Gasman', her first short, and 'Ratcatcher', her debut feature. Heartbreaking, transformative masterpieces. The same goes for Ken Loach's 1969 'Kes' and 'I, Daniel Blake' from 2016.

Re-watch: Nils Malmros's 1981 'The tree of knowledge'. It has always been my favorite Danish movie, and also one of my general All-time Top-Five favorites - Ever. Together with Truffault’s ‘Small Change’, it’s also the best movie about children, the pains of puberty and the joys of adolescence.

'The Ballad of the Weeping Spring' is a “different” (and hard-to find!) Israeli cult film from 2012. An homage to Kurosawa’s Samurai films, and to Sergio Leone’s Westerns, it’s a mystical pilgrimage into the origins of “Oriental / Mediterranean Music”. After inadvertently killing his two friends and living off the grid for 20 years, the mythical band leader of the defunct “Turkish Ensemble” is recruited to “put the band together”, and is looking for 9 other musicians to play for his dying ex-partner.

Jody Foster's documentary 'Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché' (2018). Alice Guy-Blaché was the first ever female filmmaker, and history’s first director of narrative cinema. An enormously important figure, who was erased and forgotten until her recent resurgence. Like ‘The Méliès Mystery’ documentary, these two biographies are a must-see for any film lover.

'The house is black' (1963), by another female pioneer, Iranian avant-garde poet Forugh Farrokhzad. A harrowing documentary about a real leper colony.

Werner Herzog, Radical dreamer, a 2022 German documentary about the greatest living filmmaker, one of the greatest of all time.

And not to be accused for being an elitist, I've re-watched (some as many as FOUR times this year!) many of my all time 'guilty pleasures': 'In the loop', 'Long Shot' with Charlize Theron, The Icelandic 'Echo', 'Office Space', 'After the wedding', 'Hot Fuzz', 'A simple favor', 'Cold war', 'Margin call', 'Belle de Jour', 'Chinatown', 'The conversation', 'Game night', 'To kill a mockingbird', 'world of tomorrow', 'Midnight run', 'Burn after reading', Etc., etc.

[Photo Above: I didn't realize, and didn't find it mentioned anywhere, but Buñuel gave himself a little cameo in 'Belle De Jour'!]

So what does it all mean? Nothing, really. Except of food, air, and some minimal travel, I don't consume much of anything any more. I don't have a TV, cars, streaming services, any belongings, or attachments. But I recognize that this obsessive viewing is also some form of unhealthy consumption. Anyway, for the time being, I'll just keep doing it.

[And to answer a question that may come up, I view 100% of these movies on “free” streamers. I'm not ashamed of it, on the contrary!]

So far, in 2024 I only saw 2 movies, both of which I've seen before: René Laloux's 'Fantastic Planet', and one of my most precious films from last year, Celine Song's 'Past Lives'. 10/10 for both - will watch again!

Adios, mothers'.

[This is copy from my r/truefilm post]

[duchessofostergotlands]

IT’S HAPPENING Y ALL! THEY REMEMBERED. The Princess of Wales will visit textiles manufacturers @AWHainsworth in Leeds and Standfast & Barracks in Lancaster on 26th September to learn more about the heritage, history and innovation of the industry, the processes involved and how vital the sector is to the UK economy.

I got this on the day of the big announcement, just taken me a while to get to it! But still very honoured you thought of me haha

[faolonfiendrender]

So let me tell you lot about ply split. It is a textile production technique that is separate from weaving, knitting, and crochet. The technique comes from northwestern India, specifically Gujarat and Rajasthan (may be other places, those are the two I have seen attributed). Traditionally, it has been used to make girths, which are 2d bands to attach a bit of tackle like a saddle to an animal, in this case, camels were the most common. here are some images of the more traditional version:

source: https://web.archive.org/web/20120428053058/http://lsa.uoregon.edu/pictures04/cs.jpg and https://web.archive.org/web/20120428053059/http://lsa.uoregon.edu/pictures04/ct.jpg The technique involve splitting the strands into their individual plies and passing other threads through them. Traditionally, it is done with four plies, so that two strands of the same color are paired and adjacent thread in each pick go through eachother. patterning is done by deciding which thread goes through. These days it is used for various other purposes and modified techniques. for example, you can select make it more like weaving by taking a thread from one of the edges and passing it through, this creates a band diagonal to the stitches, as each pick adds one stitch on one side and removes one on the other.

demonstration from my own work (silver lines move in the pattern so they aren't a good gauge) Beyond that some people much better at this than myself at the current moment have made 3d objects with this technique. for example:

Artist: Peter Collingwood, UK Title: Zig-zag pot Medium: Black & white horse hair

Artist: Akiko Shimanuki, Japan Title: Katachi E Medium: Jute and chemical cloth

Artist: Linda Hendrickson, Portland, Or. Title, Medium (left-right): Basket, Stainless steel Vessel, Raffia Mandala, Cotton

Artist: Errol Pires, India Title: Garment II Medium: Two-ply cotton cord Now, I'll leave instructions to a video that gives a simple enough pattern, of note, she uses a gripfid, essentially the end of a knitting needle cut open near the top, you can also definitely use a crochet hook but it is slightly harder.

also going to link where you can get an online video version that is more complete than I could give

that website was started by the woman who taught me most of my fiber arts and jewelry making skills

[joelymae]

1. Please introduce your chosen subject area. What interests you as potential starting points or areas of research? What influenced this choice?

While putting this blog together, I noticed that the theme that came up time and time again was craft. As a 3D designer, I think craft and its surrounding history is incredibly important to understand and appreciate. It is the root of the modern processes we use today and can help us understand them. I think it will be interesting to research crafts’ history and unpick certain techniques and their relevance in the world today. For example, what crafts are the most popular and why, how have craft techniques evolved over time and how have their uses and contexts changed? Can traditional techniques be utilised or adapted to improve the sustainability of modern production methods?

I am also very interested in how craft differs around the world, especially historically when populations were more localised. I think it is fascinating to see how different cultures take the same material, process or function and create something incredibly specific to that place. For example, how historic weavers in China could use silk from silkworms, whereas places like the UK were more dependent on sheep for wool for their textiles. Craft frequently depends on traditions that arise from a multitude of factors like historical context, location and cultural practices, all of which I would love to explore. In addition to this I can look at how the perception of craft changes based on location and unpack the preconceptions and stereotypes that surround it.

The topic of craft interests me as, generally speaking, it is more sustainable than mass manufacturing. I think this is why many designers are turning to craft in order to reduce their impact on the planet- crafting an object takes a lot of time and skill, which forces the designer to think before they make. I think this is why many will choose better quality and more sustainable materials to work with. Furthermore, the slow nature of craft results in fewer batches being created so waste is minimised. Craft is also a practical way to learn about history and the world around us. Many crafts have brought communities together or forged stories that have been passed from generation to generation, alongside skills and knowledge. The social and sustainable aspects of craft have attracted many people to take them up. In recent years, and especially over lockdown, many have taken up accessible crafts like knitting and crochet. These techniques in particular are popular as they don’t require much equipment and are affordable. This trend is incredibly positive; it has introduced many young people to traditional techniques and encourages them to think about their relationship with sustainable production.

[brookstonalmanac]

Holidays 5.3

Holidays

Birthday of Spam E-mail

California Bookstore Day

Constitution Day (Poland)

Constitution Memorial Day (Japan)

Fox Day (UK)

Garden Meditation Day

Hugs From Holly Day

International Day of Forest Kindergarten

International Gilbert & Sullivan Day

International Leopard Day

International Rap Music Day

International Wild Koala Day

Invention of the Cross

Kenpo Kinenbi (a.k.a. Constitution Day; Japan)

Li-Fraumeni Syndrome Awareness Day

Lumpy Rug Day

National Bike to School Day

National Clarinet Day

National Day to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy

National Grab a Boob Day

National Justice Day

National Montana Day

National New Bra Day (UK)

National Public Radio Day

National SAN Architect Day

National Specially-Abled Pets Day

National Textiles Day

National Two Different Colored Shoes Day

National Widow’s Day

Paranormal Day

Pregnancy Fitness Awareness Day

Public Radio Day

Semi-Pro Baseball Day

Sun Day

Togyu Taikai (Bull Sumo; Japan)

Two Different Colored Shoes Day

Wordsmith Day

World Press Freedom Day (UN)

Write a Review Day

Food & Drink Celebrations

Chocolate Custard Day

International Eat a Pitogyro Day

International Grab a Kebab Day

National Chocolate Custard Day

National Kiss a Tomato Day

National Raspberry Popover Day

Raspberry Tart Day

1st Wednesday in May

Bike to School Day [Wednesday of 1st Full Week]

Book Buddy Day [1st Wednesday]

Emergency Medical Services for Children Day [Wednesday of 1st Full Week]

Great American Grump Out Day [1st Wednesday]

National Anxiety Disorders Screening Day [1st Wednesday]

National Day to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy [1st Wednesday]

National Domestic Violence Remembrance Day (Australia) [1st Wednesday]

National (Deaf) Interpreter Day [1st Wednesday]

National School Nurse Day [Wednesday of 1st Full Week]

National Skilled Trades Day [1st Wednesday]

National Travel Advisor Day [1st Wednesday]

Occupational Safety and Health Professionals Day [1st Wednesday]

Project Aces Day (All Children Exercise Simultaneously) [1st Wednesday]

Water Professionals Appreciation Day (Georgia) [1st Wednesday]

World Carnivorous Plant Day [1st Wednesday]

World Maternal Mental Health Day [1st Wednesday]

Independence Days

Aswington (Declared; 2017) [unrecognized]

Feast Days

Abhai (Syriac Orthodox Church)

Alexander I, Pope (Christian; Saint)

Antonia and Alexander (Christian; Saint)

Bona Dia (Ancient Roman Women's Festival; Pagan)

Dia de la Cruz (Day of the Holy Cross; Mexico, Latin America)

Discoflux (Discordian)

Feast of the Finding of the Cross (a.k.a. Roodmas)

Fiesta de las Cruces (Spain)

Finding of the Holy Cross

Florae (Ancient Rome)

Frank Zappa Day (Church of the SubGenius; Saint)

James the Lesser (Christian; Saint)

Juvenal of Narni (Christian; Saint)

The Most Holy Virgin Mary, Queen of Poland (Christian; Saint)

Moura (Coptic Church)

Philip the Apostle (Christian; Saint)

Pirate Garb Day (Pastafarian)

Procession of the Holy Blood (Belgium)

Ptolomey Lagus (Positivist; Saint)

Pussy Appreciation Day (Pastafarian)

Roodmas

Sarah the Martyr (Coptic Church)

Theodosius of Kiev (Eastern Orthodox Church)

Tommy (Muppetism)

Lucky & Unlucky Days

Butsumetsu (仏滅 Japan) [Unlucky all day.]

Dismal Day (Unlucky or Evil Day; Medieval Europe; 9 of 24)

Egyptian Day (Unlucky Day; Middle Ages Europe) [9 of 24]

Fatal Day (Pagan) [9 of 24]

Fortunate Day (Pagan) [18 of 53]

Lucky Day (Philippines) [26 of 71]

Premieres

All Things Considered (Radio Series; 1971)

The Amazing World of Gumball (Animated TV Series; 2011)

Back in My Arms Again, by The Supremes (Song; 1965)

Barb Wire (Film; 1996)

Beer Barrel Polka, recorded by The Andrews Sisters (Song; 1939)

Carrie Anne, recorded by The Hollies (Song; 1967)

The Craft (Film; 1996)

Dead to Me (TV Series; 2019)

Fantastic (Off Broadway Musical; 1960)

From Under the Cork Tree, by Fall Out Boy (Album; 2005)

Going My Way (Film; 1944)

Gotcha! (Film; 1985)

Hugger Mugger, by Robert B. Parker (Novel; 2000)

Iron Man 3 (Film; 2013)

Little Red Rodent Hood (WB MM Cartoon; 1952)

Long Shot (Film; 2019)

Max & Ruby (Animated TV Series; 2002)

The Moose Hunt (Disney Cartoon; 1931)

No Deals, Mr. Bond, by John Gardner (Novel; 1987)

Oops!… I Did It Again, by Britney Spears (Album; 2000)

Republic, by New Order (Album; 1993)

Spider-Man (Film; 2002)

Truly Madly Deeply (Film; 1991)

Tweetie Pie (WB MM Cartoon; 1947)

When the Cat’s Away (Disney Cartoon; 1929)

Today’s Name Days

Jakob, Philipp, Viola (Austria)

Aleksandar, Filip, Jakica, Jakov, Mladen (Croatia)

Alexej (Czech Republic)

Endel, Endo (Estonia)

Outi (Finland)

Ewen, Jacques, Philippe (France)

Alexander, Philipp, Viola (Germany)

Rodopi (Greece)

Irma, Tímea (Hungary)

Efisio, Filippo, Giacomo (Italy)

Gints, Jesika, Krustins, Uvis (Latvia)

Arvystas, Juvenalis, Kantvydė (Lithuania)

Gjermund, Gøril (Norway)

Aleksander, Antonina, Maria, Mariola, Świętosława (Poland)

Irodion, Mavra, Timotei (Romania)

Galina (Slovakia)

Cruz, Felipe, Santiago, Violeta (Spain)

Göta, Jane, John (Sweden)

Theodosey (Ukraine)

Joletta, Trey, Troy, Viola, Violet, Violetta, Yolanda (USA)

Today is Also…

Day of Year: Day 123 of 2024; 242 days remaining in the year

ISO: Day 3 of week 18 of 2023

Celtic Tree Calendar: Saille (Willow) [Day 18 of 28]

Chinese: Month 3 (Bing-Chen), Day 14 (Xin-You)

Chinese Year of the: Rabbit 4721 (until February 10, 2024)

Hebrew: 12 Iyar 5783

Islamic: 12 Shawwal 1444

J Cal: 2 Bīja; Twosday [2 of 30]

Julian: 20 April 2023

Moon: 95%: Waxing Gibbous

Positivist: 11 Caesar (5th Month) [Ptolemy Lagus]

Runic Half Month: Lagu (Flowing Water) [Day 9 of 15]

Season: Spring (Day 45 of 90)

Zodiac: Taurus (Day 14 of 30)