Arachnes who made arrangements early this year to meet with me in Bruges have already received this info. Gmail and AOL do not usually interface. Bcc's have been sent to gmail users who have asked to be on my private list. There is not much more one can do to reach everyone associated in some way with Arachne and lace.  In the spirit of sharing ...  Bart, Francis, and I have been corresponding. If you will be in Bruges for the World Lace Congress Brugge 2018, and are not signed up to take the lace tour, you can go to Kortrijk by train, then use local transport to the Bart-Francis thread factory, and afterwards walk 350 meters to the "Texture" museum exhibit.  (Before you leave train station, be sure to check schedule of trains that will return you to Bruges.)  Bart-Francis is a famous thread and yarn business in Kortrijk (Courtrai) Belgium. They are well-known for the unique selection of threads they manufacture.
 They will not be selling at the World Lace Congress Brugge 2018.  You are invited to the shop in their factory, open to the public Thursday August 16 through Sunday August 19 from 10 am to 4 pm. Free Italian Roasted Expresso coffee and tea will be served these four days. Bart-Francis is offering remarkable discounts, so ask about them. I suggest going in the morning, so you have time for the museum and getting back to Bruges by mid-to-late-afternoon.   At Bart-Francis, you will have 600 square meters of shopping fun, instead of a tiny booth. For address and phone number, select British flag upper right for English at:  https://www.bart-francis.be/  Write:  i...@bart-francis.be  Bart recommends a lace exhibit, TEXTURE, at the living lace expo a short distance from Bart-Francis. I had wonderful remarks to make 20 years ago about the now-closed DeKort Flax and Lace Museum in Kortrijk. Cannot tell you much about this new museum, but you can search for more information and personal comments. Bart has sent some details - below this letter. Museum is open 10 am to 6 pm. Please be sure to check train schedule for return trip, to be sure of no schedule difficulty. Address for official information:  Select EN language at top right:  http://www.texturekortrijk.be  There is a lot of flax info if you search Kortrijk in Arachne archive:  http://www.mailarchive.com/lace@arachne.com/index.html  Regards, Jeri  --  See below for additional info Bart sent. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- TEXTURE Tells the story of the flax and linen industry. A story about strong roots, about craftsmanship and entrepreneurship, about daring innovations and constantly re-inventing oneself. In three rooms, in an authentic flax depot (1912) on the banks of the river Lys, you can learn about the revolutionary development created by the flax industry in this region. The past will surprise you, while the stories of the present, will amaze and inspire you. For centuries, Flanders has been famous for its textiles. A new industry sprung up along the banks of the Lys and went on to conquer the world: flax processing. âCourtrai flaxâ soon became renowned as the best flax obtainable and still is eagerly sought internationally.  Three rooms, three stories You use flax every day, probably without knowing it and at places you would not expect it. Designers, scientists and entrepreneurs leave no part of it unused. Discover, try, feel and test it all in the The cabinet of Curiosities. The Leie room brings to life the story of flax processing in the Leie region. This story is one of mixed fortunes, of people who without outside assistance repeatedly found the resilience to overcome major crises. Itâs a fascinating history with thinkers, darers and doers in the leading roles. Beneath the golden crown you will find the Treasure chamber. This is the place to marvel at the beautiful damasks, laces, handwork and fine fabrics. About the current expo : BIOLACE Carole Collet, Professor of Design for Sustainable Futures, has been working for several years on BIOLACE, a research that connects textiles, food production and sustainability. What if you could harvest both strawberries and a 'pickled' lace dress from a plant? BIOLACE introduces four  plants: Basil n ° 5, Gold Nano Spinach, Factor 60 Tomato and Strawberry Noir. Their DNA is programmed so that their roots grow in a lace pattern. Texture links elements from the museum collection to these four plant themes. With a variety of fine lace strips, black chantilly and gold and silver wire lace, the past and present are woven into a guideline for the future. A quirky exhibition that combines high-quality, rare lace with a biotechnological vision for the year 2050. Welcome to the world of BIOLACE. ----- If wanted, some info about Kortrijk  https://www.toerismekortrijk.be/en Living art during summer holiday : https://www.playkortrijk.be/en  Some Highlights  -The Béguinage, which dates back to the 13th century, has been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List -The belfry (Belfort) stands in the centre of the Grote Markt and was part of the former cloth hall -GOD'S VAULT; In a side chapel of St. Martin's church you can enter 'God's Vault' (Kelderke Gods). It is a place that many pilgrims visited (and still do), âservingâ to guard against any adversity and sickness, to pray for support. There was already talk of this unique place of devotion in 1413. A cave of sorts was created underneath the high altar, in which the scene of the burial was presented.   ---------------------------------- Jeri suggests: Please do a search by exhibit name "Texture, Belgium" to find pictures, because pictures and graphics cannot be processed by the Arachne server. If you have science students in your family, you may wish to share information about flax. It is a most interesting subject to study because of its many uses and long history.  ----------------------------------- Following is more info (I've edited out duplicates in text) - from Greet Rome in Belgium: Biolace, an unconventional lace exhibition with a challenging perspective.  Expect a selection of high-quality, rare lace combined with a biotechnological vision for the future.  Fast-forward to the year 2050. Overpopulation, climate change and extreme resource shortages challenge us to think in a radically different way.  New organisms have been genetically engineered to produce textiles and improved food crops ⦠all in one plant.  Although not possible today, such synthetic plants could exist in 20 yearsâ time, according to some scientists. Carole Collet, Professor in Design for Sustainable Futures at Central Saint Martins, London, combines design and science to explore efficient and sustainable alternatives.  Would you eat a vitamin-rich black strawberry from a plant that has also produced your little black dress?  ----------------------------  Comments from Greet Rome:  Texture, Museum of Flax and river Lys, brings unique lace pieces from the museum collection in correlation with this biotechnological futuristic vision.  With a variety of fine lace strips and doillies, black Chantilly and lace with gold and silver wire, the past and present are woven into a guideline for the future. - To unsubscribe send email to majord...@arachne.com containing the line: unsubscribe lace y...@address.here. For help, write to arachne.modera...@gmail.com. Photo site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacemaker/sets/
