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By: Malcolm Sims
May 9, 2023

It is with great sadness we announce the passing of Paul Bakker CText FTI, Director and Co-Founder of the ITF Academy.(Right of picture) Paul was a leader in the textile industry, he had an enormous depth of knowledge, in particular, within the Wool carpet industry. As well as being Director of the ITFA he was […]

By: Malcolm Sims
October 6, 2021

Last week I accompanied David Luckham on a visit to Burton Constable Hall, East Yorkshire. David is very well known in the area of historic woven carpets and is a ‘professional enthusiast’ in this area. Burton Constable is an Elizabethan mansion based around an earlier manor house and a 12th century fortified tower. There are […]

By: Malcolm Sims
August 10, 2021

ITFA is pleased to announce that another 4 courses have been Approved with Credits by the Textile Institute. ITFA courses are growing in popularity and are proving to be a great educational resource for those interested in learning more about specific areas within the flooring industry. The Textile Institute has global reach and is a […]

By: Malcolm Sims
July 13, 2021

A very interesting article has been written on the value of wool production and the science, by Emma K Doyle, James W V Preston, Bruce A McGregor, Phil I Hynd This paper covers many interesting areas relating to wool and its place as a valuable to the textile industry. There is good information about the […]

By: Malcolm Sims
April 21, 2021

I have seen at first hand how pneumatic yarn splicing has improve efficiencies in carpet production. Whether it be on a Weaving loom or a Tufting machine the change from traditional knots to splices has made a dramatic difference. When I started working in a Tufting department in 1969, the first thing I was taught […]

By: Malcolm Sims
November 11, 2020

We are continuing to add interesting and very useful reports and features to the ITFA site, which is aimed at providing support to the flooring industry. We now have over 3000 pages of technical information available on an array of industry relevant topics within the Academy Library, such as: * Carpet Inspection * Carpet and […]

By: Malcolm Sims
October 27, 2020

The Academy’s Corporate Members: ITFA would like to thank those companies who have supported the work that we do in providing information and a training resource for the textile floor covering industry. Our corporate members are:  British Wool Godfrey Hirst Korat Institute of Technology and Enterprise Lawton Yarns NFIC USA The Textile Institute Wools of […]

By: Malcolm Sims
October 22, 2020

For my 50 year career I have been involved in machine made carpets, but when we set up the International Textile Flooring Academy we thought it essential to have a great course on handmade rugs, as it is such an important aspect within the textile floor covering industry. This introduction to handmade rugs is very […]

By: Malcolm Sims
October 16, 2020

It was back in the 1970’s when I was first involved in dyeing. I was a Supervisor on a Space Dye production line. Back then, space dyed yarns were even used broadloom, a trend that did not last long. I then became involved in carpet printing and continuous dyeing; both techniques were very big in […]

By: Malcolm Sims
October 14, 2020

An Essential Short Course on Carpet Installation I have been in the carpet industry for over 50 years now. Over this period, product development and the technical aspects of carpets, I guess, have become my specialities. During this time, I have needed to understand some aspects of carpet fitting/installation. As Technical Manager in the carpet […]