Away from the crowd

There are shops where the seller nervously follows every movement. ‘t Stoffig Pakhuis is different.. The shop in the Westerkwartier is full of colorful fabrics, buttons and zippers from top to bottom. You’re allowed to touch and try anything.

‘t Stoffig Pakhuis is more than a store. Local residents find a listening ear with owner Anja ‘s-Gravenmade, recognizable by her butterfly vintage glasses. Creative people also like to visit for fabrics and inspiration. Anja: “I let people ferret around a bit first. Let them pull all the drawers open ... There are so many patterns to view ... From Delft Blue to superman. From flowers to pistols. I like fashion with a twist. There is so much mass production already. When you sew, you can create something unique. Just like that lady just now. She takes a retro stripe and combines it with red cherry buttons. Then I think “oh my, what a good combination!”

Anja was trained as a costume designer. That’s why she likes to help other when their sewing project fails. “Sometimes a dress with a different collar suddenly becomes funky. Or you can change it into a skirt. And sometimes it’s better to throw it in the bin. It happens to me as well. I once made a yellow dress with large checks. However I changed it, people kept thinking of Olivier B. Bommel’s coat ... “But Anja doesn’t mind. Sewing makes her zen. “It’s just like exercising. Sometimes you don’t feel like it, but once you’re done you think, “Well, how nice was that?”