The Albert Cuyp Markt.
Every visit some things old and some things new to catch the eye. However, today went into three very fascinating shops. Actually, had gone into more than one, but three were outstanding, one very good and the others mediocre. The markets run from Tuesday to Saturday, (I think) and many of the shops have spread their wares outside on the steeet where the markets are held. They’re about 10 blocks along their full length.
Lots of food places, and I’m guessing the storefronts don’t mind the obstruction? Or it must be a minocipsl thing that store owners get first right of use and then, if they’re not interested in the space, they could be compensated. Since they seem to have been here forever, and are one of Amsterdam’s most popular markets, and tourist draws, they must be prime venues for the vendors.
Anyway, the three shops were, in order of appearance, haha, or entry rather, 1) The Delft Blue store, massive two story outlet selling all things Delft Blue. While we’ve been visiting Amsterdam pretty regularly since well over a decade, have never gotten around to visiting Delft. And it was on the list this time.
The second shop was a fabulous Fabric store. HUGE- great selection of fabrics, all kinds. My weakness- fabric. I think my eyes lit up seeing the variety. We had sauntered in to check out fabric that had been used as curtains behind the glass door in the Delft shop. Found it in the vast interior hall where upholstery was kept. One glance at it, and I was in love. Then I touched it, and fell deeper in love. It was so tightly woven, the perfect thickness and it was firm. Very wide whatever it’s called, width? Forget all the technical names for yardage, warp and weft and all that kind of stuff. The lady did not know where it was manufactured, and I told her, I’m glad I asked after she had cut me the 5 meters. I know, I know..it’s a lot but I’m not sure yet what I will do with it. Upholster one of my fabric covered sofas, or have cushion covers made from it, or table mats, or a Chinese style jacket ( to likely, I’m no longer going to work) or perhaps hand some of it like a tapestry panel. It is just SO beautiful, with its muted colors and perfectly palette, that will enhance any wall.
Always a sucker for good fabric, and my favorite thing to hoard, because no opportunity to sew, or rather no inclination to learn how to use the electric sewing machines, of which I have two, and despite taking sewing lessons at Sears and JoAnne fabrics. Both now defunct- so I must be ancient.
My all time favorite fabric are the Kalamkari linens. Their fabric has some magic woven into it. It doesn’t need ironing after washing, if it is hung out on a clothes line. You just fold them nicely. I think my love stems from the fact, that my mum, who never lacking for excuses to keep her teenager (latch-key child of sorts) daughter occupied was to reward me with a new “suit” every time I stitched one. It interesting how I accidentally fell into sewing. In the summer holidays, the Pandara Road community center held sewing classes amongst other activities, and I joined sewing.
The first week, they taught us how to cut and sew a girl’s panty. We had a paper design, made from old newspapers. To stitch something to our size, the teacher suggested to use our own panties as a paper design. So that’s how it’s done? What was there to learn. I already knew how to operate my mother’s wedding / dowry sewing machine, which she barely touched except for minor repairs, so that was all I needed. I wasn’t going to go to any community center in the middle of the day during the hot Delhi summers. It was easy to use my own churidars and shirts as a reference, and cut out and see my new “suits!” Along the way, I innovated with designs, and soon was stitching away. Mummy was good with her word, and I would stay up late to finish my dress, and wear it to college the next morning!
My mother was not just educated, she was also very knowledgeable and gifted. She knew stuff. She also nurtured her hobbies. She learned drawing via postal lessons from a school in England and used to paint. She had carried her water color paraphernalia to Mussoorie, where the children (she and her siblings) were in their summer home, when partition happened, so her paints, brushes, and painting paper pads all came with her to India. She later painted a lot, a real lot, after retirement.
I think I must get my love of fabric from her. She had very good taste in clothes, used only pure cotton and pure silk, and knew the best from every region. So she had Bangalore silks, Kashmiri silks (which were not as fine as her Bangalore silks,) her Pochampally sarees, which we later also used to buy from Lepakshi Emporium on Baba Kharak Singh Marg. She had the odd Bernardo, but only ever wore them for weddings, and that too rarely. I wore those more than she did. Her preference was for ‘fabrics’ and I think that’s why the Kashmiri Silk and Pochampallis were here preferred choices, because the Kashmiri silk back then had texture, and it was hand printed. Every winter our Kashmiri Shawlwala would faithfully come down from Srinagar and bring her the goodies. Ghulam Ahmed Butt and Sons. He usually came with another shawlwala, and later started bringing his fresh faced young son with him. There was a time I even knew their address, but while their faces are fresh in memory, the address eludes me.
I think the love for Pochampalli is because of the design is in the weave, and the colors are deep and rich. Ditto with her cotton sarees, often plain in the middle, and with woven elements in the borders and Pallu. And not forgetting the Oriya linens! All our curtains were from Utkalika, the Orissa Emporium. Their colors were bring, though the fabric is much thinner that the kind you get from Tamil Nadu or at the Co-Optex stores. The checked bedsheets, all the same materials as the Kalamkaris, thick, rich and with vibrant colors that kalamkari lacks, conservative in their colors palette, because they use vegetable dyes and stick to to their teals, black, red, brown. I also have gold jewelry purchased from KAIRALI, the Kerala emporium, besides sarees, which used to be in a different part of Connaught Place, before the single stores small row of shops was broken down and they moved to some new premises. So many memories. Cotton Blankets from Assam emporium, cotton finely woven into slim tubes and clustered close together to form the whole surface area of the blankets. So, so many memories. I think I must have gotten thiis education and love of fabric from her. But of ourselves, I never picked up knitting- I never had the patience to apply myself where counting was involved- it was all maths to me.
My love for color deviated into tie-dye and I did a lot of that in my school holidays. I think the purpose of blogs such as mine with their reminiscing and rumination will someday, perhaps be a domestic/ social history of that era in the sixties and seventies. Mummy knew stuff and she told me how to use alum to make my colors remain ‘fast’ on the fabric. I’m proud to say that even black never bled in my tie-dye work.
My mother loved pure cotton and I’ve been longing to wear some cotton sarees, but everything is so plasticized these days. My mother abhorred synthetic fabrics, and while I tolerate the mix now, it was never purchased for me in my mother’s reign. We purchased many things from the Khadi Gramodyog Bhavan as well, and I still have my hoard from my visit to Delhi, on a quick trip to India which needs tailoring.
But back to The fabric store on Albert Cuypstraat, that took me down the long memory lane. The lady there told us about the tailoring stores there and how easily one can find tailors in Amsterdam. Not so back in Florida. I had wanted to get some blouses and petticoats stitched and the fabrics or rather dress shop on OBT told me it will take a mo to as they send it to Tampa! They had nothing ready made I cotton! All shiny slimy synthetic mixes. Luckily, I was able to find fabric and tailoring at Katcha tailors in Liecester which is just 45 minutes away.
Back to the markets- the third shop was an amazing little treasure trove, of everything you can think of for the kitchen and your spiritual requirements. I found tea leaves there that I last purchased in Bombay almost 45 years ago. They’re famous for their teas, spices and too many other things, not to mention appliances. I asked and they had BOP (broken orange pekoe) special tea! Except she said they had a Ceylon BOP, ut did not know if it was Broken Orange Pekoe. Fair enough. I came home and made some, but of course my first attempt with loose tea after a while, and that too loose unfamiliar tea, made me misjudge the quantity, and I used too much leaf and also did not steep it long enough. Adjusted it, and it took me a few sips to appreciate it.
Before I forget the Fabric store had a very well stocked haberdashery section as well. But ofcourse, naturally it would.
Took the tram home as the markets started losing sharp at 5.00 pm. It was hot today with a high of 30C. Yeah, popular Homeopathic potency, and now don’t get me started on that! Mindis going all over the place today. The fabric shop was my happy place and seeing all that fabric, my mind started to fantasize about all the possibilities with the different fabrics. I miss wearing tailored clothes. Why do we have to be rich to do that?
It’s been a while since I last visited the museums, but let’s see how much I can do. Life is good and God is kind. All is well. And different, very, very different. Every place is so different as the lady in the Kitchen supplies store pointed out, showing me something I had never seen or imagined before. A specially designed place, that goes underneath a cooking pot/ saucepan, or whatever you’re cooking in, and on the gas hob, to diffuse the heat, so the food cooks slowly. She said she has two at home, and has always seen them used when I asked if this was new thing or a Dutch staple. She nodded at the matter, and answered in the affirmative when k asked her if she has seen her mother use them too. A very firm yes.
So that was that. Thought I’d write about my forays into researching the “Fractal” phenomenon, but it wasn’t to be. It was interesting in that web searches just thee up a lot of scientific stuff, maths and physics and incomprehensible to my non scientific mind. But I did eventually find just what my pretty heart could relate to! And, and, this website has an awesome tagline: Fractals are SMART- Science, Math and ART! love that the Fractal Foundation (fractalfoundation.org) also has a free online course which I browsed through this morning.
True to my nature, there was one sentence there, that took me off to a whole different tangent. But we can’t get into that, can we? Not with Fabrics, and tea leaves, and I forgot- the cotton bag I purchased! No, the Fractals deserve their very own thesis!
Veenu Banga
16th August 2025
1:22 am.
