Jack's story

Jack & things is a jewellery label created by a woman named Jacqueline. But let's start at the beginning...

As a little girl, Jacqueline – or Jack, as she is still called – loved to play with beads and fabrics and wools. There was nothing she enjoyed more than getting lost in a good project. Sometimes, when she was really lucky, she was allowed to use her mother’s sewing machine, and they would spend time sewing things together. She would often sit with her grandmother, who had a great love for crocheting and embroidery. Over time, Oma Meijers imparted both her skill and passion for these crafts, and she still remains one of her greatest inspirations. In the intervening years, Jack has taught herself various skills and attended courses at Bob Molenaar Fashion School and the VOBK Kreatieve Handvaardigheid (The School for Creative Education) among others.

In the 1980s and ’90s, Jack knitted sweaters and was constantly making clothes for herself and for others. In the years since she has amassed quite the collection – of fabrics, of beads, of other special things she has picked up along the way. Even though arts and crafts has always been her main interest, it’s never been more than that. It has always remained a hobby, something that came after whatever else she was doing in life. Even now, she has a full-time job in the financial sector. One day, Jack hopes the special bits and pieces you find here will no longer be a hobby – but the real thing.

Jack continues to find beautiful things at markets, and friends drop by with fabric scraps because they know it’s likely she can make something out of them. She started making things for herself, and after receiving so many nice compliments, she thought, perhaps, that others might like them too. Today, she makes jewellery and accessories: necklaces, bracelets earrings, key rings, knitted scarves and more. After years of selling her pieces through friends and at local market stalls, she now rents a little corner of a shared creative space in Baarn. Every second Saturday, you can find her here, at Het Belevingshuis. Drop by and say hello, and have a look at Jack’s things.