Hey everyone,
I have another staff profile for you! This time I’ve interviewed Jocelyn. Kind, quirky, ever-enthusiastic Jocelyn. If you’ve ever had a chat with her or taken one of her classes I’m sure you’ll have a vivid mental picture of that excited way she talks as you read through this interview.
Without further ado…
Birthday: March 18
Birthplace: Manila, Philippines
Favorite color: I've always liked the greens….yeah, greens and blues. I like weird greens, the ones everyone hates. Like poison green and chartreuse.
Favorite dessert: Chocolate chip ice cream! I've been obsessed with it lately. Oh! And Señorita bread! Someone brought it to a class recently and it was still hot from the oven…
How long have you been working at the Cotton Patch? How did you start?
Over 20 years. I used to shop here and then I wanted to find part-time work when my kids started getting older. When my kids were in school, that's when I'd work here.
How did you learn how to sew?
I started sewing when I was in about 4th grade. My mom was so good, she let me pick out and buy fabric myself. My dad was in the Navy and the Navy Exchange sold fabric so we shopped there. I'll never forget my first project – I made these corduroy pants. I bought corduroy and made pants but I didn't know about nap! If you sew with corduroy, you have to be careful that the nap goes in the same direction on all of your pieces, otherwise it looks like it's two completely different colors, which is what happened to me. It was so funny. My mom was so good about it. She said it was okay and we would get more fabric. My parents ended up getting me a state of the art new Singer that came with a table, which was so incredible.
Do you remember the first quilt you ever made?
My first teacher was Laura Nownes and I took a class for a sampler quilt at Thimble Creek. I didn't even know about the Cotton Patch at the time! It was around 25 years ago.
What project is on your sewing table right now?
I just have so many different projects going on. I'm not the person who has to finish one before moving on! When I'm working on one thing I get distracted and start something else! I just finished up a sample for the shop.
Name one notion you can’t live without.
A seam ripper. I use the round Clover one with the white handle, and I like the Bernina ones that come with your machine too. I always have three or four seam rippers around!
Describe your ideal sewing retreat (feel free to ignore money restraints!)
Maybe a cabin in the woods, but I’d want somebody to clean and cook so I can just sew! It would be fun to have a group of ladies at a big table. Maybe we would even order so that we didn't have to cook.
***
Jocelyn says she loves the greens that “everyone hates,” and that’s true for me at least – I can’t stand her greens! Where do you stand on poison green and chartreuse? Camp Jocelyn or Camp Vivian?
Fortunately, I agree with her on most other things. I also have no control around warm Señorita bread and have more works in progress on my sewing table than I can count…
If you want to hang out with Jocelyn, she’s one of our most popular instructors with lots of classes on the calendar. Check out what she has coming up HERE.
Fun fact: I have two daughters, and the younger one happens to be named Jocelyn! We call her Jo. I wonder if Cotton Patch Jocelyn has ever used a nickname…?
Happy sewing,
Vivian
Quick Facts
Name: JocelynBirthday: March 18
Birthplace: Manila, Philippines
Favorite color: I've always liked the greens….yeah, greens and blues. I like weird greens, the ones everyone hates. Like poison green and chartreuse.
Favorite dessert: Chocolate chip ice cream! I've been obsessed with it lately. Oh! And Señorita bread! Someone brought it to a class recently and it was still hot from the oven…
How long have you been working at the Cotton Patch? How did you start?
Over 20 years. I used to shop here and then I wanted to find part-time work when my kids started getting older. When my kids were in school, that's when I'd work here.
How did you learn how to sew?
I started sewing when I was in about 4th grade. My mom was so good, she let me pick out and buy fabric myself. My dad was in the Navy and the Navy Exchange sold fabric so we shopped there. I'll never forget my first project – I made these corduroy pants. I bought corduroy and made pants but I didn't know about nap! If you sew with corduroy, you have to be careful that the nap goes in the same direction on all of your pieces, otherwise it looks like it's two completely different colors, which is what happened to me. It was so funny. My mom was so good about it. She said it was okay and we would get more fabric. My parents ended up getting me a state of the art new Singer that came with a table, which was so incredible.
Do you remember the first quilt you ever made?
My first teacher was Laura Nownes and I took a class for a sampler quilt at Thimble Creek. I didn't even know about the Cotton Patch at the time! It was around 25 years ago.
What project is on your sewing table right now?
I just have so many different projects going on. I'm not the person who has to finish one before moving on! When I'm working on one thing I get distracted and start something else! I just finished up a sample for the shop.
Name one notion you can’t live without.
A seam ripper. I use the round Clover one with the white handle, and I like the Bernina ones that come with your machine too. I always have three or four seam rippers around!
Describe your ideal sewing retreat (feel free to ignore money restraints!)
Maybe a cabin in the woods, but I’d want somebody to clean and cook so I can just sew! It would be fun to have a group of ladies at a big table. Maybe we would even order so that we didn't have to cook.
***
Jocelyn says she loves the greens that “everyone hates,” and that’s true for me at least – I can’t stand her greens! Where do you stand on poison green and chartreuse? Camp Jocelyn or Camp Vivian?
Fortunately, I agree with her on most other things. I also have no control around warm Señorita bread and have more works in progress on my sewing table than I can count…
If you want to hang out with Jocelyn, she’s one of our most popular instructors with lots of classes on the calendar. Check out what she has coming up HERE.
Fun fact: I have two daughters, and the younger one happens to be named Jocelyn! We call her Jo. I wonder if Cotton Patch Jocelyn has ever used a nickname…?
Happy sewing,
Vivian