PetitFelts: A Conversation with Jocelyn Gayle Krodman
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Time to read 3 min
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Nestled in the Hudson Valley lies the home and studio of Jocelyn Gayle Krodman, the artist and business owner behind PetitFelts. Here, Jocelyn designs playful felt ornaments, creates intricate custom felt works, and crafts functional and beautiful ceramic pieces, all in her signature whimsical style. Since 2011, Jocelyn has been developing her business and chasing her dream of living a joyful and creative life.
At the heart of PetitFelts is Jocelyn’s unwavering pursuit of a joyful and creative life.
Before launching PetitFelts, Jocelyn was an artist with a degree in metalworking and jewelry from Savannah College of Art and Design who was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with her 9-5 job. Working as a recruiter at her alma mater, she had a pivotal realization: she wasn't practicing what she preached: "I was visiting high schools and colleges and giving presentations on why you go to art school, and I realized that I was not following my own advice. I was telling these kids that they could have a creative career, and I was not doing that myself.” This awakening prompted her to take a leap of faith, leading her to a small town in Connecticut where she explored odd jobs and nurtured her artistic inclinations. “I did not have a plan,” she admits.
"I was visiting high schools and colleges and giving presentations on why you go to art school, and I realized that I was not following my own advice. I was telling these kids that they could have a creative career, and I was not doing that myself.”
Before leaving Savannah, Jocelyn had a chance encounter that would later lay the groundwork for her business. "I was at a coffee shop, and I saw a woman needle felting, and I wasn't sure what it was. I just was curious about it, and she was kind enough to give me a needle and some wool so that I could try it out. And I just got really, really invested in it right away. And I remember I made all these tiny, tiny cats, and I kept them in a little box."
Years later while prepping for a craft fair, Jocelyn returned to felting. "I didn't want to make only jewelry for the show, so I made some felted ornaments, and I ended up selling out of those. I met a bunch of wonderful people, most of them I'm still friends with now almost 13 years later.”
What began as an experiment with felted ornaments blossomed into a full-fledged business, rooted in Jocelyn's newfound love for felting. Unlike the technical precision demanded by metalworking, felting offered her the flexibility to make works imbued with whimsy and joy. "Felting is the opposite of working with metal. I will say that working with metal is so technical, there's so much precision involved. But for felting, even though I work in a pretty precise way, there's a lot more freedom in it and it's much more forgiving. And I just really enjoy working with it much more.”
Photo by Jamie Kennard
The early years of PetitFelts were marked by challenges, with Jocelyn juggling multiple part-time jobs to sustain her artistic endeavors. It wasn't until several years into her business journey that she could finally dedicate herself full-time to her craft. In 2019, she began a fair trade collaboration with a factory in Nepal so that an even wider audience could enjoy her designs. “They’ve been really wonderful to work with," she says of the partnership, emphasizing their sustainable practices and eco-friendly production.
Alongside the growth of her business emerged a parallel love story with ceramicist Andrew Molleur, whom she met at a craft fair in the Catskills nearly a decade ago. Their shared love of artmaking would intertwine, leading Jocelyn to explore the world of ceramics and integrate it into PetitFelts' offerings.
"At the beginning of the pandemic, we all had to shift and figure out what we were doing with our businesses. Andrew needed some help in the studio, so I started helping him out and became more interested in slip casting. Eventually, after a couple of years of doing some work in his studio, I wanted to try to make some of my own designs and bring a ceramic collection to my business.”
Her endearing toothbrush holders were the first product to come from her ceramic experiments. A delightful fusion of playfulness and practicality, these whimsical animal-shaped holders bring cheer to everyday routines. The future of PetitFelts includes even more charming additions to the home. Coming soon to Clove & Creek are Jocelyn's porcelain Sardine Vases, inspired by iconic fish tins and adorned with intricate hand-painted details.
At the heart of PetitFelts is Jocelyn’s unwavering pursuit of a joyful and creative life. As she continues to craft her whimsical creations, Jocelyn reminds us to embrace the joy of creativity and to pursue our dreams with tenacity and determination.
