Miss Elva is well acquainted with the distant roots of her family names. Her father’s surname, Jay, traces its origins to China, while her mother’s, Robinson, has its roots in the United Kingdom. Born in Providencia, she spent most of her early years living in San Andrés. She attended the Sacred Family School, established by Capuchin missionaries in 1946. Arriving just in time to start her education in 1950, she was immersed in evangelical teachings and began learning Spanish. Alongside her sisters, as part of the boarding school’s routine, she mastered needlework.

This is her earliest memory of the craft that she has dedicated her life to. Miss Elva is now a renowned craftswoman in the realm of patchwork on San Andrés Island. She’s a master at delicately and symmetrically assembling small fabric pieces to create quilts, curtains, oven cloths, skirts, and bags. Days turned into years as she delved deeper into this labor of love, with decades passing by.

She earned the title of Confection and Crafts Technician at Sena, an institution she devoted her life to and where she shared her wealth of wisdom. While still skillful with a needle and thread, she passed down her old Alfa sewing machine to her daughter as a gift, hoping she’d follow in her footsteps in craftsmanship. She has mentored countless apprentices, and her favorite afternoons are spent with friends, laughing and sewing while being caressed by the fresh breeze. Offering her sewing machine to her students, she helps them refine their skills.

She remembers her mother fashioning beautiful quilts for her daughters and teaching them how to sew. A mother to four daughters and eight sons, they exchanged quilts joyfully, each piece holding immense value due to the countless hours of labor they represented. Understanding this, one realizes that a quilt embodies the very essence of love. Miss Elva sees her younger self folding the small fabric squares her mother was about to sew, never imagining that in the future, it would be her own disciples handing her similar squares for sewing designs.

Observing her sew is a visual pleasure and a lesson in patience. She meticulously cuts 3×3, 4×4, or 5×5-centimeter pieces, hems each one, and arranges them with needles until the desired design emerges. Another captivating sight is when she creates rosettes. By drawing threads toward the center of a fabric square and gathering it, she forms small flowers that she later combines. Crafting a 40×40-centimeter cushion, for instance, might involve creating up to 64 meticulously handmade flowers.

Many cherish her quilts, including hotels that showcase her exquisite work. Her latest commission came from the Emmanuel Baptist Church for their curtains, where she serves as the director of the decorations committee. A single glance at each of the tiny squares comprising her patchworks reveals narratives of the lives of San Andrés’ inhabitants.