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Far, far away on the West Coast of Canada in Victoria, British Columbia, a creative “creature-maker”
births monsters from rescued wool sweaters and heaps of love. It all started in 2009,
when Terri Wild was intrigued with the idea of crafting with upcycled wool
sweaters. Soon after, My Friend Monster
was born, and has since continued to make one-of-a-kind, eco-friendly monster
plushies.
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| Photo by Sarah Funk at Silver Lamb Studios |
Recently, we were able to ask Terri a few questions about
her unique creations.
Why monsters?
Hm, good question! My short answer is: Why not? The long
answer is that I stumbled across “creature” making as an art form one day while
surfing the Internet and I was intrigued. So I tried it...you could say it was
love at first stitch!
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| Photo by Sarah Funk at Silver Lamb Studios |
Describe your
creative process. How do you go about creating your monsters?
First, I search all [of] my local thrift stores for wool
sweaters. [They have] to be at least 80% wool or it won’t felt. I use lambs
wool, merino, cashmere, angora, etc.
Then I launder and felt all the sweaters in my trusty,
top-loading washing machine. Wet felting is the
process of “shrinking” the
woolen sweater in hot water and soap with agitation. This creates a fabric that
is perfect for crafting with! Some sweaters have to be washed twice to attain
the desired level of “felted-ness”, others don’t felt the way I want at
all...it is always a bit of a mystery! After air-drying, the sweaters are ready
to go!
Next I cut each sweater apart and sew the monsters one at a
time, without using a pattern. I design as I go, so each monster turns out to
be one of a kind! I have techniques that I repeat, such as the way I construct
the mouth or legs, but I don’t sketch it out or create patterns before I make
the monster. My workshop is usually piled high with cut up scraps, and folded
colourful sweaters, which inspires me as well. I love finding colour and
pattern combinations that make interesting monsters! I find that the more monsters
I make, the more inspired I get!
Where is your
favourite (or most inspirational) place?
Oh dear, do I have to pick just one?! Nature and animals
inspire me, and I think undersea creatures are the most fascinating! The
seashore and the local aquarium are my favourite places. I love watching
documentaries about coral reefs, as well as the deep-water creatures that are
so crazy looking!
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| Photo by Sarah Funk at Silver Lamb Studios |
What is your dream
project?
To make a monster so large [that] you can climb inside
his mouth and snuggle up for a nap.
What do you enjoy
when you aren’t creating your adorable monsters?
When not birthing monsters, I am hanging out with my
husband and our 9-year-old daughter. I enjoy spending time outdoors, hiking and
camping. I also practice karate, and love to play soccer.
If you could have
a superpower, what would it be? Why?
Oooooh! Good question! I would love to be able to
teleport anywhere in the world. I could visit any country in an instant! Either
that or telekinesis - I would love to make the dishes wash themselves...
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| Photo by Sarah Funk of Silver Lamb Studios |
Check out the My Friend Monster Etsy Shop to
take a closer look at Terri's incredible creatures!
