This is Harold, a sad little monster is one of the newest Way Home Creature Nursery babies. He has the same pouty expression as some of my others–but Harold is a little extra melancholy. As I’ve said before, I try to embrace all emotions, so instead of trying to cheer him up, we just let him feel whatever he feels.
This monster doesn’t like to draw attention to himself so he’s most comfortable in these understated yet high quality pajama type pants and a simple white onesie (but, I saw him looking longingly over my shoulder at some loud and bright baby pajamas on my phone, so I’d bet that, once settled into his new home and away from the competition of the other creature babies, he might like some more colorful duds).
Harold will be available for adoption soon–be sure to sign up for my mailing list so that you can get all of the details about the release date!
I was working on this monster mouth pattern (really, with the goal of it coming out looking differently, but decided to just move on and make something with it, in the spirit of not having rigid ideas about how things should look and not overworking my dolls). I decided to pair a more textural plush (this black sherpa) with minky and see how it turned out. I couldn’t have predicted at all how it would look, but I loved the result. The horns really tie it together.
I knew I wanted to give it some kind of applique in the upper torso as the piece de la resistance. On a whim, I took a red felt heart that I’d cut out at some point over the past three months and put it on the chest. I loved the way it looked but immediately thought, “No, only a few people would like that. No, people might find that weird.” But I didn’t give up on the idea. Even before my IG polls came back at 100% in support of putting the heart on, I’d decided it was the right choice.
I’ve always loved the idea of heavy-handed emotional symbols, like hearts, on plush. I’m an emotional person and my continuing emotional development and growth is something I take really seriously. I also take mental health of others seriously. I got the idea (not sure if it was before or after I thought of the Velvet Underground song, Sweet Jane, and it’s line, “anyone who ever had a heart/wouldn’t turn around and break it”) to break the heart and stitch it back together–like a friendship necklace.
Neuroplasticity and resilience aren’t necessarily terms you associate with monster plushies, but they’re related. By playing and cuddling with soft toys, we repair wounds. This monster shows us that our heartaches can be repaired, eventually. I call it the Mendy Monster–because his heart is mended–with the scars for all to see. Mendy Monster will be available in my Etsy shop soon–be sure to sign up for my mailing list to be notified when.
I have been riffing on various versions of what I call my “paunchy creature” pattern that I came up with last summer. Recently I began trying different versions of the head and muzzle to produce different creature faces. They are usually a bit of a surprise to me (I don’t sketch an idea, just slash and spread to make a new flat pattern–I know (because of my process) that it will fit together, but I don’t know quite how it will look once sewn and stuffed). With Terry, I knew I wanted a wide but flat/short mouth. After putting it all together, I decided that it needed “lips” and this was the result.
For some reason, out of the blue, it occurred to me that these creatures would look great with wrestling singlets. This started me down the road of wrestling research.
My brother and father loved wrestling when I was younger. In my ongoing effort to like all the things they liked, I tried to enjoy it too, but never did.
My husband also loved wrestling as a kid. As we clicked through different You Tube clips as part of my wrestling garb research, he helped me to appreciate how silly pro wrestling is, and the thrill that viewers got not knowing exactly what would happen (and the slight sense of fear and titillation, since some of those characters were legitimately scary!) My creatures aren’t that scary, but definitely silly AND there is a thrill in not knowing exactly how they will turn out. Terry looks like a gentle soul who isn’t interested in theatrics or body slams–which, as I understand, may have been the case for Andre the Giant as well.
No Holds Barred is an old wrestling phrase (and also the title of a wrestling movie that my brother owned as a kid) and I think it fits my new process with these creatures–try anything, set no limits!
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