From the Toy Aisle to Tacoma 💫
It all started with a sewing machine and a 16-year-old’s passion for creating. That early outlet for making eventually turned into a Design degree and nearly two decades as a professional in the toy and costume industry.
If you’ve walked down a toy aisle, you’ve likely seen Jill’s work. For 18 years, she’s designed thousands of products for iconic brands like Disney, Barbie, and Nickelodeon. But while the corporate world was a masterclass in manufacturing and quality control, there was a "wonderfully weird" brand just waiting to be born.
A Friendship Forged in Philly 🥰
Along the way, Jill met Maria. While working together at 3 different Philadelphia based toy companies, they didn't just build product lines, they built a partnership to last.
Jill is the designer with the technical vision; Maria is the powerhouse who knows exactly how to bring a brand to life. They spent over a decade as a professional duo before deciding to take that collective experience and do something for themselves.
A New Chapter in the beautiful PNW 🌲💕
In 2017, a cross-country move landed Jill in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. In 2018, MaterialJill was officially launched in Washington! What started as a design studio for clients quickly evolved into the magical, spooky, and super cute brand you see today.
In 2020, there was only one person Jill trusted to help her dream grow. Maria joined the team, and although they are separated by the distance between Philly and Tacoma, they are a "small but mighty" two-woman crew that is more connected than ever.
Designed to be Different 🦄 ☠️
We love pop culture, bold colors, mixing textures and we really love Halloween! But most of all, we love high-quality premium plush.
Because of our corporate backgrounds, we don’t cut corners. Every unique product in our Shop is designed with heart in Tacoma. As we’ve grown, we've needed to expand our operations, so we now partner with an ethical, family-run production house that meets our highest standard of expectations.
When you shop with MaterialJill, you aren't just buying a plush. You’re supporting a lifelong creative journey, a decade of friendship, and the dream to create a wonderfully weird world to live in.
The best is yet to come!
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Jill & Maria
