Last year at Maker Faire, I gathered with a bunch of other Maker Media staff Saturday morning to open the gates to Fairegoers. Attendees who line up that early to get in are die-hard Maker Faire fans, and among them, one stood out to me: 12-year-old Angela Hawthorne, who was all decked out in a wolf costume she made herself.
That wolf head was the first one she had ever made, and since then she has built nine more heads made of foam, hot glue, and fur. After shaping the foam, she puts duct tape on to copy the pattern for the fur, and then she sews it together by hand. “I’ve learned most of my knowledge from hours of YouTube videos and watching Jim Henson’s Creature Shop Challenge. I have attended Furcon in San Jose in costume and it was tons of fun,” Angela explains.
Why a wolf? “It’s one of my favorite animals and I love drawing them,” she says. She has also made other real and imagined creatures, including a Pokemon Groudon and a World of Warcraft Tauren.
She is 13 now, and has started her own internet business making heads, paws, and tails. It’s called Furific Creations, and she is in the process of making a website for it.
When she’s not making costumes, Angela, a Santa Clara, California resident, loves track and field, archery, and playing ice hockey. “I am the goalie for the Jr. Sharks 14 under team. It has given me the chance to travel to many places, including Alaska, Canada, and Colorado,” she notes.
You might see Angela walking around the Faire this year — if she doesn’t have conflicting sports activities — right now she’s not sure if she can make it. Angela says, “I love attending Maker Faire; it’s a great chance to meet people and be inspired.” I agree.
Buy your tickets today for Maker Faire Bay Area, May 17 & 18. You never know who you’ll run into walking around the Fairegrounds!
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