Area 515 is an all volunteer organization. It is literally made of its members. So what sorts of things do our members make? All kinds of things!
For instance, meet Lia Ximena. Not only is she one of our Laser Stewards, she's also a veteran sewist and crocheter of nearly 20 years. Her latest crocheted sculpture is a Kelpie, the shape-shifting water horse based on Scottish folklore said to lure people to watery graves. The goal was to make it look as dead-eyed and spooky as possible while retaining a mossy-underwater appearance.
Using a number of patterns from Crafty Intentions on Ravelry (one of Lia's favorite designers), Lia freehanded the tail with complex shaping techniques and wire throughout to stabilize the sculpture which can stand on its own on 3 legs. It joins her hoard of mythical, real, and ancient creatures which includes, but is not limited to, a Manticore, unicorns, owls, dragons, wyverns, a mosasaurus, a stegosaurus, the Jurassic World raptors, serpents, a Thestrel, a Blue-Ringed Octopus, and hippocampi. Additionally, she's recently begun using the 3D printers at Area 515 to create fangs and claws for some of her newest creatures.
While working on publishing her own patterns, she is still trying to decide what her next completed sculpture will be. Possibilities include Wyvern, dragon-horse, Cerberus, or even a Giant Pacific Octopus!