Sew it Swift, Sew it Sweet

Last year, I made these pillows for loved ones, but stitching them by hand took hours:

So this spring, I asked MJ to teach me how to use her sewing machine. I practiced my first machine-made stitches along these letters:

With the sewing machine, it was speedy to make this pillow for my skull-loving hair stylist:

For Mother's Day, I sewed a clef note my musical mom, and a peanut for MJ's elephant-loving mom:

MJ then showed me some YouTube tutorials on how to sew animals from socks.

So I sewed her a bunny from a sock:

Then I made an otter:

And this summer, I sewed a queen bee for MJ's birthday:

It's super when we learn new ways to make gifts for loved ones, swiftly!

Raffe and Ralph Rock Out

In 2010, I crocheted this long-necked duo:

Raffe and Ralph

I recently re-created Raffe and Ralph using 3D software, so now they can rock to the rhythm:

Rock out with your neck out!

Behind the Bite

The recent video of the Cute-a-killer was shot over the summer, mostly during MJ's days off work. Along with operating the camera, MJ puppeteered the Cute-a-killer using marionette sticks (aka "fishing rods")...

MJ as Puppeteer

This behind-the-scenes video shows bloopers and outakes from the Cute-a-killer shoot:

I still feel anxious when I see the Cute-a-killer from its perch above my fireplace.  MJ was also shaken by the ordeal, and she drew this animation during her art therapy session:

Created using Inchworm Animation on MJ's Nintendo 3DS

Thank you for your multiple talents, MJ! And thank you all for the shared experience of encountering the Cute-a-killer!

Cute-a-killer *UPDATED*

Do you remember the Cute-a-pillar? It was made from five faces that portrayed the Fundamentals of Cuteness. I photographed the Cute-a-pillar when it scuttled across my lawn, not to be seen again.

Cute-a-pillar

Until yesterday.

I'll post new photos next week, after my recovery. For now, here's a video of my encounter with the Cute-a-killer:

UPDATE - Oct 3, 2011:

I've recovered in time to post this photo of the elusive cute-a-killer: 

Cute-a-killer

MJ photographed my pursuit of the predator:

This encounter with the Cute-a-killer taught me a new fundamental truth about Cuteness: it can act as a disguise. Cuteness can hide horrors, even within something as harmless as a caterpillar.

UPDATE - Oct 3, 2011:

Behind-the-scenes video & photos of the Cute-a-killer can be seen here.

Ralph and Ruth

Last time, we spotted Ralph and his pet giraffe, Raffe.

This time, we see Ralph and his partner, Ruth:

Ralph and Ruth

They're an affectionate couple:

Ralph and Ruth, necking

And they proudly engage in public displays of affection:

Ralph and Ruth with Raffe

Caption Needed: Ralph and Raffe *UPDATED*

What caption would you write below this photo of Ralph and his pet giraffe, Raffe?

UPDATE - November 5, 2010:

Catherine, of The Raggy Rat blog, wrote a rhyme to match this side-view of Ralph and Raffe:

"Ralph had a tall giraffe

he wished it would obey

but everywhere that Ralph went

it went the other way ....."

Thanks Catherine! And thank you to everyone who wrote such clever captions for R&R!

Fundamentals of Cuteness 101

What are the basics behind a cute face? Those answers—and more—on this week's Fundamentals of Cuteness 101. Please save all questions until the end of class.

Here is a typical smiley face, consisting of a head, two eyes and a mouth:

Rather cute, but it could be cuter... Try increasing the distance between the eyes, then raise the mouth:

Cuter!

Babies are cute. They also have large foreheads. Maximize the Cuteness Factor by moving facial features to the bottom of the head:

Another cute technique—popularized by recent Japanese mascots—is to place the facial features at the top of the head:

Finally, big eyes convey innocence, which is crucial to Cute-Facedness. But beware of overly-large eyes that can lead to Bug-Eyedness:

And there you have it, class. Cuteness, deconstructed.

Extra-credit question: If five cute faces were combined into one, would the total Cuteness Factor then be multiplied by a factor of five? Let us observe:

Cute-a-pillar

Dear heavens, what have I created? Time to call the exterminator again. That's the end of this week's Fundamentals of Cuteness 101!

~ Professor Woo

UPDATE - Oct 3, 2011:

Watch the return of the cute-a-pillar here.

Siamese Sightings *UPDATED*

A fun side-effect of the 2010 Olympic games has been an increase of public art in the Vancouver streets.

Before raining cats and dogs, I made a bonus raindrop to add to the Olympics-inspired sights:


This cat and dog duo are non-identical Siamese twins. Behind them, some rings from the Games:

Would you like to play a game?

I placed the Siamese Raindrop in an undisclosed location, within walking distance of some public art. Here's a clue to its secret spot:

"These twins are lit by the flicker of regal planetary rocks circa 1050, and share a bird's eye view of Vancouver-before-Vancouver."

If you're near Vancouver, you're invited to find the Siamese Raindrop! Bonus: the first photographer of the Siamese Raindrop will receive a mini prize I crocheted. Your photos can be emailed or shared on the WooWork.com Facebook page.

If you're far from Vancouver, feel free to guess! I'll feature the first best guesser in the next blog update, along with the first best photo.

See? We crafty people can compete in games too!


UPDATE - Feb 24, 2010:

Before game's end, I received this email from Annette in Ontario:


I was awestruck by such an accurate guess, especially from out-of-town!

Here are Catalina and Alfredog at their previously-undisclosed location, enjoying their bird's eye view from a tree near Regal Hotel:


The clue's mention of "flicker" suggests my Flickr photo account, which includes a map to the Siamese Raindrop. "Planetary rocks" refers to the Planet Rock store across the street from the Regal Hotel. Along with those details, Annette's description was spot-on!

Congratulations, Annette! You win Gold in Guessing, so I'm sending you this mini raindrop I made:


And thank you for the great guesses from karen, Kate from England, and *birdee* from Singapore!

Here's a video of more public art on "Vancouver-before-Vancouver" street during the 2010 Olympic games:

By the way, when I was up in the tree, I noticed a familiar face:


Woomi returned safely from space!


Small world, eh?

Thanks for playing the Siamese Sightings game!


UPDATE - March 19, 2010:

Annette gave a tour of Wawa, Ontario to the Mini Raindrop! Here are her fun photos and descriptions:

Raindrop reads the plaque below the Wawa Goose (who is wearing a knitted scarf!)

Raindrop hangs with the Goomees

Raindrop over the Trans-Canada Highway

Doesn't the Mini Raindrop look happy in its new neighbourhood? Thanks, Annette!