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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

Sewing Happiness

January 6, 2023

Published 2016 by Sasquatch Books
Available wherever books are sold, and please consider purchasing from Bookshop.org or your local indie bookstore

DESCRIPTION
Create Pinterest-worthy clothing, accessories, and more with this how-to guide and memoir featuring 20 meditative sewing projects, plus inspiring stories that promote creativity, happiness, and fulfillment.

When Sanae Ishida was diagnosed with a chronic illness and lost her corporate job, she felt like her whole life was falling apart. Inspired to succeed at just one thing, Ishida vowed to sew all of her daughter’s clothes–and most of her own–for one full year. In Sewing Happiness, Ishida recounts her incredible journey, reflecting on how sewing helped her survive such a difficult time in her life.

Sewing Happiness features twenty simple sewing projects (with variations) organized by season and tied together with a thread of memoir that tells the story Ishida’s unexpected transformation and how sewing brought her profound happiness. Each seasonal project–from Japanese-inspired home goods to children’s and women’s clothing–is specially designed to promote health, creativity, and relationships and to provide gentle inspiration to live your best life. Complete with photos and easy-to-follow steps, Sewing Happiness is at once a guide to the craft of sewing and a guide to enjoying life in all its beautiful imperfections.

• by sanae • 1 Comment

Comments

  1. Valerie Smith

    February 17, 2025 at 7:29 pm

    I just discovered this book and it came to me at the right time. “Enjoying life in all its beautiful imperfections indeed”. Lovely!!

    Reply

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{Giveaway is closed and all the winners have been {Giveaway is closed and all the winners have been contacted. Thanks for all the comments and recommendations!} Giveaway time, my friends! So, 2026 is starting out in a very exciting way. My latest book, SHIBUI: THE JAPANESE ART OF FINDING BEAUTY IN AGING, is already in its second print run — deepest thanks to every person who purchased a copy, then got more copies to give as gifts!! Speaking of gifts, I have a little giveaway today that’s different from my usual kind. Shibui is available in audio format (a first for me!) read by the talented @edelynokano, and I have SIX free Spotify codes. Please note that you do need a Spotify account to utilize the code. Interested? 

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment below. Any comment would be lovely but if you have an audiobook recommendation, I’m all ears! No pun intended. I’ll leave the giveaway open until Friday, January 30th and will DM the winners shortly after. Good luck!🍀 @sasquatchbooks #shibui
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