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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

Happy Friday + Randomness + New Look Patterns

October 28, 2016

Happy Friday! I am deep, deep into edits for the next book and have come up for brief air. Wait, let me change that. I should be deep, deep into edits but as usual, I'm finding ways to put off the necessary task at hand. However, I'm getting close to finishing up, and as long as I submit everything by Halloween, I'm good to go. That's K's unicorn drawing for me that I keep in my journal these days. I like that even its flatulence is rainbow-shaped. Dreaming and imagining are important. ... Read more

Filed in: life • by sanae • 10 Comments

Happy Friday + Faux Fur Pillows

October 21, 2016

Happy Friday! Earlier this year when I did a little giveaway, I was poo-pooing the whole concept of faux fur pillows. So naturally, I decided to make them 9 months later. I'm not sure why. In fact, I rarely have a rational explanation for why I make things. I guess I might be classified as an intuitive sewing enthusiast who is completely guided by my whims. If something stops feeling good or right, I tend to quickly abandon projects these days (unless it's a shirt for M). Life is too ... Read more

Filed in: sewing, sewing for K • by sanae • 16 Comments

Happy Friday + Giveaway! [CLOSED]

October 14, 2016

Happy Friday, my friends! I'm becoming comfortable with my new routines. I like posting just once a week, and maybe in a few months, the urge to post more will surface but for now, this feels just right. K's school time has shifted significantly this year, which means that we have to wake up almost 2 hours earlier and that's been a major adjustment. 5 weeks in, however, I'm starting to enjoy the early kick-off each weekday. I have books to work on for the foreseeable future and with each ... Read more

Filed in: giveaway, life • by sanae •

Happy Friday + Randomness

October 7, 2016

M used to have this phrase he would toss out whenever he wanted me to do something that he could easily do himself but was feeling less than motivated to execute. "Would you be a peach?" he'd say. Usually it was followed by a request to get him a glass of water, or roll up the sleeves of his shirt, or you know, something mildly inconvenient for me. But he'd say it in this jokey cute way, and of course I would do it. Lately I feel like my days are an endless litany of these kinds of mildly ... Read more

Filed in: illustration, watercolor • by sanae • 6 Comments

HoJo’s Tablecloth Shirt

September 26, 2016

Oh, this shirt. My intentions were so good. I started with Colette's Negroni pattern and dug through my abundant plaid fabric collection for this blue and cream colorway. I believe it was from Drygoods many moons ago. It was supposed to be a birthday shirt for M, then July whisked by. I told myself no problem, it's simply a late birthday present, and then August sped away. Then, with our 11th wedding anniversary careening towards us, I finally completed it on September 3rd, our ... Read more

Filed in: sewing • by sanae • 22 Comments

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Giveaway time, my friends! So, 2026 is starting ou 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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