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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

Happy Friday + Randomness

April 8, 2016

Happy Friday! So, we're getting out of town and heading to Vancouver next week! K's friend is visiting from Guatemala and on the spur-of-the-moment, we booked tickets for Amtrak plus an Air BNB, and off we go on an all-girls' trip to Canada. One senior citizen, one middle-aged mama and two tweens. This should be interesting. We're all about the same age mentally, so it's going to be a blast. Due to the crazy number of things going on, we can only stay for a couple of days which means we won't be ... Read more

Filed in: illustration, life, watercolor • by sanae • 12 Comments

Giveaway: Caran D’Ache Gouache Paint Set [CLOSED]

April 6, 2016

I find it interesting (and disconcerting) that household matters start to nosedive in clumps. Within a ridiculously short period, our oven firecracker-ed and died (so scary), our bath tub drain stopped up, our faucet water turned a stomach-turning shade of brown. I could go on, but the onslaught has been punishing. My poor mom, she arrived from Los Angeles yesterday to a fully dysfunctional house. It's as though the house elves are taunting, "Take that!! Can you handle this??" Luckily, the ... Read more

Filed in: giveaway • by sanae •

Monday Outfit! The Spring Thea Dress

April 4, 2016

K must be reading this blog, because after I posted about the dearth of kid-sewing around here, she began to pepper me with requests for handmade clothes. As luck would have it, Mel commented on that post and introduced me to Blaverry (I'm salivating over Mel's denim Decklyn jacket, by the way). K and I browsed through the site and she chose the Thea Dress. "Make it tight, Mama," she instructed. She's really into tight clothes. I branched out and used a floral print knit. Isn't it ... Read more

Filed in: sewing, sewing for K • by sanae • 15 Comments

Happy Friday + Randomness

April 1, 2016

Happy Friday! The flowers. They're just everywhere, eye candy galore. The winds and general elements are starting to pluck away at the magnolia and the cherry blossom petals, but tulips are overtaking the landscape. Seattle is at its height of floral beauty around this time of year. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. A quick watercolor sketch today (hmmmm, as I'm looking at it, they blooms resemble campfire, do they not?), as I have some preparations ahead of me. My mom is coming next Tuesday, a ... Read more

Filed in: illustration + art • by sanae • 4 Comments

McCall’s 7251 in Black + White Knit

March 30, 2016

As I tossed on my new top, set up the tripod to take these photos and wrestled my out-of-control hair into a braid, I had a major realization: I am at ease in my body. I don't say this lightly because...well, until now I've NEVER been at ease in my body. I won't belabor the point, but when I finally got over all the excuses I built up and sewed my first pair of Ginger Jeans earlier this year (I'm wearing them in these pix -- they're my favorite pair of jeans ever), something shifted. I'm ... Read more

Filed in: sewing, sewing for me • by sanae • 18 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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