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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

WIP + Lamenting the Lack of Tween Sewing

March 28, 2016

I remember this same feeling last year as I prepared for the book launch of Little K. Full of anticipation and bursting with ideas, terribly intent on creating elaborate behind-the-scenes blog posts and the whole shebang. But all I have for you today is a work-in-progress shot, making it look ever-so-slightly less mundane with some shallow depth of field photography of a cool print fabric and even cooler pair of Gingher shears. Easter was a big success, though we had to delay the egg ... Read more

Filed in: sewing • by sanae • 10 Comments

Happy Friday + Randomness

March 25, 2016

Happy Friday! On Wednesday, K went over a friend's house to paint some eggs. She made the one above for me -- isn't it perfectly neutral? What can I say, the girl knows her Mama. The pre-Easter party was hosted by K's friend's grandmother, and at pick-up time I was politely half-listening as I gathered stray socks and zipped up bags when she told me that she had prepared seven dozen eggs for the girls. Seven dozen eggs? It turns out that she saves the shells every time she makes an omelet or ... Read more

Filed in: life • by sanae • 6 Comments

Sewing Happiness Pre-launch Thoughts

March 23, 2016

Look what came in the mail! My advance copies of Sewing Happiness!! As I'm sure I've mentioned before, that indigo you see on the spine is the fabric that my friend Rachel hand-dyed for the book (Rachel styled most of the book and did a spectacular job). The countdown has begun. Sewing Happiness launches on April 19th, and in the coming weeks, I'll be sharing tidbits about the book process (Furoku members got the full-on behind the scenes a couple months back, one of the fun parts of the ... Read more

Filed in: book • by sanae • 31 Comments

More Mods to The French Sailor Top

March 21, 2016

Good morning! I've been experimenting with the French Sailor Top pattern from a couple of weeks ago and hallelujah, I now have two tops that will be a staple in my wardrobe. This is my original French Sailor Top (size medium with no modifications other than an extra cm in sleeve length): This first attempt was too tight across the chest and the bust darts were a joke. To rectify the situation, I started by modifying the medium. I liked Angela's suggestion of doing a broad back ... Read more

Filed in: sewing, sewing for me • by sanae • 12 Comments

Happy Friday + Randomness

March 18, 2016

Happy Friday! The weather's been glorious in Seattle these past few days -- azure skies, bright sunshine, a proliferation of blooms nodding in the slight breeze, the works. I've been wandering from coffee shop to coffee shop, ticking things off of my list, composing emails, making plans, walking, walking, walking. Last weekend we had a lot going on that required zooming around the city, so I rented a car for a couple of days, and it's amazing how a few weeks without a vehicle will make you ... Read more

Filed in: life • by sanae • 11 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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