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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

2021 Advent Calendar + Free Printables!

November 30, 2021

Hello, hello my friends! If you're in the US, I hope you had a lovely Thanksgiving weekend to kick off the holiday season. Mine was quiet and very low-key, which is exactly how I like my my celebrations, especially celebrations about gratitude. One of the things I've been working on over the long weekend is the annual Advent Calendar. It's going to go on top of the piano, and this tradition is a much beloved one in our family. As I was cutting and assembling, I realized that this will be ... Read more

Filed in: download, illustration • by sanae • 5 Comments

Uncomfortable

October 31, 2021

Happy Halloween, my friends! If it's a thing in your area, are you dressing up and/or trick-or-treating? That very abstract inky image right above is actually my living room wall when sunshine suddenly burst through the clouds and cast a murky, Halloween-y shadow pattern. Although I want to get more into the spirit of things, my Hallow's Eve zest has been distracted by surreal events happening throughout the month. I've been very, very uncomfortable. I'm stepping out of my comfort zone, as it ... Read more

Filed in: illustration, life, Teaching • by sanae • 6 Comments

SUMO COUNTING + SUMO OPPOSITES!

August 31, 2021

Wow, August just vaporized and I'm reeling from the fact that September will be upon us in a matter of hours. How are you, my friends? I'm doing a quick check-in today for a couple of reasons: I wanted to say hello - August has been somewhat rough for me and my monthly ritual of updating my blog has a helpful, grounding effect. Though I've been pretty overwhelmed especially in the last week, there's a chance that life will calm down very soon. Whew. My favorite autumnal season is just ... Read more

Filed in: book, download, illustration • by sanae • 2 Comments

June Round-Up

June 30, 2021

Hello, my friends! We just survived an epic, record-breaking Pacific Northwest heatwave (108 degrees on Monday) and I’ve never been more thankful for our scary-and-fit-for-a-horror-movie basement that remained at least 15 degrees cooler throughout the onslaught of scorching temps. For some reason, I always associate heatwaves with that bit in The Great Gatsby when the characters are all resting on tasteful settees or davenports with white curtains billowing about. My own situation was decidedly ... Read more

Filed in: illustration, sewing, sewing for K, sewing for me • by sanae • 4 Comments

May Round-Up

May 31, 2021

Hello, my friends! Happy Memorial Day! How's it going? May was such an exciting month for me. For the last couple of years, I've been giving tons of attention to my next sewing book, which has been postponed time and time again. The publication date has been pushed out once more to August of 2022 (most recently it was slated for Spring of 2022), but I'm gleeful because we completed the big photoshoot last week! I have a smaller photoshoot this upcoming week, and I'm avidly preparing for that ... Read more

Filed in: book, illustration, sewing, sewing for me • by sanae • Leave a Comment

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