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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

Sewing for Me: Essex Beignet Skirt

October 3, 2013

Oh my goodness, I am so blown away by all the comments from yesterday's post! Thank you so so so much. I usually try to respond back to all comments the same day, but I got so overwhelmed and quite a bit teary-eyed last night that I had to go straight to bed. I'm now working on responding and I think it's safe to say that I'm not alone in dealing with the pressures of perfection - Someday, I'll have to tell you about one of my jobs that involved airbrushing celebrity photos (thighs were halved! ... Read more

Filed in: sewing, sewing for me • by sanae • 24 Comments

Monday Outfit: DoGuincho Bubble Shorts

September 30, 2013

Good morning, friends - today is the last stop of the DoGuincho Bubble Shorts blog tour, and it's my turn! Before I dive in to describe the shorts, let's take a moment to pretend that it's summer. Instead of torrential rain we've been experiencing here in Seattle, in blogland K is enjoying a balmy day fit for tank tops and shorts. Now that we've established the virtual weather, I want to gush about this pattern. When Marta of DoGuincho contacted me to test her sweet bubble shorts, I was ... Read more

Filed in: sewing, sewing for K • by sanae • 21 Comments

Sewing for Me: Navy Plaid Simplicity 3835

September 26, 2013

I'm crazy about plaid, especially in the fall. When this sweet Built by Wendy pattern came out a few years ago, it was all over the sewing blogosphere. I attempted my own version at the time, but as a newbie at sewing, the dress looked like a train wreck. It was humongous, and I couldn't figure out how to construct the neck facing so I ended up trying a contrast binding that is completely frayed and awfully stretched out now. The hem is uneven, the gathers...well, you get the idea. If ... Read more

Filed in: sewing, sewing for me • by sanae • 44 Comments

Monday Outfit: Stripes + Khaki

September 23, 2013

Good morning! I hope you had a wonderful weekend and that you're feeling ready for the week. Mine was fairly mellow and filled with a lot of family time and the rare date night while K went over a friend's house for a pretend sleepover (basically a night-time playdate; a new trend I've been noticing). This Monday outfit has everything I adore including stripes, linen, neutrals, and comfortable stylishness. Shall we start with the insanely cute top? I'm not afraid to extoll the virtues of ... Read more

Filed in: sewing, sewing for K • by sanae • 47 Comments

Sewing for Me: A Muumuu by any other name…

September 19, 2013

...is still a muumuu. But this knit tunic top is so comfortable, it's bound to be in high rotation. As much as I love clothes that fit me perfectly (that one day I will finally be able to make), oftentimes I just want to roll around in loose, stretchy garb that require no effort.   I used Butterick 5855 View A to make this tunic, and the sizing is beyond generous. I cut the medium and took in about three inches on each side. Look at it! I could fit almost two of me in there. If ... Read more

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

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I just realized that this week marks 10 years sinc I just realized that this week marks 10 years since my first craft book Sewing Happiness was published. I’ve sewn literally thousands of garments and other textile projects in the last decade! I included a Sashiko primer in the book, and I’m delighted that this humble Japanese embroidery practice has stood the test of time - if anything, I’ve noticed that there’s an ever growing enthusiasm for hand stitching. Fun news: I’ll be teaching a virtual Sashiko workshop for @tatterbluelibrary on Thursday, April 30th at noon ET. Link in profile! Would love to see you there! 💙💙💙💙💙
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