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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

Sewing for Me: A brown flared skirt

September 12, 2013

This week, I planned on making a skirt and realized that I should take inventory of what I actually have in my closet. It turns out I own six skirts, five of which I've made and none of which I wear regularly. Instead of jumping into sewing another skirt I might not wear, I thought I ought to see if any of them are worth keeping. Out of all the skirts, this one has gotten the most wear, but only during the fall/winter season. I made it a few years ago, using some wool tweed from my mom, ... Read more

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

Tiny Tots Gifts

September 10, 2013

One of M's closest friends just had a baby boy, and all around us baby news abound. I have one baby-specific Japanese pattern book, shown above, and I wanted to give it a whirl for the many pint-sized gifts I've been making. The book includes several outfits, bibs, bags including a diaper bag, a nursing cover and other sweet creations. From this photo, this onesie/romper seems super appropriate for a little freshly born guy, right? I made the smallest size (probably comparable to 3 to 6 ... Read more

Filed in: sewing • by sanae • 22 Comments

Monday Outfit: Endless Tunics

September 9, 2013

Good morning! I had a productive weekend including consigning some fabric at the stash place I've mentioned before and organizing K's room. How was yours? I have quite a few thoughts on the stash place which was so very interesting, and will expand on them at a later date! For today, I have yet another tunic for you - with my class coming up, I've been "practicing" to be able to provide clear instructions so I've been making this tunic over and over. It's a good thing K loves this ... Read more

Filed in: sewing, sewing for K • by sanae • 22 Comments

Sewing for Me: Tova 2.0

September 5, 2013

The first day of school went very smoothly yesterday and while K filled her brain with knowledge, I finished up my second Wiksten Tova. As I happily sewed, I remembered how when I was a corporate drone, a colleague once told me that I always looked comfortable yet stylish. It was really one of the few nice things that happened to me while I worked there -- I was so flattered and that has become my sartorial mantra though I don't consistently succeed: comfort without sacrificing a sense of style. ... Read more

Filed in: sewing, sewing for me • by sanae • 30 Comments

First Day of School!!

September 4, 2013

I am a procrastinator and an overplanner, quite the deadly combination. Because I make K weekly outfits, I uncharacteristically haven't been thinking too much about school clothes other than the first day outfit. We got the requisite new shoes, snacks and lunch food, and her school implemented a new system involving cash donations for supplies (e.g. pencils, notebooks, etc.) which I finally got around to doing, so I was feeling pretty prepared. Then I realized: backpack!! And then: lunch box!! I ... Read more

Filed in: crafts, sewing, sewing for K • by sanae • 13 Comments

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Happy almost Valentine’s Day! I designed some pr Happy almost Valentine’s Day! I designed some printables for @creativebug that are free for members. I love these little foldable cards and boxes that are fun for non-V-Day occasions too!
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