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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

March Round-up

March 31, 2021

Hello, my friends! March zigged and zagged at a furious pace, and here we are. I'm juggling quite a few projects, making the passage of time extra speedy -- at the moment, my baby board books are at the press (coming out this fall! more on that soon!), and I'm finalizing my next sewing book which will launch in spring of 2022. The photoshoot is coming up in May and in preparation, I'm sewing like I'm on fire and have also enlisted the expertise of Karen, who is wonderful. In fact, my whole team ... Read more

Filed in: illustration, sewing for me • by sanae • 6 Comments

February Round-Up

February 26, 2021

Hello, my friends! Brief snow storms and budding allergies (ah-choo!) and book deadlines sum up this month for me. I'm in the midst of wrapping up a very big deadline for the next sewing book, so I'm doing a rapid-fire, bare-bones update today. Fingers crossed that there are no late nights ahead of me! Here are the things I created for this sweet, short month (you can see more images on Instagram here): WEEKLY SEWING A gingham cross-over button-down shirt from Simply Sewn: Clothes for ... Read more

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

January Round-Up

January 29, 2021

Hello, hello! This is my first post of 2021, though it's already the end of the month. How's 2021 going for you so far? I've been trying something new over on Instagram. I've never been on much of a schedule with IG in the past, but I thought it might be fun to stick to a twice-a-week posting regimen to see how long I can keep it up. My aim is to practice surface pattern designs and to establish a weekly sewing habit (i.e. sewing for myself -- sewing for K when she was little was much, much ... Read more

Filed in: illustration, sewing for me, watercolor • by sanae • 8 Comments

Tyra Tee by Just Patterns

September 25, 2020

Hello, my friends! Now here's a rare sighting of me in a handmade outfit...it's been a while, hasn't it? Excuse the crazy escapee hair strands -- my bun skillz are haphazard at best. Let me tell you a little bit about this sweet li'l top I'm wearing. It's called the Tyra Tee by Just Patterns, and it's an effortless pattern to sew up. Perfect for beginners as well as more experienced folks looking for a quick, refreshing project that's certain to become a comforting, gotta-reach-for-it ... Read more

Filed in: sewing, sewing for me • by sanae • 7 Comments

Nuanced Not Faded

June 26, 2020

Hello, my friends! I received this luscious bouquet from a dear friend a couple of weeks ago, on my birthday. We did a social-distanced hand-off of the flowers, which was quite funny. As I gazed at these blooms the phrase that came to mind was, "faded beauty." It's what everyone says, right? The faded beauty of dying roses. Although these roses are no longer in the full blush of its blossoming floral youth, I don't think their beauty has faded at all. If anything, it's deepened and is more ... Read more

Filed in: illustration, life, sewing, sewing for me • by sanae • 6 Comments

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Happy Thanksgiving to you and all your loved ones! Happy Thanksgiving to you and all your loved ones! I’m spending time with family in the Midwest and there is much to be grateful for, not the least of which is the slower pace this week. Sending big hugs to you! 🧡🧡🧡🧡 Incidentally, this ikebana floral arrangement is one of the illustrations that didn’t make it into my book SHIBUI — I painted a lot of extra illos!

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