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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

Cloudy

September 26, 2012

I think I will always love drawing with black pen the best. I've been feeling a little cloudy lately...not sure why. But after finishing this little sketch, my mood lifted significantly. Sometimes, a bunch of stylized rainy clouds is all it takes. ... Read more

Filed in: black and white, illustration, ink • by sanae • 2 Comments

Kid Fashion

September 19, 2012

Today I sketched some imaginary outfits for K. I love miniaturized grown-up clothes using sophisticated colors, shapes and fabrics. It's so easy to end up with garish and overly cutesy when it comes to kids' clothes, and that's probably why I gravitate toward patterns from Japanese craft books. The models are styled so simply and evoke a sort of nostalgia. Very lovely. I also love Oliver + S, and I recently discovered Figgy's, featuring fun, modern patterns for kids. I have a few patterns in ... Read more

Filed in: black and white, illustration • by sanae • Leave a Comment

Pen drawings – part 2

August 16, 2012

giraffe

More from my sketchbook from the last few weeks. Previous sketches here.         ... Read more

Filed in: black and white, illustration • by sanae • Leave a Comment

Making do

August 7, 2012

floral caped hero and me

There is a photo of me and my brother in a photo album that is tucked into one of my mother's overstuffed closets. It is yellowed with age by now, tinted like an instagram. I am probably four or five; my brother a year younger. In the picture, we are both sporting identical rice bowl bangs, and I am wearing a handmade powder blue polyester coat with shiny white buttons. My white tights are slightly too big and rumpled around my ankles. My brother -- without a shred of self-consciousness -- ... Read more

Filed in: black and white, illustration, life • by sanae • 1 Comment

Pen Drawings

August 3, 2012

Every day, I whip out my sketchbook and doodle with my new favorite pen (0.4mm is the best). These are the ones I like from the last few days: ... Read more

Filed in: black and white, illustration • by sanae • 1 Comment

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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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