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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

A simple offer can lead to so many things

September 30, 2021

Way back in 2014, back when sewing blogs felt a little different from the current vibe, I was approached by a marketing person at Tuttle Publishing about reviewing a couple of Japanese sewing books that had been freshly translated into English. I said yes, of course. As I was corresponding back and forth with the marketing person, I offhandedly mentioned that if they ever needed another translator, I was happy to help out. A single sentence in a short email. A few months later, an editor from ... Read more

Filed in: book • by sanae • 2 Comments

SUMO books giveaway [CLOSED]

September 7, 2021

Today is the birthday for my newest book babies SUMO COUNTING and SUMO OPPOSITES! I’m doing a little giveaway on Instagram, but in case you’re not on the ‘gram, I’m offering up the chance to win a set of these darling sumo books here on the blog. These bright, cheery board books are ideal for babies, toddlers and beyond! I loved every moment of creating them. To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment and I’ll select a winner this Friday, September 10th. On IG, I asked about favorite ... Read more

Filed in: book, giveaway • by sanae •

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

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

April Round-Up

April 30, 2021

Hi, hi, hi! How are you, my friends? April has been a packed month, and the countdown to the photoshoot for my next book has begun. I have 3 weeks to get all the prep work done, which involves a lot of sewing and figuring out props and coordinating schedules. I'm getting more and more excited! As you can imagine, my days are full and will continue to be extra full for at least another two months as I wrap up all the details of book #8 (yes, #8!!!! I've published 3 kids' books, 2 sewing ... Read more

Filed in: book, illustration, illustration + art, sewing, sewing for me, watercolor • by sanae • 2 Comments

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When my daughter was a baby, oh, nearly two decade When my daughter was a baby, oh, nearly two decades ago, I read roughly a zillion board books to her. My favorites were Lucy Cousins’ Maisy series, Taro Gomi’s and anything with food. It’s with not a little awe and delight that I am creating my own baby board books these days. I adore my sumo books (I especially love seeing them in libraries), and I’m giddy with anticipation for GOOD NIGHT, NINJAS. Eight more weeks till publication! Preorder link is in bio 😊📘🥷I keep dreaming that these sumo and ninja baby books will become well-thumbed and beloved storytime staples…if you’ve been in the trenches of reading to babes and toddlers, do you have a favorite board book?
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