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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

Pre-Order Time: ANIMAL FRIENDS TO SEW!!!!!!

September 27, 2019

Hello, hello, my friends! What do we have here? It's my newest book!!!! It's called ANIMAL FRIENDS TO SEW: Simple Handmade Decor, Toys and Gifts for Kids and will be released May of 2020 through Sasquatch Books. I'm so in love with this book. SO in love. It's very much the book I would have wanted when I first began sewing for K and all her itty bitty friends, and it's a grateful nod to the numerous Japanese craft books that inspired me to teach myself how to sew back in the early days. I ... Read more

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Call for Pattern Testers for My Next Book! [CLOSED]

January 30, 2019

Update: There’s been an overwhelming response, and I have lots of fabulous testers signed up. THANK YOU! Hello, hello! I've been diligently working away behind-the-scenes and my next book is starting to come together in a lovely way. It's SO exciting. This is my favorite part: when the structure of the book is mostly done but there's still enough wriggle room for changes. I can practically feel the elation of bursting through the finish line, but it's also continuously and thrillingly ... Read more

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Destashival + Big Announcement

November 16, 2018

Hello, my friends! I apologize for the not-so-pretty photo, which was taken in the dim lighting of my basement a few months ago. This is the crazy fabric/yarn stash situation that's been assaulting my conscience for years. Bear in mind that this is only about half of what I actually own. The yarn sitch isn't awful; it's just that one bin in the top row. But the fabrics!!!!! Luckily, I have a solution. It's to pretend that my stash is as soothing and contained as it is in this photo. ... Read more

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Behind the Scenes with Ba-chan, The Ninja Grandma + FREE GIFT AND GIVEAWAY! [CLOSED]

September 18, 2018

Today is the day! Hooray! Hooray! My friends, what an incredible ride these last few years have been. Ba-chan, The Ninja Grandma marks the fourth book I've published with Sasquatch Books (and third with their children's imprint Little Bigfoot). My head spun while typing that. What's been fascinating for me is how different the experience has been for each book. Little Kunoichi, The Ninja Girl -- my first book baby -- effortlessly popped out with virtually no changes, nary a stretchmark. I ... Read more

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Book #4: BA-CHAN, THE NINJA GRANDMA!!!!!!

September 6, 2018

Hello, hello! Long time, no blog...the last five months whisked by and I have no excuses for not updating at all. I've been focusing on "being in the moment" and have fully enjoyed immersing myself in spring/summer activities and projects! Now that it's September (my favorite month of the year), I'm feeling that usual surge of energy to get back into action. We did so much this summer: some traveling, a few camps for K, a ton of time with family and friends. And we got a kitten! I've become a ... Read more

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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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