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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

Pancakes: Banana Oat vs. Chocolate Chip

April 1, 2014

K made an unusual pronouncement on Sunday that threw me for a loop. "I want something different for breakfast, Mommy," she said. For the past five years, I've been serving up buckwheat pancakes every Sunday. It's like clockwork: wake up, brush my teeth, make pancakes. Turns out that my routine girl didn't want to deviate too much from the ritual. She just wanted different pancakes, so we thought it might be fun to each make our own version. K created a chocolate chip concoction and I ... Read more

Filed in: cooking • by sanae • 4 Comments

Monday Outfit: Necessities

March 31, 2014

Good morning! I hope you had a delightful weekend - ours was busy but happy. What you see above is a small segment of K's wardrobe, "small" being the operative word here. There is a dresser stuffed with more knits and pants/shorts/skirts, and at least one large basket brimming with K's outfits, waiting to be laundered. It's becoming a situation. A quasi-problematic one. I'm all for slow fashion, but I have a feeling that I'm slapping that whole concept in the face and upside the head (have ... Read more

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

Happy Friday + Randomness

March 28, 2014

Happy Friday! I sketched this illustration while thinking about the poem K wrote below. I have it taped above my sewing table, and she also made that "I lov u" note for me using a stencil book. Wondering by K I wonder about the sky I wonder how birds can fly I wonder as I watch the world go bye I wonder about stars and the planet mars I wonder how I last and the wonders of the past    Isn't she a wonder? I love that she included that little rhyming aside, "Have a ... Read more

Filed in: black and white, illustration, life • by sanae • 16 Comments

Sewing for Me: The Easiest Top

March 27, 2014

Picasso and Mondrian would be proud of me for my abundant usage of blue and color-blocking. I'm calling this the easiest top ever because it's literally four rectangles plus two ties. This top was part of my pre-spring plan, and hey, it's solidly spring now and I'm finally ratcheting up my sewing mojo to make the plan a reality. After all that body-hugging business with the Lady Skater dress, I'm back in my comfort zone and frolicking in loose, hospital/maternity garb. Here's what the top ... Read more

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

Avocado Chocolate Cookies

March 26, 2014

I keep a loose sort of blog schedule -- every Friday, I list out potential post ideas for the following week and most of the time, I don't follow the schedule at all because I'm always way too unrealistic and wait to create my post the day before. I'm pretty much a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of gal. On rare occasions, I will list the same topic over and over, carrying it through several weeks without making it happen even though it's completely doable. These avocado chocolate cookies are ... Read more

Filed in: cooking • by sanae • 6 Comments

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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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