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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

Not Sewing for Me: Happy Halloween!

October 31, 2013

I am so proud of this one, friends. I had to sacrifice my me-sewing time to make it, but it's been well-worth the effort. I was very inspired by all the suggestions I received from you all and pondered how to make this costume for a long time (I especially loved the Burda one here, thank you Kristi!). I borrowed some ideas from the linked costume, but I didn't use the pattern and this is all self-drafted. I tossed caution and my pragmatism to the wind and decided to make exactly what K ... Read more

Filed in: sewing, sewing for K • by sanae • 48 Comments

Baby Shoes – Part 2: Fail, Fail again

October 30, 2013

Few things are as powerfully "awww"-inducing as baby shoes. When I made a pair for my good friend's new baby boy a little while ago, she loved them and I immediately embarked on making girl versions. It's been baby-baby-baby around here and I thought I would be able to whip up a few dozen in a jiffy as potential gifts. That was my first mistake. Whenever I think I can do something quickly, it always takes about a billion times longer. By the time I finished these two pairs, I never wanted to ... Read more

Filed in: sewing • by sanae • 11 Comments

Style

October 29, 2013

If you've been around here for some time, you know that I like to hang out in coffee shops, whiling away the hours contemplating first world problems in my journal. That luxury is less frequent these days, but a few weeks ago, I was indulging in my latte + croissant respite and overheard a conversation that perked my ears right up. Two women were sitting at the table next to me, intently discussing style. More specifically, one of the women had hired the other one to become her personal ... Read more

Filed in: gouache, illustration • by sanae • 18 Comments

Monday Outfit: A Chic Witch

October 28, 2013

Good morning! What a weekend. K seems to have recovered nicely and it's been a bonanza of parties: a school Halloween-fest, an extra special birthday celebration with her best friend, a grown-up dinner party at a delicious Moroccan restaurant that I joined at the last minute (I could have done without the belly dancer writhing in my face and the water accidentally poured down my lap, but it was fun nonetheless). I also worked on updating this here blog, and though a few nit-picky aspects are ... Read more

Filed in: sewing, sewing for K • by sanae • 11 Comments

Happy Friday + Randomness

October 25, 2013

Happy Friday! Actually, we've been having a not so happy end of the week. K suddenly fell ill again and at school yesterday, she threw up. I'm feeling like my parenting license (if I had one) should be revoked for sending her to school in the first place. She seems better now, but I'm now on high alert because she seemed fine before the incident. The guilt of "I should have known better!" Sad face. Like the illo ... Read more

Filed in: gouache, illustration, life • by sanae • 8 Comments

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So so thrilled that my book SHIBUI: THE JAPANESE A So so thrilled that my book SHIBUI: THE JAPANESE ART OF FINDING BEAUTY IN AGING is now available in Dutch and German! And it’s currently getting translated into several more languages - surreal! Please share with all your Dutch- and German-reading friends 🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡 #shibuibook
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