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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

Plantable Valentine’s Arrows

January 29, 2013

Today, I have a little DIY for you: plantable valentine's arrows! In some ways, I feel like "Slap a heart on it" ends up summing up Valentine's Day items, but I am a self-professed lover of hearts. Have you seen my logo up there at the top of this page? It's actually a stamp that a friend made for me when I lived in Japan. It's one of my most prized possessions. She carved my name into stone in the style of a traditional Japanese stamp called inkan. I was so excited when she included that heart. ... Read more

Filed in: crafts • by sanae • 4 Comments

Monday Outfit: Pink + Grey

January 28, 2013

Good morning! Thank you so much for all the wonderful comments on the 100 Dresses post -- I hope you had a fantastic weekend! I had such a fun-filled one of swimming with M and K, lunch at a friend's cozy home and a movie night with M. The thought of swimming in January would normally make me shudder, but the pool was heated to something like 90 degrees so it was quite pleasant... Let's talk about this week's Monday outfit, shall we? One of my utmost favorite color combinations is mustard ... Read more

Filed in: sewing • by sanae • 8 Comments

Happy Friday + 100 Dresses

January 25, 2013

Happy Friday! Last week, I received a lovely request from a reader to feature a post about one of my previous art shows and of course I happily agreed. It was actually a joint show with my mother and happened way back in 2009...I dug through the archives and found some images, but let me start from the beginning. It's a little long, but I think it's an interesting story and hope you'll like it too - plus it's about sewing! My mother had almost given up on grandchildren. I had been with M for ... Read more

Filed in: illustration + art, sewing, writing • by sanae • 26 Comments

Quiet Day

January 24, 2013

Wednesday was a quiet day - it might have looked an awful lot like a lazy day. I'm feeling the onset of a cold and am trying to take it easy. Started some knitting. Thank you, Robin, the cowl pattern you recommended is so quick and satisfying. I'm nearly done and getting ready to block it. I think I've gotten over the sweater trauma. I'd also like to try this chunky cowl. Had too many cups of coffee and pieces of toast. Noticed that the paper white flowers started to bloom. I can't ... Read more

Filed in: illustration, knitting, life • by sanae • 6 Comments

Doll + Matching Dress

January 23, 2013

When K was in a co-op preschool, an auction was held in the winter every year. The initial year we participated in the auction, I made a doll and a matching dress as my contribution item. It was the first time I'd submitted anything hand-sewn anywhere, so I was pretty nervous, but I believe the highest bid was somewhere around $100 for both, which wasn't too shabby (though I suspect a friend of mine had a hand in inflating the bid). I was going through my picture archives for what I hope to ... Read more

Filed in: sewing • by sanae • 4 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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