• Home
  • Shop
  • Illustration Portfolio
  • My Books
  • About

Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

Happy Friday + Making LINES

December 1, 2017

Happy Friday! Have you seen the latest Making issue, LINES? What a beaut! Carrie and team continue to slam dunk with gorgeous content, and I'm so honored that I was a contributor! Many things have changed in my life these last five years, and one of the most glorious changes is that I now get to collaborate and work with the loveliest, most amazing people all the time. I'm sad to say that wasn't usually the case for the 25+ jobs I've had in the past, though of course there were always a gem or ... Read more

Filed in: crafts, illustration, sewing, watercolor • by sanae • 10 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving!!

November 23, 2017

Hello, hello! My goodness, has it really been so long since I last updated here? I just wanted to pop in to say "Happy Thanksgiving!!" I wish I could send you all flowers, but these watercolor blooms will have to do. I hope my mother-in-law isn't reading this because this is a card I painted for her that I just posted in the mail. It's been a whirlwind of a year full of HUGE events. So whirlwind, in fact, that I can't even wrap my head around all that's happened. The Japan trip changed my ... Read more

Filed in: illustration, watercolor • by sanae • 10 Comments

Happy Friday + OCS

October 6, 2017

Happy Friday! What's this? My fourth Ginger Skinny Jeans on my cutting table? The crazy thing is that I just finished Gingers #3 last week: I've got a serious case of OCS, my friends. That would be Obsessive Compulsive Sewing. If you've been following along on Instagram, you probably saw a level of prolific output that hasn't happened in years in terms of sewing. I completed that indigo chambray Grainline Archer shirt last week as well. And the white linen Archer shirt below flew out of ... Read more

Filed in: sewing, sewing for me • by sanae • 22 Comments

Happy Friday + Upcoming Events

September 29, 2017

Happy Friday! I shared the beginning of my sea life doodles on Instagram a few days ago, and this is how I ended up filling up the sheet. Every so often, I pause and revel in the fact that this is my job - watercoloring is so fun!! These illos will get incorporated somehow into the next book, the final art of which is due in a month. I'm making slow but steady progress... So this means that I might be absent from here for long stretches again, especially since I'll be going on book tour for ... Read more

Filed in: illustration, watercolor • by sanae • 2 Comments

Happy Friday + Style Arc

September 22, 2017

Happy Friday, my friends! Good news: I've been sewing. Not-so-good-news: I've lost my white background wall where I used to take all my photos due to furniture re-arranging, and the outdoor light is perhaps not so complexion-enhancing. K says I always look tired and these photos support her claims. Ah well, let's move on. Through the grapevine, I'd heard that Style Arc patterns are quite flattering, so I browsed through their impressively large collection. The Daphne Duo Tunic seemed like a ... Read more

Filed in: sewing, sewing for me • by sanae • 2 Comments

« Previous Page
Next Page »

Subscribe via Email

Enter your email address below to get blog posts delivered to your in-box. I'll occasionally include fun digital goodies!

Order My New Book of Illustrated Essays!

Order My Newest Kids’ Book!!

Order My Latest Sewing Book!!

Archives

Categories

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!

#watercolorfun
Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2025 · Theme by Blog Pixie

© 2025 Sanae Ishida