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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

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

Happy Friday + Randomness

September 15, 2017

Happy Friday, my friends! I've been quiet here, there, everywhere. Thinking a lot, reading a ton. Speaking of reading, I created the poster above for Sasquatch Books for an upcoming event. Obviously, I had fall on my mind. I also made a spring version: Which do you like better? I believe it's getting printed right now, though I don't know which version they decided to go with. I'm betting autumn. I haven't felt engaged online for a long time. Not because there isn't great content ... Read more

Filed in: illustration, watercolor • by sanae • 18 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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