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

Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

Happy Friday + Giveaway! [CLOSED]

October 14, 2016

Happy Friday, my friends! I'm becoming comfortable with my new routines. I like posting just once a week, and maybe in a few months, the urge to post more will surface but for now, this feels just right. K's school time has shifted significantly this year, which means that we have to wake up almost 2 hours earlier and that's been a major adjustment. 5 weeks in, however, I'm starting to enjoy the early kick-off each weekday. I have books to work on for the foreseeable future and with each ... Read more

Filed in: giveaway, life • by sanae •

Happy Friday + Randomness

October 7, 2016

M used to have this phrase he would toss out whenever he wanted me to do something that he could easily do himself but was feeling less than motivated to execute. "Would you be a peach?" he'd say. Usually it was followed by a request to get him a glass of water, or roll up the sleeves of his shirt, or you know, something mildly inconvenient for me. But he'd say it in this jokey cute way, and of course I would do it. Lately I feel like my days are an endless litany of these kinds of mildly ... Read more

Filed in: illustration, watercolor • by sanae • 6 Comments

HoJo’s Tablecloth Shirt

September 26, 2016

Oh, this shirt. My intentions were so good. I started with Colette's Negroni pattern and dug through my abundant plaid fabric collection for this blue and cream colorway. I believe it was from Drygoods many moons ago. It was supposed to be a birthday shirt for M, then July whisked by. I told myself no problem, it's simply a late birthday present, and then August sped away. Then, with our 11th wedding anniversary careening towards us, I finally completed it on September 3rd, our ... Read more

Filed in: sewing • by sanae • 22 Comments

Happy Friday + Randomness

September 23, 2016

Happy Friday! Hmmmm, so it looks like the best I'm able to manage is a once-a-week posting while juggling other projects. I still have a number of completed sewing I want to document here, and I'm starting with this little gift package I made weeks and weeks ago. Unless I record them here, they will be forgotten forever given my spotty memory. In fact, they had completely slipped my mind until I happened to see the photos as I was looking for pictures of another sewing project. Anyhow, every ... Read more

Filed in: sewing • by sanae • 10 Comments

Happy Friday + Giveaway! [CLOSED]

September 16, 2016

Great Scott! I'm not usually one to go around exclaiming "Great Scott!" but I feel like the occasion warrants it. I did it, my friends! I finished all the interior illustrations for my third book, and though I still have to wrap up the cover, for all intents and purposes, I'm done with the hardest part. I'm not supposed to talk much about it right now, but wow, it feels great to cross that off of my list. As you may have noticed, I put everything else on hold to get the illustrations done in ... Read more

Filed in: giveaway • by sanae •

« 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

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! 💙💙💙💙💙
Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2026 · Theme by Blog Pixie

© 2026 Sanae Ishida