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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

Glitter and Sparkle

August 3, 2015

Good morning! I have a well-oiled and thrumming sweatshop raging in my "atelier" (aka bedroom), but it's all been book-related so I've not sewn much for K. And when my mom brought her a suitcase full of animal print clothing and all that sparkles and glitters...well, my sewing motivation for K faded a little more. But isn't that image above pretty spectacular? Not my usual simple and light vibe, but I love the dramatic effect. The light is reflecting off of an extremely bling-y sequined dress ... Read more

Filed in: life • by sanae • 8 Comments

Happy Friday + Randomness

July 17, 2015

Happy Friday! So, yesterday marked the third year of this little virtual notebook/sketchbook of mine. Three years that whisked right on by, full of surreal and life-altering changes, the whole nine yards. My thoughts are still very much aligned with what I pondered for my second "blogiversary" here (why, oh why are there so many unpalatable words associated with blogs, including the word "blog"??) I've decided to do something different and will take two weeks off from here. My mom is coming ... Read more

Filed in: gouache, illustration, life • by sanae • 14 Comments

The Great Pattern Hack

July 14, 2015

It's my turn to chatter on about the lovely collaboration with Melissa of A Happy Stitch and Michael Miller Fabrics (via Kait of Making it Fun): The Great Pattern Hack! My pattern hacking skills are still pretty basic, so I didn't get all fancy or wild on you, but I had lots and lots of fun modifying the Southport Dress into two garments. First up, the strappy-backed tank: I selected the Indigo Midnight Cotton Couture, which has a drapey hand and feels like an ever so slightly ... Read more

Filed in: sewing, sewing for me • by sanae • 36 Comments

Happy Friday + Randomness

July 10, 2015

Happy Friday! How awesome is that shot of K up there that's on our fridge? She partook in an all-girls skateboard camp last week and loved it so much, she wants me to sign her up for another camp session. I would have never guessed that this would be the sport of choice for my girl (my heart may not be able to handle it -- she can now "drop-in" from the highest ramp and I have my eyes partially covered as I watch her glide down smoothly then do a "kick-turn"). "Mama," she tells me, "I think I ... Read more

Filed in: life • by sanae • 14 Comments

Not Buying Clothes: Year Three

July 8, 2015

So, it's that time of year again when I fondly recall that the last time I willingly purchased a piece of apparel for me and K was July of 2012. I say "willingly" because I'm still miffed about having to shell out cash for a couple of t-shirts and a pair of knit capris last year on an unplanned trip. I'm going to disregard that particular incident and act as though my three-year track record of clothes shopping abstention is unblemished. What makes this truly remarkable is that I used to love ... Read more

Filed in: life • by sanae • 24 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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