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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

Sewing for Me: All About the Comfy

October 29, 2014

Hudson, meet Renfrew. I'd planned on having these Hudson pants done last week as part of the Perfect Pattern Parcel #6, but I already discussed my land-of-the-unicorns approach to my sewing output level (read: completely fantasy-based). But here we are, just a mere seven days later and voila, the comfiest lounge pants known to mankind. And look, I'm branching out and trying a new position other than my usual awkward standing. I give you awkward sitting. I love wearing these because ... Read more

Filed in: sewing, sewing for me • by sanae • 61 Comments

Monday Outfit: Halloween Ninja

October 27, 2014

Good morning, friends! Every year, I seem to end up making two Halloween costumes for K. This, I've realized, is because I never finish the main costume in time for the annual Halloween bash held at her school (which was this past weekend), so I resort to frantically sewing something quick and effortless. Enter Ninja K. I'm quite impressed with K's idea for origami ninja stars. I helped her make them, and we used the pinwheel instructions similar to this one since that's what we ... Read more

Filed in: sewing, sewing for K • by sanae • 28 Comments

Happy Friday + Randomness

October 24, 2014

Happy Friday! This little illustration is totally random, but these little kimono girls make me happy. I hope you've had a wonderful week, and are gearing up for a fun weekend. I'm keeping it sweet and short today since a certain 8-year-old wants me to sew up a rather involved Halloween costume. ************************************* K on adolescence: Mama, I hope I'm the kind of teenager that likes her parents...I hear teenagers are really ... Read more

Filed in: gouache, illustration • by sanae • 12 Comments

Sewing for Me: Perfect Pattern Parcel #6

October 23, 2014

I hadn't consciously planned on three tours in a row, but I've noticed that these opportunities to try non-Japanese patterns give me the much needed push to get me out of my sewing comfort zone and try something new. And when you combine a good educational cause with a bundle of patterns I'm eager to try like this Perfect Pattern Parcel #6, it's all kinds of goodness. I've been part of the Pattern Parcel round-up before here and here and here, and though they've all been great, this ... Read more

Filed in: sewing, sewing for me • by sanae • 20 Comments

Monday Outfit: E & E Ponderosa + (Slightly Modified) Hemlock

October 20, 2014

Good morning! Any time Heidi of Elegance & Elephants asks me if I'd like to try out her patterns, it's an automatic yes. Her designs are comfortable and stylish and the kind of garments that K actually wants to wear. "OH MY GOSH I LOVE IT," is what K said when I presented her the Ponderosa dress. I'm a fan of the chartreuse double-knit combined with the muted bold stripes, and K is a fangirl too. The only part I didn't follow exactly was the neckband attachment. I used my ... Read more

Filed in: sewing, sewing for K • 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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