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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

Monday Outfit: Galaxy Maxi

September 1, 2014

Good morning! My schedule got a little hijacked this weekend, when we ended up having an unplanned weekend getaway. One minute we're headed out for a day trip to Bainbridge Island to visit K's favorite aquatic center and the next thing I know, we're buying toothpaste and toothbrushes at a Rite Aid so we can spend the night at a nearby inn. "It's an adventure!!" my husband, the king of unplanned getaways, yee-hawed. It was non-stop excitement and included a fire alarm going off just as K and I ... Read more

Filed in: sewing, sewing for K • by sanae • 18 Comments

Happy Friday + Randomness

August 29, 2014

Happy Friday! Lately, I've been making a concerted effort to make sure I do all of the things that I know put me in a good mood. Aimless painting is one of those things. I grab a piece of paper, and just paint whatever I see or am thinking about. I appear to think about clothes a lot. And flowers. I have to confess that I'm not loving the Mon-Wed-Fri blog schedule. It's throwing me off and I don't know why. I used to get a tingly, energized feeling every day as I pondered, "what will I ... Read more

Filed in: illustration, watercolor • by sanae • 14 Comments

Sewing for Me: FrankenIkat

August 27, 2014

Limitations. I've been mulling over the multi-faceted limitations I stumble upon daily. Alright, so that's kind of an overwrought statement, since I am sharing just a simple tank top today. But this was a simple tank top borne out of limitations. It looks like it was designed this way, right? Actually, yes, that cutout is part of the pattern and it's the reason I wanted to make it. I'm all about interesting back details. M tells me I have a nice back, and it's important to play up our ... Read more

Filed in: sewing, sewing for me • by sanae • 14 Comments

Monday Outfit: A Little on the Wild Side

August 25, 2014

Good morning! I'm starting off the week with a myriad of bright colors -- something you don't often see here. Fun, no? This is the last batch of fabrics I received from sweet Frances, and what makes these extra special is that K was lucky enough to select them herself. Do you see a theme? Zebras and tigers (or cheetahs?) and giraffes, oh my! K is a huge fan of animals on her clothing. These two prints are from the Safari Moon collection and without hesitation, K pointed to the two-headed ... Read more

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

Happy Friday + Randomness

August 22, 2014

Happy Friday! It can't possibly less than two weeks until school starts for K. I have no recollection of the last month, and more to the point, I don't know if I can sew up a new backpack/school bag for K for third grade in the remaining time. When I sat her down and told her that we might have to go BUY one, she was crushed. "But what about last year's??" she asked. Apparently, the Oliver + S messenger bag I made last year was a huge hit amongst her classmates, and she loved telling everyone ... Read more

Filed in: gouache, illustration • by sanae • 12 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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