Sanae Ishida's Blog

Today is the day!! GOOD NIGHT, NINJAS is all about shinobi-style bedtime (shinobi is another word for ninja)! This marks my 12th book, which boggles my mind.

To be quite frank, I’m a little hazy about the details of working on this book. There was a lot of fun, to be sure. Excitement about commemorating Little Kunoichi’s 10-year anniversary, without a doubt.

As always, I included a lot of Easter eggs and references to Japanese culture in the illustrations. Things like traditional Japanese snacks, nods to classic folk tales, Buddhist monk’s typical travel garb, etc. I love how the book turned out and I hope you will too!

A book launch wouldn’t be complete without a giveaway, right? 2 lucky winners will get not only a signed copy of GOOD NIGHT, NINJAS, but a copy of LITTLE KUNOICHI, THE NINJA GIRL – the story that launched my book-making way of life.

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment of any sort. If you’re stumped for a comment idea, how about sharing a memorable dream? When I’m overwhelmed, I often dream that I’ve forgotten to attend a college class and it’s finals week. I feel enormous relief to wake from that dream and realize that it didn’t actually happen. Good dreams usually involve a big meadow and lush gardens.

The giveaway will close Friday, August 15th and I’ll announce the winner that evening! International entries are always welcome and good luck, good luck!

Hello! Summer is in full swing around here, and I’m getting back into sewing mode. I know that this hooded jacket (windbreaker? hoodie?) doesn’t look too summery but it’s perfect for the cool mornings. I had just enough olive/khaki twill for this, and I love it.

I started off with this PatternCouture zip-up hoodie pattern from etsy, and cut out the large. Then I futzed with it and made quite a few modifications. First, I sewed a wearable muslin out of knit scraps I had on hand:

That two-toned hood looks intentional, right? Nope. I ran out of fabric.

Then I lengthened the torso, shortened the arms, modified the front neckline to dip a little lower and to accommodate the separating zippers I had in my stash and made this black ever-s0-practical knit hoodie:

Then I eliminated the cuffs for the twill version:

It’s very reminiscent of the Merchant and Mills Landgate Jacket that I made back in 2021. I still wear that all the time, but every time I pull it on and off, I wish it was a zip up — hence this twill jacket. It’s a good one. I enjoyed that it was a fairly easy project, and by the third hoodie, I wasn’t intimidated by the separating zipper at all.

And then there is this summer tiered dress that I designed and taught as a Creativebug class:

The class launches today!! Check it out here along with all of my other Creativebug classes here. Creativebug is always having amazing subscription deals and it’s SO worth it if you’re not signed up already!

As for the dress, what’s not to love? Simple to draft and make, effortless to wear, POCKETS. Need I say more? This is hands down my favorite summer outfit. In fact, I might have to stitch up another in that olive/khaki color which I’m obsessed with…

Alright, my friends. I will be back again soon to share loads of book news. Very, very exciting!

Hello. We’re heading into May, and I am on the brink of finalizing some projects. But I am so slow, my friends. So, so slow.

I snapped this photo of my kindred spirit, and I watched it take its sweet old time for several minutes. “What’s the rush, love?” It seemed to telepathically mind meld with me. What’s the rush, indeed? One of the benefits of getting older is realizing that so few things are urgent and important.

There’s that quote I see on mugs and tea towels and cafe walls: nature does not hurry yet everything is accomplished. Well-played, Lao Tzu (assuming the attribution is correct). Cal Newport’s latest book, Slow Productivity, also emphasizes going at a “natural pace” to get more meaningful things done without burnout. Big, big fan of Cal.

My natural pace is ultra molasses-esque these days, and I’m okay with that. Somehow deadlines are met, meals are cooked and consumed, the needs of my resident overlord (aka my pet cat) are tended to. I suspect, however, that these blog updates may continue to be sporadic as I complete my next two books — more on those in the near future. For my projects, I have to keep mum forever. If I let it, it can be quite maddening. But again, what’s the rush? 

This isn’t really related, but one of K’s dorm friends signs off the evening with “Great night, honey.” I think that’s so much more charming than your standard “good night.” Maybe I’ll adopt “Great day, honey” in lieu of “hello.” What do you think? Too saccharine? Too weird? Or perhaps it works better as an alternative to goodbye.

Either way, let me start with you: Great day, honey.

For a while now, I’ve mostly been promoting things here. Books. Classes. Products. I’m a lackluster marketer, I know, but needs must when creating has become a job. Or at least that’s what I told myself. I don’t know about you, but I’ve been feeling the effects of what I’m calling Chronic Content Fatigue Syndrome (CCFS). The weariness isn’t just from my own consumption of too much internet-ness, but also from constantly producing for others to consume. Or not even producing content but thinking about producing content for others.

So I’ve decided to go old school. The whole reason I started this blog was because I just wanted to record the things I made and my thoughts about them, to have a centralized way of annotating my bumbling progress, to shake my fists at mistakes and learn to accept them, to rejoice in incremental improvements. My main audience was me (and my mom). I wasn’t trying to sell anything and I certainly didn’t think anyone would ever take notice. OF COURSE I hoped that someone in the publishing industry might gamble on me and let me publish a book or two, but everyone told me that I was a pipe dreamer. I, too, thought I was a pipe dreamer. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine that 13 years since the inception of this online journal of mine that I would be working on my 13th book.

But back to going old school. I have found that the best antidote for Chronic Content Fatigue Syndrome is to engage in real life. To get reacquainted with nature, to talk to people face-to-face in the same room without a screen between us, to make things simply because I want to, without the running mental commentary on how best to showcase them online.

And that’s what I’ve been doing. Living IRL, if you will.

Once I stopped putting pressure on myself to make things that the vast unknown folks of the interwebs might find interesting, my creative energy blossomed.

For example, I sewed a bunch of knit tops using my slopers. They’re almost all batwing tops because that’s what I like to wear. Next, I made a pair of leggings to replace one that was unsalvageable and revisited the excellent Persephone Pants. I improved upon the pair I had made before (I messed up the button flap on my first pair). I didn’t bother with the belt loops again and I also omitted the pockets this time because my pocket bags kept inching out of the pocket opening for my first pair. I love them all.

Then I suddenly had an urge to make dish scrubbies. I was inspired no doubt by the dollar store strawberry-shaped scrubby that my mom gave me for Christmas. It was awesome. The flexibility allowed for tricky nooks and crannies and it cleared away even the most stubborn caked on food.

So I made a simpler acrylic/polyester version. And it was awesome, too!

Unfortunately (or fortunately) I got lost in a Google-labyrinth about the microplastics nightmare and immediately stopped using them. I had some extra hemp cords lying around, so I thought it might be fun to knit somewhat more eco-friendly dish scrubbies.

Now on a roll, I remembered I had some burlap and wool batting and tried to sew some jute scrubbies:

Turns out they fall apart right away. The hemp scrubbies take a long time to dry, so that’s not ideal either. They’re still a work in progress…

Anyway. I’ve been feeling less fatigued and am definitely spending less time using my devices. I have a coffee date with a friend next week, and I’ve been enjoying extra long daily morning walks. CCFS busting at its finest!

I’ve wanted to be a legit knitter for decades. I’d dive in with great enthusiasm, clacking away with bamboo needles to create a lap blanket or scarf or — misguidedly — a sweater, only to realize that I am unable to keep track of stitches for some mysterious reason. I would watch in horror as my project morphed into something entirely different from what I’d planned, would get super confused when consulting books and videos and then…I’d give up. Inevitably, autumn would roll around again, and the cycle would repeat itself.

Over the holiday season I decided that enough was enough and what made the most sense was to start small. Itty bitty. I’d overestimated my abilities, and that was okay. I also learned fairly recently that my mom had taught me the continental style of knitting which is not what most books and videos show — no wonder I was befuddled!

Luckily, a friend had gifted me a basketful of yarn that she herself had been gifted by another friend. I have only one skein for most colors, and I decided to practice with these.

Which brings us to this little number that I’m sporting:

It is, in fact, a cowl. But the extra bulky yarn made for a snug cowl and I think it looks better as a headband. I love these types of thick, knitted headbands in lieu of hats. I don’t know why, but I find most knitted hats uncomfortable. The pops of color are so fun and I believe this is an acrylic, rayon combo.

I knitted more cowls, concentrating hard on counting and learning to identify the difference between knit and purl stitches.

The grey one was my first attempt and it’s actually a hot mess. The beauty of knitting is that the mistakes often look intentional, so I just kept going.

See? You can’t even tell that I couldn’t K1, P1 to save my life. The texture of this wool was very enjoyable, I have to say.

This pumpkin-hued cowl is my favorite. I love the richness of the color, the drape of the shape (ooh, I didn’t mean to make it rhyme). It’s acrylic, but feels remarkably luxurious.

The cowls and headband were knitted in the round with circular needles. I checked out a number of library books to get a sense of how to knit a cowl, and I made up the pattern(s). I’m currently venturing to knit a scarf that I will actually wear (previous attempts have languished in my dresser drawers, unloved). The off-white wool is lovely. I spend a few minutes every evening knitting and purling and now, at the age of 53, I understand why so many people find this simple, soothing craft so addictive.

I’m definitely getting better at keeping track of my stitches, so a sweater is feeling very doable in the not too distant future. Knitting always makes me think of one of my favorite sayings: little by little, a little becomes a lot. I didn’t know that it’s a Tanzanian proverb — at least that’s what the Google AI tells me.

Sewing is happening too! But like knitting, I’m sticking to small projects at this juncture. I’m still working on my next book so the lion’s share of my focus is on that. Little by little, a little becomes a lot…

Alright, I hope your 2025 has been going well so far, and I’ll see you here next month!

Hello, my friends! Just stopping by to let you know that I designed a few simple and cute (and free!) printable tags for you.

I am, at the moment, feeling pretty rough and under the weather. All I know is that it’s not COVID, but it’s tenacious. I wasn’t sure if I’d get these tags done this year, and as always I had such ambitions. Ohhhhh….my perennial ambitions.

But as Buddha says (or at least I think it was Buddha), “Enough is a feast,” and I’m going to call these sweet ones good enough.

I’m rather smitten with that origami paper boat on the left and that bear! Such a big softie. And here are all the designs:

I recommend slightly thicker stock than your standard issue copy paper, something in the 40lb to 60lb range. I tested out this watercolor texture, and I like it! Invest in this or a similar pack and you’re set for printable tags for a long time, I’d imagine.

To download, click HERE.

Do let me know if you have any issues. Please note that these should be printed in landscape mode.

Okay. I’m off to get more sleep. Wishing you and all your loved ones a joyful holiday season. See you back here in January!

~Sanae
xo

Well, now. You may be wondering just how many times I can possibly post images of handmade booties/slippers, and the answer is: infinitely. Especially when they’re adorably miniaturized like these.

I did it, my friends. I finished teaching my last class of the year, which included a quick overview of how to make these cuties shown above. If there is interest, I can sell the pattern and tutorial on my shop? Let me know.

I’ve also been working on a couple of books this year and those are near completion — or, at least one of the books is nearly complete, I should say more accurately.

So at this point, I’m super grateful that it’s the end of the year, that the holidays are upon us and that I can ease into some much anticipated relaxation. I’m also thankful for this blog space and you. A few weeks ago I spent some time reading through my archives and wow, I’m so glad I recorded all those funny conversations with M and K and the mind-boggling number of sewing projects! I loved the frequent engagement with y’all and though the comments are less these days, I still feel the encouraging energy from the ethers. Thank you.

Not that this blog is going anywhere. I’m making it sound like I’m going to sail away into the sunset never to return, but no, I’m just going to take my usual winter break. Despite my winter break, I will pop in to share free printable holiday tags soon-ish. It’s become a yearly offering that I enjoy creating very, very much.

Anyway. I’m off to enjoy Thanksgiving day! Wishing you and your loved ones a merry celebration if it’s part of your festive tradition; if not, I’m still wishing you a merry celebration because hallelujah, we’ve survived 2024 so far and I’m delighted that you and I are here on planet earth.

Happy Halloween!

This month got away from me!! I’ve done zero to engage in the Hallow’s Eve spirit, but this sort of pumpkin colored pair of winter booties could be part of an elfin costume, maybe??

Well, by the time my class for these cuties start on November 7th (next week!) Halloween will be a distant memory, but that’s okay. I’m super excited about this special virtual 3-session class that I’ll be teaching in collaboration with Tatter Blue Library. It’s a spin-off of the summer slip one class I taught back in July, and this time I’ll be instructing how to hand sew toasty, quilted, Sashiko-stitched winter versions. Totally customizable and oh-so-nourishing for the mind, heart and hands (well, if you take it slow and steady, which is the pace of the class), I have loved loved loved making the samples and have plans to make more as gifts. For more info and to register, click here.

Speaking of gifts, a part of the class I’m including a bonus baby booties PDF that will delight wee toes the world over, and it we have time in the last session, I’ll give a quick overview of the instruction to clarify any tricky bits.

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In other news, I’ve been invited to be a part of one of New York’s fabulous children’s bookstores, Books of Wonder. The virtual picture book event with a panel discussion is on Sunday, November 10th at 2pm EASTERN along with several lovely authors:

For details of this FREE event, click here!

These will be pretty much the last things I’ll be taking part in this year (there’s also a short watercolor class that I will teach in person at the South Hill Library on November 16th at 2pm, if you’re in the area and interested). Here’s yet another link for signing up.

It’s been a full, amazing year! I’m still working on books in the background, but mostly, I’m spending lots of time thinking about how to savor this new phase of empty nesting. I’m flying out to Chicago next week for K’s college family weekend, and I can’t wait!

Since I was out of town for a good chunk of October and just returned to Seattle last night, I didn’t do much in terms of Halloween decor as I mentioned, but I did take a few fun photos while I was in the Bay Area:

See you next month!

Aaaaah, it’s autumn! My favorite. I’ve enjoyed my summer break from blogging and social media-ing, but I’ve missed aspects of them too. How are you?

This weekend, my little family will fly out to Chicago to drop off K — now 18-years-old — and we are all full of big, big feelings.

I am excited for her. I think back to my own first days at UCLA, how I started my journaling habit almost 35 years ago in a little coffee shop tucked into the corner of a weathered campus building. 18-year-old Sanae had no idea what she was in for. Neither of my parents had attended college, though even if they’d gone, it would have been in Japan. Possibly not very relatable. At any rate, I was the first in my immigrant family to enter higher education, and I had zero expectations and knowledge.

It’s so different with K. M and I have regaled her with tales of our American college shenanigans, she’s watched dorm move-in YouTube videos, and the amount of information provided by the university itself is mind-blowing (webinars, regular emails with detailed preparation reminders, local meet-ups with alumni, apps for finding roommates, etc., etc.). As a freshman, I showed up to my cramped dorm room with a Monet-inspired bedding set and a duffel bag filled with the bare minimum of clothes. Not so with K. Let’s just say that we’re going to be paying a pretty penny for check-in luggage.

Despite the most meticulous of planning, I suppose there’s no way to be fully prepared for any kind of future. We’re all just doing our best here.

Anyway. I’m rather overwhelmed about this whole dropping-kid-off-at-college thing, so I’m keeping this September check- in brief. Despite the adage of the best laid plans yada, yada, yada, I’ve done my own preparations for empty nesting: I’ve got projects galore to keep me occupied for the autumn season and beyond, I’m ramping up on sewing clothes for myself again, I intend to experiment more with healthy cooking, and I’m full of ideas to fill my days with creativity and staying connected to loved ones. I imagine I’ll be updating here more often too.

Here’s a little sketch I made of my plans for Fall sewing:

I have yet to sew the hoodie of my dreams and I want to add more jeans, oversized turtlenecks, long-sleeve tees (preferably in striped fabric). I typically shy away from cooler-weather sewing (so bulky!), but I’m going for it this year, my friends. I didn’t sketch it, but  I have some quilted fabric that’s begging to be turned into winter appropriate coats and jackets. Since I’ll be visiting Chicago regularly and the first family weekend event is in November, I best get stitching!

Some knitting aspirations are in the works too!

And if you’re interested in some classes…

For Seattle folks, I’ll be teaching a Boro/Sashiko coasters class at The Works on October 2nd at 6:30pm. Register here!

If online classes are more your speed, I’ll be part of Tatter’s World Embroidery Series with some wonderful instructors on October 3rd. I’m teaching a particular Sashiko embroidery style called Hitomezashi. Details and registration info here.

And recently, my newest Creativebug class launched — check it out here.

Fun, fun, fun!

Happy September, everyone. I’m so ready to dive into all the coziness of the season!

Hello, my friends! My brain is extremely full right now, what with K’s prom and graduation and big trips (visiting my parents in Japan! Moving K to Chicago!) and other big life upheavals careening towards me. I’m keeping this month’s update super mini, and just wanted to let you know about an exciting new class I’ll be teaching for the incredible Tatter. The virtual class will be on July 18th and 25th, featuring hand stitched Sashiko slip ons (aka slippers or house shoes). Click here to find out more details and to register. It’s going to be so fun and meditative!!

The stitching on the white pair of slip ons is a little hard to see in the photo, but it’s a more abstract pattern with Sashiko stitching:

Alright! There are graduation events to plan, itineraries to confirm, travel outfits to sew, and overwrought sentimentality (mine) to manage…I hope that May was a good month for you all, and my aim is to be back next month with juicy updates, but with all the craziness going on right now, I may end up skipping a month or two.

P.S. The lovely Annette Leonard interviewed me for her Chronic Wellness show here. I prattle on about my health “journey” as it were and how I’ve been having a déjà vu health crisis reversal experience. As per usual, I never listen back to any of these types of things that I do, and I hope it’s interesting or at least a little helpful for folks.