Okay, that all sounds needlessly dramatic but it’s true. As I hoisted dumb bells above my head for my daily strength training regimen after a quick yoga session yesterday, I marveled at this unexpected transformation. 14 years ago, you couldn’t bribe me with enough money or art supplies to exercise regularly. Especially yoga!

Around the same time, I started painting with watercolors and sewing all of my daughter’s clothes. I stopped purchasing ready-to-wear in general and eventually my sewing shifted to building my own wardrobe. Almost 15 years in, I still don’t purchase clothes for myself. Well, for the most part. I have shelled out cash for underpinnings and roughly 10 apparel items, most of which have been puffer jackets every few years. I truly dislike sewing winter coats and puffer jackets (the ones I made for K were some of the most frustrating projects ever).

May is a month I celebrate in many ways, because all things considered, life is so much better compared to 2012. It hasn’t been tragedy- or problem-free, of course, but it’s decidedly more grounded and meaningful.

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In other news, this month Creativebug released the leggings class that I taught a while ago. I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love wearing me-made leggings. They’re a sartorial staple for me from October to late May (or whenever the weather is finally balmy enough to switch to linen wide-legged pants). Perhaps you’d like to check out the class? Click here. Creativebug always has great deals if you’re not already a member. One of these days soon I’m going to create a section on this website with all of my Creativebug classes!

It’s Mother’s Day this weekend, and I’m going to create a little digital card with the flowers from the sketch you see above to send to my Mama and mother-in-law. Motherhood has been very different for me now that I’m an empty-nester, and it will be several weeks yet until my college kid returns home for the summer. Her sophomore year zipped by and foreshadows how quickly the rest of her time at college will pass. If you celebrate Mother’s Day, I hope it’s a good one.

And hey, it might be a touch late for this Sunday, but my latest book SHIBUI seems to be crowd-pleaser — if the crowd was made up of entirely moms and grandmas — and very giftable! Thank you so so much to all the lovely folks who have contacted me with kind words about the book. What a delight.

Alright, that’s more than enough lollygagging on my part. I’ve got projects in the works as always, and I’ll share more next time!

I should be allergy-free by April 30th, the day of my next Tatter class! I’ll be guiding folks through the slightly lesser known version of Japanese Sashiko Embroidery called Hitomezashi. Hitomezashi translates to “single stitch” or “one stitch” and the patterns look more complicated than they are — in fact, the method is quite easy. I’m currently working on additional samplers and bonus material, which I’m loving. If you’d like to join in the fun, details are here.

Ok, that’s it for today. I hope you’re having a lovely spring season and would love to see you in class!

I’m feeling the familiar stirrings as warmer weather approaches — I’ve mentioned before that I hibernate and don’t sew much in the winter for some reason, but I’ve begun sketching outfits that I want to sew starting this week. Spring is not quite yet here, but my sewing mojo is blossoming!

In other news, I created this cat basket tutorial for Making Magazine (RIP) many years ago. Part of the licensing agreement was that I could sell the PDF in my own shop using their layout. I’ve sold a handful of this pattern and a kind customer reached out recently because she noticed that the measurements seemed off. I investigated the matter, and sure enough, I felt that a correction was in order. With a bit of stretching, the original measurements would still work, but I stitched up a bunch with the new instructions and it’s definitely better. I also adjusted the cat ear template and reformatted the entire PDF to make it easier to read and print.

I’m working on sending out the updated versions to all previous customers who purchased the cat basket pattern. If you have a copy of the Making Magazine Lines with the tutorial, I’m happy to send you the updated PDF. Just leave me a comment below.

If you’re interested in the slightly new and improved version, I’ve replaced the PDF in my Etsy and webshop!

Alright, off to go sew!

Last two photos of cat basket courtesy of Making Magazine

Hello, hello! Here we are, a few weeks into 2026. How’s it going for you? I’m nursing a slight cold, the weather is predictably grey and rainy in Seattle, the global news is afire.

When the state of the world threatens to crater my inner realm, I turn to moderate making. The moderate part is important. Just-enough-creating of not too much, not too little. Steady, meditative progress and quiet enjoyment along the way. It’s so grounding. And I can’t be of any use if I’m not grounded first. Moderate making is about form, function, freedom from fear-mongering.

Knitting has been my mode of creating as of late and I’ve been hugely into making these funny cowls. I’ve shown you a few others I’ve made in the past here. I love these types of cowls for their compactness and the much needed warmth on my daily walks in this season.

They look like “haramaki” to me, which are Japanese tummy warmers worn in the winter for extra coziness. Haramaki also serve the purpose of boosting the circulation and immune system — it supposedly helps alleviate hormonal pain in the abdomen as well. Hmmm…I don’t have the hormonal issues anymore, but maybe I should consider wearing these around my belly? In their current dimensions, they might cut off my circulation though.

Anyway, perhaps you’d like to do some moderate making, too? Some ideas…

My latest Creativebug class is now available along with a slew of others:
Button-Down Jumpsuit class here
All my Creativebug classes here

Also, birdie-beetle posted these charming winter booties that she stitched up using my pattern and it went mini-viral. I’ve made quite a few of the winter booties and summer slippers, and I can attest that they are one of those beautifully soothing and utilitarian projects. Yes. Form, function, freedom from fear-mongering. If interested, the pattern is here.

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Alright 2026, watcha got? I’m a little sniffly, but with my body layered up in my jumpsuit and other handmade garments, my neck hugged by a haramaki cowl, and my feet swaddled by winter booties, I’m ready.

I also doodled a few somewhat more holiday-esque illustrations and made them into tags as well.

Then my father-in-law asked me to make some floral bookmarks with my watercolor illos, so naturally I opted to feature flora from Shibui (these actually show up in the book):

As always, these tags/bookmarks are super easy to print on 8.5” x 11” textured or cardstock inkjet paper, I’ve heard that some folks have been downloading and printing my annual holiday tags for years — so fun!

To download, click on the images below and save to your desktop or drive:

Click here for all holiday tags to date.

Welp. That’s pretty much a wrap. Like so many of you, I am winding down and reflecting on the past 12 months. It’s been a staggering year full of the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. We moved. We dealt with scary health issues and survived. We traveled. We hunkered down and learned how to appreciate what we have despite endless challenges. In short, we lived a very human life, which is all we can do, really. What will 2026 hold for us all? Who knows? I am, as ever, cautiously optimistic. My friends, I am opening up my arms in a giant virtual hug, and I wish you a serene and beautiful end of 2025. See you in the new year!!

What a wild ride this one has been. It survived a number of tumultuous changes with publishers, editors, deadlines. I am so, so, SO happy it’s out in the world! Thank YOU, you wonderful encouragers out there. As you know, I’ve been at this book-making thing for a long time, and let’s just say it’s not for the faint of heart. If nothing else I’ve gotten exceptionally good at surfing uncertainty.

But enough of that! I’m ready to celebrate, and I would love for you to join me if you’re in the Seattle area!

The beloved Queen Anne Book Company and I are hosting a casual launch party on FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 7TH FROM 6PM to 7PM. We’ll have a raffle giveaway of a lovely goodie box with a free copy of Shibui, snacks, beverages and more. I will also talk a bit about the book and some of my favorite parts and Japanese concepts about aging. Might be a good idea to order a copy before the event, though there will be some copies at the shop of course.

Click here for event details.

If you’d like to order a copy for the event that will be waiting for you at the party, or if you aren’t in the area and/or would like a signed copy delivered to you, please click here (I believe there’s a note section to indicate personalization; if not, feel free to email them with names or special message requests).

Some of you have been reading this little blog for over a decade, and I am deeply grateful for your presence. I’m sending out virtual hugs to everyone, but if you’re local I hope I get to give you a hug in person this Friday!

Top photo credit: Sasquatch Books

Yes. Another book. This one feels extra auspicious because it’s my 13th book in my 13th year since I started this book-making adventure. If you can’t tell, 13 is my lucky number (I was born on a day with that much maligned number).

I can’t even begin to express how extraordinary it is to see the physical, actuality of this book that almost never came to be. But that story is for another day.

Let me start by saying that I have been feeling the impacts of the passage of time — psychically, emotionally, physiologically, interpersonally — for a good while now, and the topic of how to age well has been top of mind. I landed on this Japanese word Shibui to anchor the book’s theme because it defines a kind of loveliness that can only be revealed with time. A simple, unassuming, gentle yet refined kind of beauty.

The book is a collection of illustrated essays about aging from various lenses: health, relationships, wealth, purpose, and of course, beauty. Interspersed are Japanese ideologies and concepts that I found relevant and edifying in my own pursuit of aging with vitality and meaning and beauty. And by beauty, it’s something I’ve determined on my own terms.

I’ve wanted to write and illustrate a book of essays (that isn’t sewing related) for decades, and I feel so, so, SO lucky. I’m a big believer in putting dreams out into the ether, keeping an eye out for glimpses of opportunity, then reaching out to see if the opportunity will lead somewhere — the key is to do it all without clenching onto and demanding certain outcomes. It’s not easy. I’m still not very good at it, but sometimes I manage this seemingly impossible combination. And lo! We have a book of illustrated essays that is exactly what I’d hoped it would be: a slim volume of what seems to matter most to age well, based on my fifty-four years of living on this earth, accentuated with hand-painted watercolor illustrations.

Shibui is available for preorder now! The official launch date is November 4th, and I have fun news about launch parties and other events to share in the very near future. Stay tuned!

Photo credits: Sasquatch Books

[Update: the winners are Maki and Jennifer! Congrats!]

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.