Procrastinating, Sewing Room Upgrades & Dog Bed Making | VLOG

This video features me avoiding my to-do list as much as impossible. Instead of like, working on things I should have been I  - Cleaned a lot. Made Guin a dog bed. Made Guin a matching blanket. Made pouches for my tripod counterweights. Made a pannier (but didn’t really film it, because god forbid I show anything interesting) and planned my next project, a flowery 18th century court gown. But I don’t have enough fabric to actually make it - so now I’m back to not knowing what to work on!

This was actually supposed to be a daily vlog, documenting my last day of my week off. It was going to be so packed full of exciting things that a single day would be turned into a wonderful vlog. But that did not happen, and that day turned into a week because: 

I had a dentist appointment and lost a day due to anxiety induced exhaustion. I had a day where 600 (!!!) vintage patterns arrived, so that day was spent going through them and organizing. I did film the process, though. My moms dog was stung by a wasp, ended up spending the better part of a day at the emergency vet.

My brother was staying with us for the weekend (he had to go to local doctors appointments before losing his health insurance - we've been very careful in regards to self quarantining before and after he came). I had to tidy up for him, and wanted to spend some time with him in general since we don't see him much.

Somewhere in there I also did a bunch of project planning, which I neglected to film, wrote/filmed two voice overs and got my PJ and Peacock bodice videos finished. So it wasn’t a total week off - but it was kind of close in regards to productivity.

In general, I’ve found this month really, really hard when it comes to getting things done. I had a big rant I edited out of this video - but I feel like more socially competent people reached this point in self-isolation about two weeks in, where they felt antsy, and frustrated, and annoyed. But I - a gigantic introvert, have only reached that point after five months. But oh boy has it hit hard. 

Everything feels impossible, and when I do manage to muster up enthusiasm, little tiny things going wrong make me want to give up quickly. It’s been very difficult to focus on the things I’m supposed to be doing, but I’m desperate to distract myself from the state of the world. So I’ve been throwing myself at anything that makes me feel motivated. Which are silly things - like counting pattern pieces, or covering my chair with glitter, or making Guin a dog bed, or cleaning. 

That has basically been my whole month. I’ve gotten like four things crossed off the giant to-do list I wrote for the first week of this month! Which just makes me feel more frustrated, and it’s my own fault! 

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again : I’m so incredibly lucky, and privileged to have so much freedom and stability in the middle of this pandemic. Hell, in the middle of everything that is going on in the world right now. I know that and I’m really, really grateful.

But the US is kind of chaotic and awful right now, the news is depressing and scary, and not being able to leave the house sucks. I think it’s okay to be effected by that, regardless of your circumstances. And ignoring it, and pretending everything is fine isn’t helpful. Okay, neither is ranting, but if any of you are feeling this way maybe it will be a small comfort to know I am too.

Anyway - after taking some time off and doing some project planning, I was feeling enthusiastic again. But then the dress I was making from a Vogue pattern, and really enjoying the process of constructing, didn’t fit. So I’m not sure what to do with that. 

And the 18th century flowery fantasy court gown I finally figured out a direction for, I don’t have enough fabric to construct. Luckily the overskirt material I originally bought is still in stock, so I ordered more. But the estimated delivery is in the middle of August.

So my current plan is to post a vlog with a few project ideas and having you guys vote on which gets made first. This will be in place of a monthly progress report - since I don’t have a whole lot to report on. I hoped to have that up before the end of the month, but a dog related crisis has once again occurred (it is a bad week to be a dog in the Clayton household, apparently). 

Guin has a major issue with her left eye - after some eyedrops and antibiotics she is able to fully open the eye again, which is great. But she has gone from very lethargic (her behavior the morning I noticed it) to incredibly antsy and anxious from discomfort. A lot of times she won’t settle on my lap - but when I put her down, she cries. She just wants to be carried. It’s heartbreaking - and not conducive to getting work done. 

Annnd that’s probably enough sharing for todays post. I rambled on a lot more than I had intended. I’m sorry for that, and the complaining. And the fact that I don’t have more to show from this month. Hopefully August will be better! And I hope you are doing well!

Here are the promised patterns - if anyone is interested! The diagrams are not to scale, but the dimensions should be accurate.

Thank you for watching, and for your support! Stay safe and healthy out there!

Procrastinating, Sewing Room Upgrades & Dog Bed Making | VLOG (YouTube)