What Next?

Do you ever get to a place where you've finished up your immediate goals and aren't sure what to do next? Having finished the 4th of July quilt and that little Americana panel to hang in the kitchen, I'm at that place. I have a couple of applique projects "in progress" (including the cherries quilt) and uncounted quilt tops wanting to grow up to become "real" quilts. I have fabrics and patterns galore! I have tiny shrunken wool sweaters and thrifted purse handles waiting to become purses. Goodness knows I have plenty of non-quilting crafty projects, not to mention my new ambition of learning to crochet! So what's next?

To tell you the truth, I'm kind of drawn to the Schnibbles patterns, but then there's a quilt top I want to quilt too. What should I do?

How do YOU decide which project to start next? In my world, the choice is often determined by what I "need" to give away, show to a group, or decorate with. With that criteria in mind, I my next two projects SHOULD be a Schnibbles pattern made in blue and white fabrics and quilting that quilt top I mentioned. I "need" a blue and white quilt because once 4th of July is past, I'll probably want to put away the patriotic stuff and get out my blue and white plates and things.

And that quilt top? My Thimbleberries group will get together for a "camp" in August or September and swap a simple block--I used the same blocks in my quilt top and I'd like to show the other gals what can be done with them when the next Thimbleberries meeting rolls around in July.

I also have the Christmas List BOM--I think I'll continue to take that project with me to work on during my lunch hours. Of course, in order to get anywhere with that plan, I'll probably have to stop going to Goodwill nearly every day--my new addiction! But if I don't get some sewing done soon and stay out of the thrift store, I'll have to change the name of my blog to Kim's Big Thrifting Adventure. Or, quite possibly, Kim's Big Poor House Adventure!

I thought I'd show you this thrifted find, though, since it's sewing-related.

Won't this make a dandy box for all my sewing notions? Since I began quilting, I've kept all kinds of odds and ends in a yellow plastic tool box I bought at Home Depot. I like this much better, don't you?

There are a couple problems with it though. See that piece of wood that sticks up higher than the "drawer"? Someone's quick fix at some point in its life.

Then there's the missing corner piece.

For $3.99, I decided to buy it and bring it home to ask the boy child if he could/would fix it for me. Since he's a fully-qualified cabinet refacer (is that a word?), I think he has the skills and tools he'll need to at least make it better than it is now. He looked it over tonight and said he thought he could do something. My birthday's coming up on July 23rd--that's over a month away. I think I'll tell him that's what I'd like for my birthday!

Tomorrow night, I'll probably hang out in the Sweat Shop, pulling blue and white fabrics from my stash and deciding which Schnibbles pattern to use. You know what that means, right? Once I finish piecing it, I'll have a giveaway of the pattern, so look for that in about a week! In the next couple days, I'll let you know which pattern I decide to make. Thanks for stopping in to visit!