Progress and a promise

Hahahaha!! I have FINISHED the spare room curtains. Did you hear that? FINISHED! Only, what, nine months after they were due to be completed? But they are FINISHED!

And don't they look luvverly? (Also, you can see from the second photo that there is definitely a lot of decluttering needed...) If I ever replace these curtains, I think I'll look for a stronger colour. We have silver-grey curtains in the main bedroom and deep red in the living room, which both work rather better. These bleed into the walls slightly... 

But given that these are part of my first ever foray into curtain-making, they're not half bad. And, of course, they serve the main function of keeping the light out and the heat in. When I first hung all the curtains (with pins in) in the spring, I was astonished at how much difference a pair of lined curtains made - or even a pair of net curtains - to the temperature in the flat. In fact, despite the temperatures outside and the fact that we are almost into November, we still haven't turned the heating on.

I have finally managed to motivate myself to make some progress with the curtains because I have made myself a promise. I have long wanted to start growing something on the balcony, but am reluctant to begin another project with so many half-finished, so I have promised myself that I can plant my first pot when I have finished all the curtains. Of the four pairs, two are now complete, so I am half-way.

Any suggestions for my first plant? If I manage to get started in November/December, I am currently thinking of garlic and tulips - something useful, something beautiful - but any suggestions are welcome!