I'm in a Sewing Bee about the same size. The best challenges in my opinion are those that encourage using my own stash fabric. We have had black/white and one bright color, Christmas ornament, panel challenge, a book cover challenge, embellish challenge, just to name a few. We also have had a block challenge. Everyone makes the same block each month out of their own colors and in the end create a sampler quilt. There have been a few fabric exchanges challenge where everyone brings a yard of fabric and something is made from that yard. I dont like them but some people love them.