Made from scratch

This is my third attempt at making a sourdough starter from scratch.  By just mixing flour and water in equal parts every day and leaving it out on the counter, you should be able to capture the wild yeasts in the air and have the makings of fresh bread without using commercial store bought yeast.
I don't know what's happening in my kitchen, but it ain't bread.  So I'm going to keep trying until I nail it.  The little bubbles you see in the second picture means the yeast is active.  My last batch had bubbles too, but I probably got overly excited at the bubble sighting and used the starter too early. My bread loaf didn't rise worth a darn and could have been used instead as a weapon or door stop.  A friend of mine fed her starter for several weeks before making bread (whoops! I only waited a week!)  I'm going to have to find some patience and just feed the little yeasty beasties for a while longer.  I'll let you know how it turns out.

The nosegay block pattern above is something I have been meaning to try since last year.   I copied the templates from here, glued them to thin cardboard, traced them onto the back of the fabric and then cut everything out with scissors.  Those scary Y seams aren't going to intimidate me, no sir.  Even though it's a slower pace, sewing them by hand makes me feel like I have more control and I like how it's turning out so far. 
Sourdough bread and quilt blocks from scratch.  It doesn't get much slower than that.

p.s. Thanks for the kind thoughts about my Dad.  He's home from the hospital and back to his usual shenanagins.  Whew!