Home, Sweet Home

I'm a home-body and don't mind admitting it.

I do love to travel and explore,

but I love my home.

So when I found out that my migratory missionary friends

had bought their first home,

well... a little house-warming would be just the thing!

Joanna loves historical/traditional things.

Okay, she loves old-fashioned things :D

So to go with their historical home,

I picked a traditional quilt pattern -

a triple Irish Chain.

For some reason, the photos I took outdoors "read" very black and white,

when the actual colors are much warmer.

Well, if blue can be "warm"!

Here's an indoor photos of the blueberry fabric for reference.

It's got some darker nearly-navy blue,

some periwinkle (almost lavender) blue,

greens, and an ivory background.

What looks black in the photo below is actually a navy blue

that works well alongside the blueberries.

Since it's big enough to cover a queen bed (about 83" square)

there was no way I wanted to do the actual quilting myself,

so I hired that out to Jo Baner at Quiltography Studios.

I love what she did!

Though the quilt is very traditional,

I picked a non-traditional swirly pattern

that appealed to me to go along with the little round blueberries.

Her quilting is so beautiful,

I consider it a reversible quilt :D

It fits right in, in the Choate's bedroom.

Don't you love all those windows?

I had wanted to do a bit of a variation on the Irish Chain,

and make the strips look woven,

as they do in this computer mock-up...

... but I didn't want to use so much green,

so the effect wasn't as visually obvious as I'd hoped.

I don't think Joanna minded, though!

When her family isn't visiting "home" in the US,

they alternate living in several guest houses at their mission "base" in Honiara

and living in their village house on a small island in the Solomons.

I admire their adventurous spirit and their willingness to be so migratory.

They bring to mind the (Amy Grant version)

of the old hymn Anywhere with Jesus...

Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go

Anywhere He leads me in this world below

Anywhere without Him dearest joys would fade

Anywhere with Jesus I am not afraid

Anywhere, anywhere, any little fear I'll never know

Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go

Anywhere with Jesus I am not alone

Other friends may fail me, He is still my own

Though His hand may lead me over dreariest ways

Anywhere with Jesus is a house of praise

 Anywhere, anywhere, any little fear I'll never know

Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go

Anywhere with Jesus I can go to sleep

When the darkening shadows round about me creep

Knowing I shall waken never more to roam

Anywhere with Jesus will be home, sweet home

Anywhere, anywhere, any little fear I'll never know

Anywhere with Jesus I can safely go